Elyce Recommends – White Chicken Chili

Winter & Chili – 2 Great Things That Go Great Together

So if you’re like me – nothing is more satisfying than a nice bowl of chili on a cold winter day. This year with all the snow we’ve had, I had the opportunity to make a number of large batches. I like to make a big pot of it and then freeze some for later. This is my general strategy of all things that can be made in a large pot (read caldron) such as soups, stews and red sauce (spaghetti sauce).

White Chicken Chili – Just Fantastic

One of my favorite new recipes this year was for White Chicken Chili. Absolutely delicious! Note this recipe makes the chili a little more like soup – which is how I like it, but you can just leave out some of the liquid if you like it thicker. I usually serve it with rice and cornbread which is a huge hit in my family – and then if I’m watching my calories that day – I can just skip the rice – and even occasionally if I’ve really already indulged for the day – I skip the cornbread. *Gasp.* But usually not. Usually I just add a small amount of rice to my bowl and take a smallish piece of bread, and everybody’s a winner.

Turkey Chili – A Lovely Alternative

I also love traditional chili with Tex-Mex seasonings, but I make it with ground turkey – which is both leaner, and since not everyone in my family eats red meat, saves me from having to make two separate meals – no small consideration. Below please find both recipes.

Obviously, you can modify the spices to suit your pallet, but don’t be afraid of the copious amount of spices used in the Turkey Chili – it really is delicious. Just the right amount of heat – unless you prefer milder than average chili.

You can use this exact same recipe for beef chili, but you will have to drain the beef after browning – which you don’t have to get involved in with the turkey.

Make a Vat of It and Freeze Some for Later

Again these recipes are for a BIG pot so if you don’t have room in your freezer and are not expecting a sudden influx of people, you can halve the recipe.

Don’t Forget the Cornbread – Get that Rockstar of the Kitchen Recognition

For the cornbread I just use a mix – so quick and easy – but I did just buy a 2 pound bag of organic corn grits, which will have to be ground into cornmeal before I can use them. Don’t ask – it seemed like a good idea at the time. So once I get that going, I will share whatever recipe I come up with. Although – you can skip the grinding, if you prefer. 😊

Recipes

White Chicken Chili

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 – 8 cloves garlic – minced
• 2 large onions – diced
• 2 – 3 lbs. ground chicken
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups chicken bullion or chicken broth (I like Knorrs bullion best)
• 1 small 4.5 oz can green chilies (I use mild)
• 4 or 5 carrots – diced – optional
• 1 or 2 red, green, yellow or orange peppers – optional
• 2 large 28oz cans northern beans or cannelloni beans or 4 small cans (15 oz)
• Kale, spinach, escarole or arugula – chopped – optional – even sliced Brussel sprouts
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilanto (if you don’t have fresh add 1 – 2 teaspoons dried with the other herbs above)

Directions:

Peel and dice/chop the garlic and onion. Melt the butter in a large pot (like a 6 quart stock pot) with a lid and add the olive oil, and heat over a medium flame. add the garlic and onions and sauté for about 3 minutes – make sure the pan isn’t too hot and your garlic doesn’t brown. Add the chicken and brown (it doesn’t really brown – it more like whites as the chicken cooks.) Sprinkle the mixture with the herbs and seasonings as you cook the chicken, stirring occasionally and breaking up the clumps. (I like to use a spatula for this).

Meanwhile wash and chop the rest of the vegetables, and rinse and drain the beans. Once the chicken is white through without any noticeable pink (don’t go crazy – just make sure it’s reasonably cooked) add the bullion and water or broth, beans and the rest of the vegatables except the greens and fresh herbs if your using them. Heat to a boil then turn to low and simmer with the lid cracked for about 1/2 hour.

Add the greens. If you are using Kale or escarole or sliced Brussels sprouts, they will need to be cooked for about 5 – 10 minutes but leave them on the top – don’t stir (keep the lid cracked). If you are using spinach or arugula, just throw it on the top, turn the heat off and cover for about 5 minutes until the greens are wilted but still bright green. Stir and add the parsley and/or cilantro, stir again, and serve. So good!

Nutritional Information:

Very nutritious – especially if you use organic carrots, peppers and greens. The garlic and onion don’t matter as much because they are peeled. I don’t have the exact numbers but trust me – this is packed with vitamins and nutrients.

Calories:

So this is going to make about 13 – 1.5 cup servings. Okay let me do the math here. So if you use 2 pounds chicken it’s about 300 calories per serving with about 20 grams of protein. If you use 3 pounds of chicken it’s about 375 calories and 25 grams of protein. If you want to know anything else – you have to do your own math.

Obviously you could lighten it up a little by leaving out the sour cream but that only saves you 18.5 calories per serving. Just not worth it. I guess I could do the fat in case that worries you. Let me see. Okay – 12 grams of fat per serving. Carbs? Really? You want carbs? Okay let’s see. Approximately 25 grams per serving. Plus lots of fiber. See I told you – very nutritious.

Turkey Chili

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 – 8 cloves garlic minced
• 2 onions – diced
• 2 pounds lean ground turkey
• 4 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 green, red, yellow or orange bell pepper
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 can large can (28 oz.) kidney beans
• 1 large can (28 oz.) cannelloni beans
• 1 large can (28 oz.) pink beans or black beans
• 1 jar salsa
• 1 – 2 large (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes – depending on how soupy you like it
• Chopped kale or shredded collard greens (optional)

Directions:

Peel and mince/dice the garlic and onion. Melt the butter in a large pot (like a 6 quart stock pot with a lid) and add the olive oil, and heat over a medium flame. Add the garlic and onions and sauté for about 3 minutes – make sure the pan isn’t too hot and your garlic doesn’t brown. Add the turkey and brown (about 10 minutes). Sprinkle the mixture with the herbs and seasonings as you cook the turkey, stirring occasionally and breaking up the clumps. (I like to use a spatula for this).

Meanwhile wash and chop the pepper, and rinse and drain the beans. Once the turkey is browned, add the salsa, tomatoes, beans and the pepper. Heat to a boil then turn to low and simmer with the lid cracked for about 45 minutes.

I often add kale or shredded collard greens at the end, during the last 10 minutes of cooking to give this dish a little more nutritional value. Trust me, even 2 or 3 cups of chopped or shredded greens are not going to be noticed once you stir everything up. You can even used frozen kale but just leave it on the top of the chili for about 5 minutes and then stir it in and serve – so it doesn’t get too limpy.

This is supper nice with shredded cheddar cheese on top and a bit of cornbread on the side. Enjoy!