White Christmas Chili

I decided to make this chili in honor of the snow we had in Central Texas last weekend. My friend Lora made it for a potluck party we had over a year ago and I just stumbled onto the recipe last week - perfect timing for the snow day!

This white chili is a nice switch from the traditional red beef chili. It's really more of a chicken and white soup since it didn't seem as thick and hearty as chili normally is. Regardless of its classification, it was an outstanding soup! So flavorful with just a bit of heat from the chilis and cayenne pepper. Andrew and I both ate two bowls of it last night!

White Christmas Chili

1 1/4 lb chicken tenders or breasts

1 large onion, chopped and divided

2 T butter

3 celery ribs, diced

3 (16 oz) cans white beans (I used navy beans), drained, rinsed and divided

1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup

2 (4 oz) cans chopped green chilies

6 c chicken broth (I used low sodium)

1 t cumin

3/4 t garlic powder

1 bay leaf

3/4 t salt

1/8 t cayenne pepper

To serve: cilantro, shredded cheese (I used extra sharp cheddar and monterey pepper jack)

Fill a large pot half full of water and place over medium-high heat. Place chicken and half of the chopped onion in the water. Season with some salt and pepper. Cook 15 to 18 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken, cut into bite-size pieces and set aside. Discard water. (You can use it in place of the chicken broth but I don't like the fatty bits that float in it so I always trash it in favor of boxed chicken broth. I know, I know, I'm stupid to get rid of homemade chicken stock but we all have our flaws.)

Melt butter in the bottom of the pot. Add celery and remaining onion and saute until tender. Stir in chicken, 2 cans of white beans, cream of chicken soup, green chilies, chicken broth, cumin, garlic powder, bay leaf, salt and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Process remaining can of beans in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. (I added a couple of spoonfuls of chicken broth to the beans so that they processed more easily.) Stir bean puree into chili.

Remove and discard bay leaf. Top with chopped fresh cilantro and shredded cheeses. Serve with cornbread muffins and enjoy!