I’m in love with chili, if someone even utters the word chili I get really excited.  I could never pick what kind of chili I love the most but I will say that this white version ranks pretty high on my list of freaking amazing chili recipes.  I like this because even though it’s chili it has a lightness to it, and with summer right around the corner (it is!) I thought this was a good option…and I was just craving it real bad.  

Chili is not known for being overly difficult but this one is super easy…and yes, it’s as healthy as an ox too.  The kids chowed it down, so did my husband…and my brother…and the nanny, it was a chili party up in here!

Ok, let’s go over the ingredients…

extra virgin olive oil
1 – 32 oz. carton chicken broth or stock
1.5 lbs chicken breast – this is about 3 good size breasts, or 2 REALLY big breasts (oh dear)
48 oz. (or more if you like) great northern beans – preferably Randall’s
1 onion (diced)
2 jalapenos (seeds and white flesh removed, diced small)
1 – 7 oz. can diced green chilis
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 cups frozen sweet corn (or one bag)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating your chicken broth/stock in a large saucepan over medium heat…I use organic because you can get it pretty cheap so why not?  Now if you make your own stock at home then you are WAY cooler than me and my boxed organic chicken broth!

Once the broth starts sort of boiling, through your chicken breasts in because we’re gonna poach those babies…

This should take 10-15 minutes, just stir them around in there every so often so they cook evenly.  When it’s done, take it out with a fork and put it in a bowl to cool off but DO NOT get rid of that stock because you’re going to use it in the chili.

But while the chicken’s poaching, get out your stock pot (I still don’t have that le creuset dutch oven, comment on this post if you want to send me one), put some extra virgin olive oil in the bottom and get it going on the stove over medium low heat.  

Add your chopped onion and let that sweat for a few minutes, then add in your minced garlic. 

I’m not sure if there’s anything in this world that smells better than sauteing onions and garlic, if you want to impress your dinner guests, just do that before they come over and they will think you’re making something fabulous even if you’re feeding them re-heated pizza.  Once they are served the pizza they will be disappointed but it will be worth it just to have that 30 minutes where everyone is complimenting you on your mad cooking skills.

Geez I can get off track…add the diced jalapenos next.  I would highly suggest removing the seeds and white flesh part of the jalapenos unless you like it REALLY spicy because that is where the big spice lives.  My kids were going to eat this so I removed it, like this…

Kudos to my husband for that action shot…now after you operate on the jalapenos you need to get everything they touched in the sink and wash your hands really well…and for the love of GOD do not touch anywhere on your face until you’ve done this…not that I would know what happens if you accidentally touch your face before washing your hands.

Add a can of green chilis to the pot…ethnic aisle…

and now let that hang out for a little while…

Now add your cumin and oregano…

Remember that chicken broth you used to poach the chicken in (and hopefully saved)…it’s time to add some of that back into the pot.  I would add maybe 1/2 – 3/4 of the broth and then see how thick your chili ends up…you can always add more but yada yada.

Let that simmer away while you shred your chicken with a fork…just like I showed you in this post.

Now put your shredded chicken in the pot…

Please pardon my husband’s awkward hands in this photo, I had to really direct him on this one…he wouldn’t even touch the chicken without some coaxing, I sort of felt like an adult film director. 

Ok let’s talk beans, I have a favorite brand of great northern beans and they’re called Randall’s…here they are…

Oh Randall, wherever you are…know that I love your beans more than anything (that doesn’t sound right but whatever).  I found out that these are made in Michigan and I live in Indiana…a road trip is in my future!  You can use whatever brand you like…also cannellini beans are essentially the same thing as great northern beans.

You are not going to drain or rinse these, you need that flavor for the chili.  Take half of the beans and put them in a good size bowl…

Now you need to mash the crap out of the beans in the bowl, this is going to be the thickener in our chili!

I started doing this with this potato masher…

And that got old fast so I got out my immersion blender…holler!