White Chicken Chili

Sorry for the absent posts--I've been on vacation! But now that the vacay is over, it's back to the kitchen!

Because it's just going to get colder and colder, I decided to make some White Chicken Chili.

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I'm completely obsessed with the Dried Corn I made earlier this year, and the fact that I could add it to the chili completely sold me on the idea.

Because the corn has been dehydrated, it will need to soak for a bit. Pour double the amount of hot water over the top of the corn.

Let it soak in the water for at least an hour, or until completely rehydrated.

You can use fresh, frozen, or canned corn instead.

With the corn taken care of, you can bring out the rest of the ingredients.

I used boneless chicken thighs. They got seasoned with cumin and salt and pepper.

Let the spice flavor the meat while you dice half an onion.

You'll need half a bell pepper, too.

I like to cut around the pepper's stem. That way, I don't have pepper seeds going everywhere.

The pepper chunk can be cut into strips. Then you can dice the strips.

Mince a couple cloves of garlic, too.

Grab a big pot and heat some olive oil over medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the chicken.

When one side is golden brown, flip it over. Don't worry about cooking it all the way through, this is just for flavor.

When both sides of the chicken are golden, take the chicken out of the pot and set it aside.

Now that the pot is empty, you can pour in the onion, pepper, and garlic.

Add a can of diced fire-roasted jalapenos.

While the vegetables are sauteeing, chop up the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Then add it back into the pot.

Add the corn, too, liquid and all. Unless you're using canned corn--then drain it. You don't need all that salty liquid going in.

Pour in a box of chicken or vegetable broth.

A tablespoon of cumin will flavor the chili even more.

As will some oregano.

Cayenne pepper brings the heat.

Cornmeal is a traditional addition to chili; it both flavors and thickens it.

And, of course, you can't forget salt and pepper.

Let your pot of chili simmer for at least 15 minutes.

Finally, it's time for the beans. I used a can of white beans. Drain and rinse the beans well.

Stir them in.

Half a cup or so of your favorite Mexican-ish cheese will perk up your chili.














A little more cheese on top, and your chili is ready to eat!

Recipe: White Chicken Chili

1/2 c. dried or dehydrated corn (or 1 c. fresh, canned, or frozen)

1 1/2-2 lbs. boneless chicken thighs (or other boneless chicken)
cumin, salt, and pepper, to taste

1/2 onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can fire-roasted jalapenos

1 box chicken broth
1 1/2 tbsp. cumin
3/4 tbsp. oregano
dash Cayenne pepper
2 tbsp. cornmeal
1 can white beans
1/2 c. shredded Mexican cheese


Rehydrate corn by pouring double the amount of hot water over the top. Let rehydrate for at least an hour.

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and cumin. Sear both sides in olive oil over medium-high heat. Remove and set aside.

In the same pot, add onion, pepper, garlic, and jalapenos. Saute until vegetables are softened.

Dice chicken into bite-sized pieces and add back into pot with vegetables. Pour in chicken broth. Add cumin, oregano, Cayenne, and salt and pepper. Stir in cornmeal; let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Drain and rinse beans; add to the pot. Add cheese; stir until combined. Serve when heated through.

Chunky Minnesotan Chili

I promised myself not to post another soup recipe this week--but then thought about it, and figured chili isn't necessarily a soup. Especially not my chili recipe. I do the Midwestern thing and add noodles. And beans. If you want to get technical, I guess it's more like a spicy goulash (or stovetop hotdish, or chili mac) recipe and less like chili, at least in the traditional sense. But this is the style chili I grew up on, made by my grandma on cold days.

It's a one-pot meal, and, if you remember any of my other soup recipes (like this one or this one or this one) then you'll recall that I like my bowls of food on the chunky side.

When you serve it, be sure to be extra Minnesotan ("Meenn-ay-SOH-tuhn.")

I actually knew a woman who had the Fargo accent. And she said "Oh yah" a lot. But at least I never heard her say "Don'tcha know."

My chili starts with ground beef. It's the Midwestern thing to do.

Brown it up in some olive oil in a big ol' pot.

After your beef is browned, you can add in your veg (sorry, we've been watching lots of Wallace and Gromit here. Just be glad I can't convey Wallace's expression of "Cheeeeese!!" into text effectively. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, or just a W&G fan, go here.)



My peppers are straight from the freezer. I like to buy them when they're on sale, cut them up into strips, and toss them in a bag. I always have bell peppers on hand, and I know I've gotten a good deal on them (sometimes they cost as little as $1 each, other times they can cost upwards of $4!)

I used to add diced jalapeno too, but after surgery last year, I just found that the jalapeno made it too spicy. If you like it hot, the jalapeno might be for you.

Spices are next! Chili powder is a blend of spices. You can buy them pre-blended, or you can make your own. I like to use both.

Next come your canned ingredients.

Diced tomatoes and chili peppers go into the pot. They just get a short stir.

Then I add in some tomato paste.

One trick I like to use with tomato paste is to freeze it in plastic bags. I rarely have the opportunity to use a whole can of paste at once, but hate to waste it. So once I'm done using it, I spoon the rest into a Ziploc bag and flatten it out. Then it goes into the freezer. It makes it easy to break off chunks of the remaining paste if I need it for anything else.

This is a frozen chunk o' tomato paste.

Use the can the diced tomatoes came into add in three cans of water.

Regular vs. large elbows

When the chili is bubbling, you can add the noodles. I like to use the large macaroni noodles, but regular-sized elbows are fine too. Stir everything together to keep the noodles from sticking.

Let everything in the pot boil away. Keep coming back to check on it and give it a stir once in a while.

When the noodles are cooked, you can add your beans. Don't do it too soon or your beans will get mushy.

Here's the view from my spoon. How good does that look?















Serve your chili with any topping you like. My favorites are sour cream and shredded cheese, but you could also top with salsa, onions, mango, lime, cilantro, olives, scallions, bacon, tortilla chips ... the list goes on!

Chunky Minnesotan Chili
1 lb. ground beef
olive oil

1/2 onion, diced
1/2 pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper, to taste

1 regular can diced tomatoes
1 small can diced chilis

3 cans of water (using the can from the tomatoes)

2 c. elbow macaroni

1 regular can red kidney beans, well rinsed and drained

Brown ground beef in oil. Once the beef is no longer pink, add onion, pepper, and garlic, and saute until all vegetables are softened.

Add spices; stir well.

Pour in tomatoes and chilis. Stir to combine.

Use tomato can and pour in three cans of water.

Once chili is lightly boiling, add macaroni. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.

When macaroni is fully cooked, add kidney beans.

When beans are heated, chili is ready! Pour into a bowl and devour!