White Chicken Chili

It felt a little strange pulling out the Ski House Cookbook in October, but we have had snow for weeks, so I figured it was acceptable. Not to mention David has already been skiing a few times. I hear the conditions are pretty good at Birch Hill. Anyway, I was running some errands on the far end of town yesterday and picked up a loaf of jalapeno cheddar cornbread from LuLu’s Bakery. I still have not got around to getting my own sourdough starter going, so we are still stuck with quick breads if I make bread at home. I wanted something to compliment the bread and thought a white chili would be perfect. I made a “quicker” version as the original calls for dried beans.

White Chicken Chili
adapted from The Ski House Cookbook
2 cans of Great Northern or Cannellini beans, rinsed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 can chopped green chilies
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cups chicken broth
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup heavy cream
optional: cheddar cheese, cilantro, fresh onions, tortilla chips for topping

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and chilies and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat so the broth simmers and add the chicken. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer to a cutting board. Add beans to the pot and let simmer. Remove ½ cup broth from pot and mix well with cornstarch. Add cornstarch mixture and cream to pot and mix well. Using two forks, shred the chicken, and then return it to the pot. Let simmer another 5 minutes and serve topped with cheese.