Comfort Food: Creamy White Chicken Chili

There's something so comforting and (practically) fail-safe about chili. Throw in some meat, some beans, some spices and your set. But then you taste that bowl of chili that reaches perfection. The one that wins the chili cook-off. The one that makes you realize great chili's aren't just a dump-fest of ingredients, but are instead a controlled science experiment guaranteeing the chemistry of ingredients will make your mouth happy. And give you a blue ribbon.

That is Creamy White Chicken Chili. This recipe comes from my friend Sara (as all of my great recipes do). Background: this recipe won the cook off when she lived in Illinois. She brought it back to me (and Utah). Our Utah ward (mormon for congregation) had a chili cook-off and I signed her up before she did. I knew she'd claim the prize.

And she did!

This is a big ole pot of chili, so invite your friends or enjoy leftovers for a couple of days. Trust me, it won't last long. Here we go! Here's our ingredients:




I just have to say, that cumin is the most underrated spice on the planet. It's so not a part of American cooking, but it makes such a difference. You can see here that cumin is just one of the many ingredients going on here.

Use 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken, cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Also chop up 2 medium onions. Get out your soup pot and heat 3 TBL of olive oil. Add 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder and saute your chicken and onions.



Now here's the chicken all cooked up behind some harmless kitchen smoke. We're ready to add more ingredients!





A. Drain and rinse 6 cans (15.5 oz each) of Great Northern Beans

B. Add beans, corn (1 pkg frozen or 2 cans), broth, green chiles, & seasonings. Bring this to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer (uncovered) for 30 minutes.

C. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream (2 cups)



Serve immediately. Serve over crushed tortilla chips. Top with grated cheddar and fresh cilantro.

Here's the full recipe

CREAMY WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 med onions, chopped
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 TBL olive oil
6 cans (15.5 oz each) Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
5 cups chicken broth
4 cans (4 oz each) green chiles, chopped
2 tsp salt
3 TBL lemon juice
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp pepper
1 pkg frozen corn (or 2 cans)
2 cups sour cream
GARNISH: tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, grated cheddar

Saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, corn, broth, chiles and seasonings.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer (uncovered) for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

Serve immediately. Spoon over crushed tortilla chips. Top with grated cheese and fresh cilantro.


Thanks Sara. Enjoy!