White Bean Chicken Chili ($0.78/cup)

$7.83 per recipe          $0.78 per cup          31% savings

I have a question for all you married folk:

You know that feeling you get when you're lying in a warm bed, the cold fall night-air is safely banished outside... and your loving spouse climbs into bed, snuggling you close, adding to the feelings of warmth, security, coziness and love?

...Well, I surely don't!

When the scenario above plays out in my home, it's like someone pressed fresh Antarctic snow against my toasty-warm calves, or feet, or pretty much wherever my Honey decides to warm up his icy-cold toes of death.

I honestly don't know how it's possible...

From November through February, my dear, sweet husband's feet become permanent blocks of million-year old glacial ice in the time it takes him to get ready for bed, pray, and get under the covers.

It's the craziest phenomenon.

The great love of my life takes immeasurable pleasure in eliciting my shrieks, screams, whines, and punches of protest. (Fear not... they're more like hard-core love-taps.)

At any rate... the weather is cooling off, and in Utah, the low temperatures are here for an extended stay.

Everything about this colder weather calls to my inner "soup-stew-and-chili lover."

Which FINALLY brings me to this kid-favorite meal:

I was once given a recipe for White Chicken Chili, and while I really enjoyed it, it was heavy on the cheese, and light on good nutrition. So, I did some "editing," and came up with a recipe that was healthy, filling, and still extremely kid-friendly

This is one of the dishes that ALL my children eat and thoroughly enjoy.

The tender chicken and soft beans are perfectly complimented by the garlic, cumin, and oregano. Adding the green chiles and a touch of cayenne pepper gives a mild kick that elevates the flavor to another level. I generally throw in a diced red pepper for color, (AND because I love them... AND because this is the only way my kids will eat red peppers... AND, yes... I know I'm committing all sorts of grammatical errors with this sentence.) This chili is great as a stand-alone, or you can add whatever toppings float your boat.

It's a meal in a bowl, and since it's crock-pot friendly, you can dump it and forget it, making it an incredibly easy dish as well.

The ingredients are inexpensive, and most of them are probably already in your kitchen. I used homemade chicken stock, but the beans came from a can, as I didn't have any prepared from dry. So, depending on how you make this, it may cost you a little more or a little less than it cost me to make.

But, one thing is certain:

This humble-looking chili is fabulously flavorful and delicious! You have to give it a try... And be sure to share some with your cold-toed loved-ones.

White Bean Chicken Chili
Printable Version

*Serves 8-10

(Note: I prepare this in the crockpot, but you can do it on the stove top as well. To do this, you'll have to have your chicken pre-cooked and shredded. You'll also want to first cook the onions and garlic in a little oil until fragrant and the onions are translucent before adding the other ingredients.)


INGREDIENTS
3 chicken breasts
3 cans white beans, drained (navy or great northern or 3-4 cups prepared beans)
1 red bell pepper, diced (optional)
1 small onion, diced
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 small cans green chiles
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (ground red pepper)
30 oz. chicken broth (or 3 1/2 cups homemade stock)

*Opt. toppings: cheese, corn, sour cream, cilantro, corn chips

DIRECTIONS
In a 4 qt. or larger crockpot, dump in all the ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

After the chicken is throughly cooked and tender, remove the chicken breasts to a plate, and shred with a fork. Let rest.

**Before returning the meat to the pot, use a potato-masher or immersion blender to mash some of the beans for a thicker consistency. Add the chicken back to the pot. Stir it all together.

Serve immediately. Top as desired.

**This step is totally optional. Depends on how thick you like your chili. If you don't mash, it'll be more like a thick soup, which is how my family likes it.


Cost Breakdown of What I Spent:
3 14 oz. cans Great Northern Beans = $2.04
1 red bell pepper = $1.25
1 small onion = $0.25
3 chicken breasts = $2.30 (approx)
2 - 4oz. cans diced green chiles = $0.88
2 tsp. minced garlic = $0.10
2 tsp. cumin = $0.08
1 tsp. oregano = $0.02
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper = $0.02
3 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock = $0.90


Recipe Cost = $7.83
Cost per Cup = $0.78

Comparison:
Hormel Chicken Chili with Beans (15 oz.) = $1.98
Cost per Cup = $1.13

Savings = 31%