Hearty and Healthy meet White Chicken Chili!

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 Would you believe that we have 30 degree F weather here in Scottsdale? Yes, when we flew in from the Pacific Northwest, we left our fleece jackets on! Brrrrrrr... it's freezing! Dry but freezing! Even my cactus's are cold, they are all wearing their Winter gear, a Solo styrofoam cup!

This put me in the mood for White Chicken Chili  a recipe I played with for some time to perfect! I wanted a hearty but healthy, warm me up, thick soup.....

I like to eat low fat, when the flavor isn't jeopardized,  so I used 2% cheese in the soup, but, you can omit or use any cheese. The ground chicken  provides some lean protein, and the beans give a bunch of protein and fiber -- plus making the soup creamy with MUCH less fat than a cream-based soup would contain.

Ingredients

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds ground chicken
• 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 2 T ground cumin
• 1 T dried oregano
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 3 T flour
• 2 (15-ounce cans) cannellini  rinsed and drained(can sub a bean of your choice)
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves rough chopped 
• 11/2 c. corn, canned and drained or frozen and thawed
• 4 c. chicken stock
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 
• freshly ground pepper 
• cheese - I use 2% milk fat cheddar, you can omit or use any cheese you like

Directions

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. 

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the ground chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 7-8 minutes. Stir the flour into the chicken mixture.

 Add the beans, Swiss chard, corn, and chicken stock.

 Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a spoon. Simmer for 1 hour, until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Add the red pepper flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Ladle the chili into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the cheese. I served with Pepperidge Farm "Baked Naturals", four cheese flavor. (20 crackers have 140 calories, 1 g sat fat) However, you can serve with soda crackers, cornbread or crostini......or not!

 
It's a hit--especially with Wee Bear! Wonderful, easy recipe, JUST IN TIME FOR SUPERBOWL! San Francisco 49ers will be playing against Baltimore Ravens on February 3, and based on the 49 er's  solid record and popularity with sports fans it has come out an early favorite by 4 1/2 points by Las Vegas sports books. Sweet One and I will be offering a few more recipes for your Superbowl party in the next week, so stay tuned!! Next week, I will offer a tutorial on "Sarah's Pulled pork sliders" or "Pulled Pork Bruschetta"............oh yeah, it's in the YUM column!!

                                            ~~~ 

On Wednesday-

Margaret Sullivan showing our class how to finish the top of the basket.

  

Cheers!
JJ