White Chili

Do you like white chili? If you are not familiar with it, it’s sort of the calmer, nicer cousin of a Texas chili. No frantically looking for something to put out the flames from a beef and habanero fest. White chili is made with white beans, chicken (sometimes pork), and mild green chiles.

(That said, if you must, must have scorching heat in your chili, there are ways to do that while still keeping the chili white. Read through the comments for some ideas.)

Personally I love the flavors of mild Anaheim or hatch green chiles with chicken, white beans, and Monterey jack cheese. It’s like a stew version of my favorite chicken burrito. Great with tortilla chips and your favorite taco toppings.

This chili comes together easily! You can use either canned or dry beans. Dry beans will add a couple hours of cooking time, but it’s almost all hands off time and the flavor of the beans is terrific.

If you use canned beans, pick a good brand. I like Bush’s cannelli beans. S&W has decent flavor too. Some of the organic, low salt canned beans brands are some of the most bland tasting beans ever sold. If you use those, you’ll need to add more salt than you would expect.

Like so many stews, this chili is even better the next day when the flavors have had more chance to meld. The chili will last several days in the fridge. Enjoy!

White Chili Recipe

If you are starting with dry beans and want even more flavor, cook them in about 7 cups of chicken stock and then when done, use the stock that the beans haven't absorbed as a base for the chili.

Ingredients

• 2 -15-ounce cans white beans, drained OR 1/2 pound dry white beans
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped, about 1 1/2 cups
• 1 clove garlic, minced, about 1 teaspoon
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 4-ounce cans chopped green chilies
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, finely chopped (optional)
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (can use breast meat, but thighs will work better), trimmed of excess fat and diced into 1/2 to 3/4-inch pieces
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

If cooking dry beans:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 bay leaf

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