There comes a time when every young woman is forced to make a serious decision.
Staring down the barrel of the gun, I took a deep breath. Do I pull the trigger? Do I open a third and fourth can of beans?
This time coincides with the moment in every young woman’s life when she realizes exactly how much chili four cans of beans makes. The measurement is called, “An army’s worth.”
Maybe the words chili and chilly are connected, because a sudden drop in temperature gave me only one craving. It wasn’t cold enough to put on a hoodie, but I have snuggled into the jeans I love so dearly on my daily outings around Philadelphia. The all-meat Texas chili will have to wait a few more weeks, because I still see juicy, ripe peaches dwindling on the shelves. As a long time chili lover, I’ve found no better median than white chicken chili.
Light but filling, the marriage of white beans and juicy chicken breast will take your taste buds on the transition from Summer to Fall. Featured players in Mexican food such as cumin, paprika, and jalepenos call to white chili’s heartier cousin. Chop some fresh cilantro and green onions and serve over a slice of thick, sweet cornbread for the perfect chilly night.
Recipe
(serves four | takes 40 minutes active time, 4+ hours to cook)
There are a few ways to cook this. I chose to slow cook most of it and finish it off in a big soup pot. I really liked the results, but if you want to do it all in the slow cooker, that’s cool too. If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can do the entire recipe on the stove, just keep in mind you will need to check on it to make sure your house is not burned down.
Ingredients:
Two cans of canellini beans
Three cups of chicken broth
Two garlic cloves, minced
Two medium onions, diced
One Tablespoon of olive oil
One four-ounce can of green chiles
Two tsp of ground cumin
Two tsp of ground oregano
One tsp of paprika
1/4 tsp of cayenne
Two chicken breasts, diced and cooked
1.5 cups of grated Monterey Jack cheese
In a crock pot or large soup pot, combine beans, broth, garlic and half the onions — if using a soup pot bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, 3 hours or more. Add additional water (or watered-down broth), if necessary. — if using a crock pot, just put on high for about three hours.
After the beans are very soft, saute the remaining onions in a oil until tender in a skillet. Add chilies and seasonings and mix thoroughly. Add to bean mixture. Add chicken and continue to simmer 1 hour. Check seasoning, add jalapeno or serrano to level of desired hotness.
Serve topped with grated cheese. Garnish with cilantro, chopped fresh tomato, salsa, chopped scallions, and/or guacamole. Serve with fresh warmed flour tortillas or tortilla chips.
