Creamy White Chicken Chili
Howdy, y'all and thanks for stopping by the backyard. It's November now, and the weather is finally getting good and chilly today in Oklahoma. No dish is as comforting or satisfying on a chilly day like a hot, steaming pot of chili.
I've shared my award-winning Cowboy chili before, both on the website and in the cookbook. I love it, and I've heard from so many of you that you love it, too. Today's chili is different, though. I'm talking about creamy White Chicken Chili.
TIP: My white chicken chili can be cooked in cast iron because it isn't very acidic. Do not cook acidic foods in cast iron unless your seasoning is established.
Smoke the Chicken
Get you about three big chicken breasts, and cover them in oil. Add some Red River Ranch mesquite seasoning. I got Bertha warmed up so I could smoke them on indirect heat for about 20 minutes. I used Applewood and oak to infuse the meat with flavor.
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Tip: Smoke the meat before adding to the chili and you will kick the flavor up to a whole new level.
After 20 minutes or so, move the chicken breasts directly over the fire until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove and cool – I like to make them a day ahead of time every now and then I don't have to wait for them to cool before I dice them up for the chili.
Dice them up, you say? Yes, I like my chili to have chunks of meat in it, not shreds. Traditional chili had chunks of meat – not even ground meat was used. Go ahead and dice the chicken and throw it in there. You'll notice a difference and thank me later.
Get the Fire Hot
Get the fire going and set the Dutch oven onto the hot stove to warm up before we start cooking. Add some avocado oil in there, and then add the diced onion.
Tip: Always pre-heat cast iron before you add any ingredients.
Go ahead and give the onions a little stir, and cook until translucent.
Get three good-sized garlic cloves and mince them or use your garlic gun (some folks call it a garlic press) and stir into the onions. Then grab you half a lemon and squeeze the lemon's juice in there and stir all together.
Now, add all of the diced chicken. Stir to mix everything together really good, and add the chicken broth.
If you'd like your chili mild, just add two little cans of diced green Hatch chiles. Don't drain them. If you want to spice it up, dice a couple of jalapenos and throw those in, seeds and all. That'll bite you back when it's time to eat!
Tip: Always substitute chicken broth for water when making chili for better flavor.
Chili: To Bean or Not to Bean?
Now, whether or not you like beans in your chili, for my white chicken chili, we use beans. White beans, to be specific. My mama always used Great Northern Beans but if we had Navy or other white beans around, she'd add those too. So pick your favorite white bean and drain, rinse, and throw in the pot with the meat.
My favorite bean in the whole wide world are Anasazi beans. I use them in my pork and beans recipe.
Spice the Chili
The next step is to season the chili. Now, I've been working for a while on the perfect chili blend and we finally have it up for sale here at the website. Grab you some or use your favorite chili seasoning, but only until mine gets there. You'll never want to use the stuff from the grocery store again once you try it.
Add three tablespoons or so of the chili spices, and then throw the rest of the herbs in. I'm adding some crushed red pepper for a small amount of heat. Any more and Shannon won't eat it.
Add cream cheese into the pot and stir until it's fully melted and incorporated into the chili. Things are going to get really smooth and tasty.
Now, once the cream cheese is all melted, we will need to add a thickening agent. What I like to do is take a can of Great Northern Beans and mash them up using a tater masher. Some of you might prefer a food processor or a blender, and thats just fine. What we want to do is mash them so smooth that they thicken the liquid in the chili.
Cover the chili, and simmer for at least one hour. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese, or anything you like. Share with your family and neighbors.
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