Wednesday, September 24, 2008

White Chicken Chile with Beans


White Chicken Chile with Beans, say that really fast three times! I'm not a chili person. I'll eat a little of it, I don't crave it and have only cooked it once or twice. My husband on the other hand, is a chili eating man. He asked me to make white chili. I laughed, I thought he was messing with me. I really didn't know there was such a thing as white chili. Yes, I felt very ignorant.


I scoured cookbooks and online sites and this is kind of a copy of one recipe I read from a chili cook-off that took place before a football game. I searched for it again to print it, but I couldn't find it. I remembered 2 ingredients, tequila and cloves. This chili came out so good, just the right amount of heat and taste... very, very different than red chili. I really like this and can't wait to make it again on a cold mountain Sunday.

White Chicken Chili with Beans -

Soak 1lb. of great northern beans over night.

Using 1 to 2 packs of chicken breast tenders, place the chicken in a container that can be covered cover or in a re-sealable plastic bag and sprinkle with the zest of 1 lemon and the juice of that lemon. Pour 1/2 cup of gold tequila over the chicken and 1 teaspoon cumin and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes over the chicken and marinate for 3 hours.

Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in stock pot and add 1 large onion chopped and saute for about 10 minutes until translucent over medium-high heat. Add the 3 cloves of minced garlic, 2 cans of Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chilies, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1 clove and saute for 10 minutes. (I don't know what the clove does, I remember thinking that this was unusual, so I added it.)

Add the drained beans and 4 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the beans are tender, about 2 hours.

Heat grill after the chili has simmered for about 2 hours. Grill the chicken for 5 minutes and pour remaining marinade over the chicken on the grill. Turn the chicken and grill the second side for 4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the grill and cut into small cubes.

Add the cubed chicken and 1 cup of Monterrey Jack cheese or Cheddar/Jack blend to the chili and stir until the cheese melts. Season with course salt to taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Ladle into bowls and top with a sprinkle of cheese, chopped green onions, and sour cream.



14 comments:

Greg C said...

I never heard of such a thing as white chili but the recipe sounds good. I may add a little more tequila though. :)

Amanda said...

Katherine this looks delicious. It's been many years since I had white chili, guess I will need to add this to a future week's menu plan! I'm actually having chili this week too :)

Maria said...

It is chilly this morning! I am so ready for soups and chili! Yours looks great!

Marjie said...

I'm not a chili person, either, and luckily, neither is my husband! This is reminiscent of a nice thick chicken stew - perfect for colder days!

gigi said...

I'm going to have to wait on the boston butt. They weren't on sale and very over priced! Maybe next week :)

This chili looks interesting, but I don't drink so what could I replace the tequila with?

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

Gigi, I think if you just season your chicken and maybe baste it with a little teriyaki sauce during grilling, you'll get a great flavor in your chili. You can skip a step this way. Let me know how it turns out.

Aggie said...

Ooooh, this looks good Katherine! I have had white chicken chili a few times and really like it, I've been wanting to make it at home too. I will have to try this recipe out!

Gotta love Crystal's right?

The Blonde Duck said...

Don't feel bad! I'd never heard of white chili either. In Texas, it's only "real" chili if it's ground beef and hot spices. I put beans in mine because my husband (for shame!) doesn't like meat as much as I do.

It's really a sad, sad situation.

Jenny said...

I love white chili and can't wait to make it very soon. Unfortunately we are having some extremely hot weather this week. Hopefully next week will be cooler!

Debbie said...

I love chili but have always had the red kind. Your chili looks great. I like to have chili with cornbread on the side....

Prudy said...

I love chicken chile and yours looks really interesting with the addition of the tequila. I made your roasted broccoli last night. I'd love to post it soon with a link back to you. Is that OK? It was amazing!

Debra said...

Yummy! I have never had this but it sounds really good.

La Bella Cooks said...

Oh yes! I used to get white chili at a restaurant I loved there for a while until they stopped serving it. I prefer this to the original by far. Yours looks fantastic! Now I am craving some.

Reeni said...

I've made Chicken Chile before but have never heard of white chile either. I love it!