Sunday, February 19, 2012

White Chicken Chili

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 3-4 cans chicken breast)
1 med. onion (or 5 Tbsp dry onion)
3 cloves garlic, crushed (or 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
2 4-oz cans green chiles
3 c water (reserve broth from boiling chicken)
3 tsp or 3 cubes chicken bouillon
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pepper (black or cayenne)
2 15-oz cans great northern beans, drained
1 can Cream of Chicken soup, optional
1 c sour cream (or 1 12-oz can evaporated milk), optional
Shredded cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Cojack--whatever suits your fancy)

Boil chicken breasts on low-medium heat for 20-30 min. Turn off heat, cover, and let sit on stovetop for another 30 min. or so. After 30 min., pull out chicken breasts and dice. Reserve 3 cups of broth to put into the soup.
Combine all ingredients (except sour cream or evaporated milk and grated cheese) in a large pot. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off burner and add sour cream or evaporated milk, if desired. Serve hot. Top w/ grated cheese, if desired.

Note: I put in substitutions so that you can also use food storage items for this recipe. The Cream of Chicken soup, sour cream and/or canned milk make this recipe higher in fat, however, they give the soup a creamier, richer base. You may use low-fat versions of these ingredients without compromising flavor as well.