White Chili - Phase 1

[Kayzan]

My mom made this over Easter because she was worried that I wouldn’t have anything to eat. She thought she was going to send me home with lots of leftovers, but my family all loved it too, and it was gone by the end of the weekend. Even the kids liked it! I’ve made it once since then. It’s a bit time consuming, but well worth the time. It makes a lot of chili, and it’s great to freeze.

In a hurry? Try the Fast Version!

White Chili

Ingredients:
o 1 pound Great Northern white beans
o 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
o 2 medium onion, chopped
o 2 4oz. cans of mild chopped green chilies
o 4 garlic cloves, minced
o 2 Tbsp. olive oil
o 6 cups fat-free chicken broth
o 2 Tbsp. ground cumin
o 2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
o 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
o 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
o 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
o Sour cream
o Salsa
o Fresh cilantro


- Soak beans in cold water overnight.

- In large pot, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat and sauté onions until translucent. Stir in garlic, chilies, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and cloves and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

- Drain beans and add to pot with chicken stock. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer about 2 hours until beans are tender, stirring occasionally.

- While beans are cooking, saute chicken breast in 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Let cool, then cube.

- After 2 hours, add chicken and 1 cup of cheese to chili and stir until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper.

- Serve with extra Monterey Jack, sour cream, salsa, and cilantro as toppings.

[Ruthxxx]

Remember to use lf or ff sour cream and lf or ff cheese to make it SBD friendly.

[Kathrynn]

I've made this chili for years...never knew about it being a SBD recipe!

I've never soaked the beans overnight. According to my recipe (which has the exact same ingredients) you don't have to. They cook long enough to soften.

Make sure and cover the pot when you simmer for two hours.

[beachgal]

I love this recipe and make it everytime I do Phase 1, even for a couple days. It's hearty, satisfying, and creamy. Yum! DH even loves it and asks for it, but I save it for P1 so that it's like a treat. Anyways, I never have time to use dried beans, and I hate to think of anyone avoiding this recipe because it seems too time-intensive. So here's the fast version (my comments in red).

Fast Version:

White Chili

Ingredients:
o 1 pound Great Northern white beans (I use 4 cans of Great Northern white beans, but you could use more)
o 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into small portions/cubes)
o salt and pepper, to taste
o 2 medium onion, chopped
o 2 4oz. cans of mild chopped green chilies
o 4 garlic cloves, minced
o 2 Tbsp. olive oil
o 6 cups fat-free chicken broth
o 2 Tbsp. ground cumin
o 2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
o 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
o 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
o 3 cups shredded lowfat Monterey Jack cheese
o Lowfat or Fat Free Sour cream
o Salsa
o Fresh cilantro


- In large pot, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat and sauté onions until translucent. Stir in garlic, chilies, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and cloves and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

- Season chicken breast cubes with salt and pepper, then saute in a skillet using 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Add to the pot.

- Drain and rinse beans, then add to pot with chicken stock. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer for approximately 15-30 minutes (you're basically just looking to meld the flavors and heat the soup here. I usually go for 20-30 mins, but use your best judgement.)

- Add 1 cup of cheese to chili and stir until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper.

- Serve with extra Monterey Jack, sour cream, salsa, and cilantro as toppings.

[beachgal]

Funny enough, I finally had the time to make this with dried beans, and I didn't like it as much! So I recommend the fast version.