Our family loves chili.  We’re from Arizona so we also LOVE green chiles.  Pair ’em up and you have Chili Blanco.  At one point I had my sister’s family and my parents up at my house in Salt Lake in the fall.  I made a large pot of “red chili” (Mike’s Chili) and “white chile” (Chili Blanco) so that people could pick their pleasure.  What I didn’t realize is that the entire conversation around the table would be a debate as to which chili was better and why.  They’re both delicious and it was funny that they were so adamant about which was best.  Either way, I was flattered.  After all, I had made them both! So I just stood back with a silent grin and watched everyone go back for seconds.  🙂

The secret to this recipe is to not go too light on the garnishes.  The pictures I took are somewhat deceiving because I left the sour cream on top so you could see the other ingredients in the chili, but once the sour cream is mixed into the chili it becomes deliciously creamy.  Then of course most everything tastes better with cheese and you can use cheddar or a Mexican blend.  The green onions add a nice fresh crunch which I love and yes, I’ve made a trip back to the store just for those alone because I truly don’t think this can be complete without them.

Mmmm… This is one of my go-to meals in the summer if we’re planning a camping trip because it’s an easy dish to prepare at home, freeze, and then warm up over a camping stove and eat around the campfire.  It’s also a perfect ending to a day of sledding in the winter or after a ski trip in the mountains.  Basically, regardless of the season if there’s a chance you’re going to be cold, this is the perfect dinner to warm you up.  I’ve looked at various Chili Blanco recipes online and they all have the same ingredients.  Really the only thing that differs is the amount of each that goes into the pot.  Here’s our version.  I even made this in Parker over the Christmas break on a day when the low was about 45 degrees and everyone still appreciated it regardless of the fact that the weather wasn’t too terribly cold.  Warning: if you don’t like green chiles, or a little bit of spice isn’t for you, you might wanna keep looking cause this has both.  Otherwise, read on!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
• salt & pepper
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 jalapeño with seeds and ribs removed, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1  1/2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 3 (7 oz) cans of fire roasted diced green chiles
• 2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans or white kidney beans rinsed and drained
• 2 cans chicken broth
• 1 (16 oz) container sour cream
• grated cheddar cheese
• 1 bunch green onions, diced

Directions

1. Cook the cubed chicken in the canola oil over medium heat.  Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Once chicken is cooked through add the diced onion, jalapeño, and garlic.  Cook for about five minutes or until onions are soft.
3. Add the cumin and oregano and cook for one minute.
4. Pour in the green chiles, canellini beans, and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
5. Ladle some chile into a bowl.  Add a heaping tablespoon of sour cream and stir to combine.
6. Top with cheddar cheese & green onions (a generous handful, if you ask me)

Notes – Serves 6-8

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