Spicy Chicken and White Bean Chili

As the Midwest gets pummeled by snowstorms and ice storms and frigid temperatures, it is the perfect time for a nice warm bowl of chili.  I saw this white chili at Multiply Delicious a few weeks ago and was excited to try it.  I have been wanted to try a white chili for quite some time, but hadn’t seen a recipe that jumped out at me until now.

This spicy chili is great for a cold, snowy day and can simmer on the stove as you wait for your Thanksgiving guests to arrive.  The recipe calls for 2 ½ cups of rotisserie chicken (how easy is that?) which, incidentally ends up being almost 1 whole rotisserie chicken.  I saved the extra chicken breast I had left over for my son to dip in BBQ sauce, since he isn’t really into soups of any kind yet.  This would also be a great post Thanksgiving meal, since you could easily substitute 2 ½ cups of leftover turkey for the chicken, a much more interesting option than dozen and dozens of cold turkey sandwiches!

Because I knew I would be in a rush when I made the chili, I did a lot of the prep the the night before.  There is a lot of shredding, chopping, and food processing involved with this recipe, but it can all be done ahead of time, and placed in containers so all you have to do is dump them in the pot when it is time to start cooking!

One final note, you may have noticed the lack of Thanksgiving-type recipes on this blog.  Well, I am not having Thanksgiving at my house this year since I get to go home for my mom’s cooking (yay!)  So this year, I get to learn how to make mom’s stuffing and will be trying a new sweet potato recipe.  But since I haven’t made it yet, you’ll have to wait until after the holiday. With any luck, these sweet potatoes will be a delicious addition to any meal, not just Thanksgiving.  That aside, please enjoy the chicken chili!

Spicy Chicken and White Bean Chili

Source: Multiply Delicious

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 large red bell pepper, diced (about 1 1/3 cups)

2 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 (10 oz) can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies

2 ½ cups (about ¾ lb) rotisserie chicken, diced

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1 cup chicken broth

3 tbsp lime juice

Salt & pepper to taste

1 ripe avocado, diced

In a food processor, combine 1 cup of the beans and 1 ½ cans of the tomatoes.  Process until smooth.  Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, cook until softened, 2-3 minutes.

Next, add the red peppers, cook an additional 2 minutes, until tender.  Stir in chili powder and cumin.   Add chicken broth and heat through.

Next, add the bean puree mixture, beans, and tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Stir in chicken.  Cover and reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Stir in lime juice, salt and pepper as desired.

Top with cheddar cheese and diced avocados.