Lucky for me that I got to the market yesterday afternoon just as the sleet began pelting our little town because this morning we woke to an ice encrusted landscape.  I knew I braved the sleet to get to the store for a good reason yesterday! This dish, adapted from the Blue Owl Restaurant’s recipe is also found in my cookbook. Blue Owl chili will warm you right up; I know because there is rarely  a time when my family is shopping and having lunch at the Blue Owl, in Kimmswick, MO, that one of us doesn’t order this.

White chili is the New England Clam Chowder of chili dishes.  No tomato products and no ground beef, it is all white and green with diced or shredded chicken, canned Great Northern Beans,  and canned chilis.  The broth, flavored with onion and garlic, and spiced with cumin, oregano, and a dash of cayenne pepper, is bursting with rich goodness.  As the  Monterey Jack cheese melts it adds its soft texture to the mix and the result is a creamy spicy bite.  I adjusted amounts of everything today as I used chicken breast tenderloins that yielded less than 2 cups of meat.  I kept the chilis and the cheese the same though as they are the base of the soup’s flavor.

I love this chili with a big pan of Skillet Cornbread for a mealy crisp texture  balanced with the creaminess of the chili.  The cornbread recipe is here on my blog.; don’t forget to get the bacon grease hot and sprinkle some cornmeal in the bottom of your skillet for a crunchy crust on your cornbread.  Serve it up for lunch AND supper, and I’m guessing you’ll only need to call once up the stairs that the chili and cornbread’s on before you’re gathered at your table.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients

4 whole chicken breasts, skin on
1 T. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2-(4 oz.) cans chopped mild green chilies
2 tsp. ground cumin
1-1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3-(16 oz.) cans Great Northern white beans, undrained
6 cups chicken stock or canned broth
3 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream for garnish if desired

Directions Place chicken breasts in large, heavy stock pot. Add cold water to cover and bring to simmer. Cook until just tender; do not allow meat to become overcooked, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, remove skin, and dice or shred. Set aside. Heat oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, then add chilies, cumin, oregano, and cayenne. Reduce heat; sauté, 2 minutes. Add undrained beans and chicken stock or broth, and increase heat and bring to a low boil. Add chicken and cheese to the pot and stir gently once. Remove from heat and leave covered until cheese melt completely. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into individual bowls and garnish with sour cream if desired.