White Chicken Chili

Brrr it has been cold here in the Northeast! Cold temps + football = perfect day for a pot of chili. I have been wanting to make White Chicken Chili for a while, so decided to make it today while spending the day with my mom.


I used this recipe that I found on the blog Proceed with Caution as my inspiration. My version of the recipe is below.


Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
• 2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
• 6 cups chicken broth
• Spices for the chili: 1 tsp ground coriander; 1.5 teaspoon Mexican oregano; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 3 chicken breasts
• Spices to season the chicken before cooking (several shakes of each): chili powder, cumin, cayenne, Mexican oregano, salt, and even some onion and garlic powders if you'd like
• 4-6 tomatillos, husks removed and diced
• 2 cans small white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup Monterey jack cheese
• Optional ingredients for serving: Sour cream, cilantro, cooked white rice, tortilla chips

Directions

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven.
• Add onions and garlic, saute 4 minutes.
• Add jalapenos and poblanos; saute 2-3 minutes. Add beans and tomatillos; saute another 2-3 minutes.
• Add spices and then the broth; simmer partly covered for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• About an hour into the simmering, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a saute pan. Add the chicken and cook until done, about 12 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan (don't put your pan in the sink just yet!!) and shred; set aside.
• Here is the good part - turn the empty saute pan on over medium high heat. Take about 1/2 c of the broth from the chili pot and add it to the pan to deglaze it. Stir, scraping up all of the brown bits. Once you have them all up, pour the broth back into the chili. This will add a lot of flavor to the chili.
• Add chicken and cheese, simmer an additional 30 minutes. Then you can turn the chili to low to keep warm until you are ready to serve. Or put it away until the next day - it is SO good the next day.
• Serve any way you'd like - I like it over rice with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, and cilantro on top!

This chili was so delicious, made my mom's house smell amazing while it was cooking, and was very easy to make. It was so good that we put a container in the freezer for my dad to enjoy when he returns from his trip to Vietnam and Hong Kong. I'm happy to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

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