once you go white...

it’s been 6 days since i last blogged, and this was the yummiest dish that entered my belly within those 6 days.  my husband asked me the morning after, “did i tell you last night how GOOD that chili was?”   (it used to be sex, oh my god i want to cry).  give this a try on football sunday in place of your regular chili recipe.  white beans are *entitled* to a little chili play, too.  just ask them.

so, because this recipe calls for cooked chicken, use LEFTOVER chicken.  specifically and superiorally™, use leftover lila’s apron roasted chicken.  true, you can always saute up a couple of chopped chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs.. or even buy those pre-cooked chicken strip things (sorry about the scorn not really), but why?  wait ’till you make a chicken dinner, and use those already-seasoned ‘tovers.

abbreviated tutorial for those new to the concept of white chili:  white chicken chili is similar to “red” chili in that 1) you’re gonna be opening a bunch of cans and jars to create a product which is delicious, comforting and not at all canny-tasting,  2)  it’s a distinctly southwest/tex-mex flavor profile, and 3) there are a billion ways to make it, mine is the best.  proceed.

this recipe serves 4-6.

kiddo alert:  for toddler-aged kids, omit jalapeno and cayenne and replace w/ 1 tsp reg old red chili powder.  older children should be fine, as this really isn’t that spicy — it’s ZESTY.  there’s a difference.

get it:

• 1.5 lb cooked chicken, chopped
• 2 cans white beans, drained (navy, cannelllini, whatever)
• 32 oz chicken broth (1 large carton or can is usually 32 oz)
• 3 TBSP evoo
• 1 small jar of salsa verde
• 1 (15-16oz) can CRUSHED tomatoes
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1-2 stalks celery, sliced thin (split stalk down the middle and then slice)
• 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and FINELY chopped
• 1 pasilla pepper, chopped
• 3 tsps cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• small handful chopped cilantro
• 2 tsp ground pepper — white pepper, please.  black is cool, too.
• salt to taste
• GARNISHES:  sour cream, tortilla strips, shredded cheese, cilantro — any or ALL of them

make it:

1. using large pot, heat evoo over med heat.  saute garlic, onion, celery, and both peppers for 5 min.
2. stir in thyme, oregano, cumin, and cayenne (all dried spices), then pour in chicken broth, and add tomatoes and salsa verde.  stir and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer.
3. add chicken, salt & pepper.
4. stir and cook on simmer for 30 min.  add cilantro in last 5 min of cooking.  make sure you are tasting for salt — i added about 2 tsp in spite of the broth having some salt.
5. serve it up (i used breadbowls, makes a complete and filling meal), and garnish

note:  if you like THICKER chili, you can either create a bit of a roux in the pot before you saute the veggies by mixing 3 tbsp flour into the evoo and stirring for a few minutes before adding the veggies.  or you can go the cornstarch route like i did, and mix 2 tbsp cornstarch into 1 tbsp cold water, and stirring it in quickly at the end of cooking.

notenote:  share your own chili recipes, i wanna hear ‘em.  red, brown, white, whatever color chili turns you on.  i am fully aware that there are a billion ways to make delicious chili, so secret/odd ingredients or methods are always fascinating to me.  especially if beer is one of them.