A Chili For Non-Chili Eaters

Believe it or not, there are quite a few folks who don't like chili out there....and -- confession -- I'm one of them!

Honestly, it's the kidney beans. And the tomato base. There's something about the combo that I'm not a fan of.

But Fall requires easy, all-day simmering crockpot recipes, so of course chili, right?

About 10 years ago a Pinterest search took me down a rabbit hole and I found one of my all-time favorite recipes.... WHITE CHILI.

Since then it's been a must for this time of year, especially on Halloween night so we can grab a filling, eat-when-you-want dinner in and around canvasing the neighborhood for treats and the constant doorbell rings.

Pair it with a quick-mix cornbread (I love the Jiffy mix the best) and you've got a chili of champions!

Swap out the dairy for your favorite alternative option and you've suddenly got a hearty vegan chili, add in some shredded chicken breast and you've got an extra protein punch for your carnivores.

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Cort's White Chili

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breast*** (see below)

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced

• 24oz vegetable broth

• 2 15oz cans Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed

• 2 4oz cans roasted, diced green chilis (there's different heat options available, I always do two mild)

• 1 15oz can whole kernel corn, drained (PS -- I haaaaaate corn in chili, so I leave this one out, lol)

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1 tbsp cumin

• 2 tbsp oregano

• 1 tsp chili powder

• 1/2 tsp chili powder

• small handful fresh cilantro (chopped)

• 4oz reduced fat cream cheese

• 1/4 cup half and half

Toppings

• sliced jalapenos

• sliced avocados

• sour cream

• minced fresh cilantro

• tortilla strips

• shredded cheese (pepper jack, cojita, or shredded taco mix are my favorites)

***TIP #1: I like to buy pre-cooked shredded chicken at the store and serve it as one of the toppings. It makes cooking so much simpler, it accommodates all of the dietary restrictions, and the carnivores get to control exactly how much chicken they want in the chili.

TIP #2: These are just starting measurements for the spices -- definitely adjust to your liking, chances are good you'll want more of all of them (including the fresh garlic).

TIP #3: How do I keep my vegetarian soups/chilis from being bland? I always add 1-2 BIG tablespoons of Better Than Bouillon seasoned vegetable paste to everything. It punches up the flavor and adds that umami saltiness. It's in just about every grocery store chain (it's on the top shelf above the boxes of broth). Warning: the organic vegetable version (for some reason) is veeeeery heavy on the carrot flavor, which is why I stick to the non-organic option.

TIP #4: Kiddos really love having the toppings set out as a "topping bar" for some extra fun.

TIP #5: Add one 15oz can of drained corn kernels to the Jiffy cornbread mix and bake according to the regular directions on the box. This -- THIS -- is where the corn goes in my household (not in the chili). Trust me and you're welcome. ;)

Directions

This recipe can be done on the stove top or in the crockpot, both options are mostly a "set it and forget it" kind of scenario.

*If you're wanting to cook your own chicken, add that first to the bottom of the crock along with the spices.

**Or if you're going the stove top route, brown the chicken in your large pot along with the dried spies (and extra virgin olive oil) before adding anything else.

Place garlic, onions, beans, green chilies, corn, broth, and chopped cilantro in either insert or pot.

Set on LOW for 6-8 hours/HIGH for 3-4 if you're adding chicken to the crockpot.

Set on LOW for 3-4 hours if you're going vegetarian.

Bring to a boil and simmer on stove for 1 hour (either with or without chicken).

Remove chicken (if using) from the pot/crockpot, shred, and add back into the chili.

15 minutes before serving, add in cream cheese and half and half. Switch crockpot to high (or turn stove top up to medium) and cook until the cream cheese is creamy and slightly thickened.

Stir well and and serve with desired toppings.

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Let me know if you try out my white chili this Fall/Winter and if you toss in any additions that I haven't thought about -- I'm always looking to improve a good recipe!