Craig's Recipes

White Chili

This recipe isn't very spicy-hot, but the heat can be increased by leaving the seeds in the jalapeños.

I also have recipes for Vegetarian Cashew Chili and for Chili Con Carne.

Ingredients

1 pound navy beans, white kidney beans, or Cannellini beans

1 pound skinless, boneless, chicken thighs or breast

2 cups chopped onion

¾ cup chopped celery (2 medium stalks)

4 cloves garlic, crushed

3 or 4 jalapeños, minced (seeds and white ribs removed)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 4-ounce can diced green chilies

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

½ teaspoon salt

1 quart (32 ounces) chicken broth

4 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

4 ounces Cream Cheese, diced

Preparing the Dish

Cover the beans with plenty of water. Boil for three minutes, then soak overnight. Drain.

Cook the beans in 8 cups of water (or more if necessary) until tender. Most beans take about 1 to 1½ hours. You may need to add water as they cook. Keep enough water on them to keep them covered. After cooking, reserve the liquid, draining the beans.

In a large non-stick pot, saute the chicken over medium heat in 1 Tablespoon olive oil until browned, then turn to brown other side.

Turn heat to low and cover until chicken is cooked through. Internal temperature of 165°F for breast, 185°F for thighs.

Remove the chicken from the pot, and set aside, allowing the chicken to cool, then chop or dice the meat.

Meanwhile, in the same pot, cook onions, celery, and garlic in remaining olive oil over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until tender. Stir in jalapeños, green chilies, cumin, white pepper and salt; cook for 1 minute.

Put about half of the beans and about a cup of the liquid into a blender with half the chicken broth and blend until smooth.

Add contents of the blender, the remaining beans with their liquid, and the chicken broth to the ingredients in your pot. Bring up to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes.

Stir in the chicken, and the parsley, cook about another 10 minutes, until heated through.

Stir in cream cheese until melted.

Serve with Cornbread Muffins.