Warm-Up White Chili

I've always wanted a dutch oven to cook with. I used to always use a crockpot in replacement of it, but to my surprise, Andy got me a dutch oven for Christmas this year! I was so excited to use it, and this white chili recipe was the perfect reason! There was snow on the ground and it was the perfect thing to warm you up from the cold. And p.s. I got a new car the other day! I'm not the proud owner of a red 2008 Ford Focus... and I'm now having to readjust my lifestyle to include a car payment and an increased insurance rate! Oh well... I'm going to try my best not to cut into my food budget because I truly believe good ingredients are necessary for great food!


Ingredients:
Adapted from All That Splatter's Blog

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes w/ green chilies, undrained
6 tomatillos, chopped (I LOVE tomatillos, definitely ingredient of the year for me)
1 jalapeno, halfway deseeded if you want a little kick, but if not you can deseed the whole thing
2 cups chicken stock
1 can green chilies, chopped
3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 cans Great Northern beans, undrained
juice from 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste
crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish

In a dutch oven, under medium high heat, heat up the oil and saute the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Then add in garlic and stir until fragrant, a minute or two.

Stir in tomatillos, tomatoes, and jalapeno. Cook for another 5 minutes so tomatillos can soften.


Add chicken stock, green chilies, chicken, oregano, cumin, beans, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer until ready to serve, stirring occasionally. I let mine sit for about 30-45 minutes to let the flavors really meld together.


Ladle into soup bowls and garnish the the tortilla chips and cheddar cheese.

I really loved this chili. It's not as thick as most normal white chilies and it's not overcrowded with beans. The complexity of flavors is just amazing. The sweetness of the tomatillos and the subtle hint of the jalapeno spice are just wonderful! I really hope you give this one a try! Enjoy!