White Chicken Chili

This white chicken chili has an amazing south western, fiesta feel. My husband has altered it three times now and we have come to love this final result.  If you want to be really healthy you can skip the flour, milk, and sour cream for a healthier and less thick chili. The original recipe also included green pepper and did not have corn, so you can always add the pepper if you are a fan or omit the corn if you do not like it!  My family does not like green pepper, so we chose to remove it from the recipe and add corn.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts cooked and diced up
2-3 cups cooked Great Northern white beans
1 (14.5 oz) muir glen fire roasted diced tomatoes (w/ chiles if desired)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 small or medium onion, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
1/2 a can of corn, drained
1/2 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream


Directions:

Add cooked chicken, beans, tomatoes, and chicken broth to large pot. Cover and simmer over medium heat.
Meanwhile, spray cooking spray into a nonstick frying pan and add onion, pepper, and garlic. Saute 3-5 minutes until vegetables are soft.  Then add mixture to the soup pot.  Stir in the chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne pepper.  Simmer 10 minutes.  Mix 1/2 cup flour and 1 cup milk together and then add to chili.  Add 1 cup sour cream.  Uncover to let chili thicken.

If Desired: Garnish with shredded monterey jack cheese and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro and serve with 6 ounces of baked tortilla chips.

Slow Cooker Chili

This chili has so much flavor your family will never guess you slipped in some healthier ingredients!  I use ground turkey and whole wheat noodles and no one noticed the change!  I prefer to make my chili in the slow cooker; however, you can make this on your stove top as well.  Instructions for both ways of cooking are listed below.

Ingredients:

20 oz. ground turkey (If you use ground beef, you will need 1 1/2 lbs)
1 med. onion
1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 cup water
1 beef bouillon cube
1 (16 oz) can red kidney beans in medium sauce
2 cloves garlic minced or 1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (I tend to fill my measuring spoon overflowing so it may be more like 3/4 a tsp)
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup cooked, cooled whole wheat/whole grain elbow noodles
2 T. diced green onion if desired

Slow cooker prep:
Brown meat and drain off any fat.  Dice up about 3/4 of the onion.  Add onion, the meat, and the rest of ingredients (except pasta) to slow cooker.  Cook about 4 hours on low.  Remove bay leaf.  Add cooked pasta and cook 30 more minutes on low, then serve.

Stove top prep:
Brown meat and onion, drain off fat.  Add rest of ingredients (except pasta) to pot.  Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.  Stir occasionally.  Remove bay leaf and add cooked pasta.  Let stand covered for 15 minutes. Sprinkle shredded cheese over each serving if desired.