I have a picky eater who doesn’t often eat what I eat (unless it’s pork chops or pizza). I don’t mind making enough for 2 or 4, though, because that means there’s something good to eat for lunch later in the week. Unfortunately (or fortunately?…), I never have any leftovers when I make this (adapted from a recipe from E. Gibson):
White Bean Chicken Chili
Servings: 2 (large)
Ingredients:
2 T dried minced onion, re-hydrated (if you like onion, you may want to use the real, chopped kind)
1/2-1 T olive oil
1 C chicken, cooked & shredded*
1 Can Great Northern Beans (drained and rinsed)
1 C Chicken Stock (truthfully, I eyeball this rather than measure)
1/2 t Salt
1/2 t Ground Cumin
1/2 t Dried Oregano
1/4 t Pepper
1/8 t Cayenne Pepper ( I often use just a dash or two, as I’m not too big on hot & spicy)
1/4 C Sour Cream
1/4 C Heavy Whipping Cream
*Note: I often cook up my own chicken in advance, using a minced garlic, butter, and white wine saute, 6-8 minutes per side. You can also use half of a roast chicken from the deli section of your supermarket if you don’t have time to cook your own, or aren’t in the mood. I do add a little garlic powder if I use the deli chicken, because they have less seasoning already added. Don’t forget to shred it using a couple of forks. It is much easier to eat this way!
Step 1: In a medium saucepan, saute chicken, onion (and garlic powder, if using) in the oil. (I use a 2.5 Qt. sauce pan) * Note: be careful not to saute too long. Your chicken is already cooked, and you are just getting your onions to the see-through stage.
Step 2: Add beans, stock, and seasonings.
Step 3: Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. I usually cover it during simmering.
Step 4: Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and whipping cream.
And there you have it! Quick and easy. Some may qualify this as more of a soup than a chili, but then again, if you are eyeballing how much stock you use, you can make this as thick or soupy as you like.
I started this recipe once without realizing I didn’t have any Great Northern Beans. I used a can of refried beans, and it was still quite tasty (although a bit more salty)!
There are ways to make this more healthy, like using a lighter oil, less oil, low-fat sour cream, etc. but I’m not sure it would taste as good.
This is particularly yummy served with a salad and some cornbread. Mmmm… cornbread…
Simple. I Just Do. 