White Chicken Chili
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minces
36 oz chicken broth
2 15oz cans great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 4oz cans diced green chiles
16oz bag frozen whole kernel corn (choose fire roasted, if you can find it)
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
8 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream
Toppings:
Sliced jalapenos
Sliced avocados
Dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche
Minced fresh cilantro
Tortilla strips
Shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican Cheese
Hot sauce
Directions:
Add chicken breasts to bottom of slow cooker, top with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, paprika, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.
Top with diced onion, minced garlic, great Northern beans, green chiles, corn and chicken broth. Stir.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
Using two forks, shred chicken breasts. This can usually be done in the crockpot but feel free to remove and shred in a separate bowl and then return to slow cooker.
Add cream cheese and half and half, stir, then cover and cook on high for 15 minutes, or until chili is creamy and slightly thickened.
Serve up 1 1/2 cups of soup per bowl. Add toppings as desired and serve immediately. Fantastic with a side of fresh cornbread.
Note: If you have some extra time and want a bit more flavor, slightly brown your chicken breasts on the stovetop ahead of time. I used a warm cast iron skillet over medium highly heat. Drizzle chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, pepper and dried basil or oregano. Sear for 2-3 minutes on each side. Once done, add to base of crockpot and proceed with directions as noted above. A great way to lock in a bit more flavor!