Tuesday, April 9, 2013

White Chicken Chili

Just when I was thinking I'd start a new series of grilling recipes, we get a blizzard. Ah, April in Colorado. So, time for a crockpot comfort food recipe instead! This is adapted from a recipe in the book, Fix it and Forget It (Lightly).  It takes a little bit of planning and a little bit of pre-crockpot prep time, but it's worth it!

What you need:

  • 1 lb. of white beans (Navy or Great Northern), soaked overnight or quick-soaked, which is convenient if you didn't know you'd have a snow day. If you're really in a pinch, drain and rinse 4 cans of beans.
  • 1 onion, diced (or 2 onions if you really dig onions)
  • 1/2 T olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 4-oz cans of diced green chilis
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1.5-2 lb. chicken, cubed
  • 5 C. (3 cans) chicken broth (not pictured, oops. I used less, about 4 C, because I didn't use a full pound of dried beans)
  • 2 C. grated cheese (also not pictured)
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
Optional, But So Good, Garnishes:
  • tortilla chips
  • sour cream
  • salsa
  • cilantro
What to do:
  1. If you didn't start soaking your beans the night before, quick soak using the link above-this still takes about an hour. Drain.
  2. Saute the onion over medium-high heat until clear. Add garlic, green chilis, cumin, oregano, and cayenne. Saute 2 minutes more. *this step can be skipped if you're in a rush-just dump all ingredients into crockpot*

  1. Place contents of pan and all other ingredients into crockpot, except cheese and garnishes.
  2. Cover, cooking on low for 8-10 hours or high 4-6.
  3. Add 1 cup on the cheese and stir in. 
  4. Serve in bowls topped with remaining cheese and desired garnishes.