White Chicken Chili

Yesterday was one of those days when I walked out the door at a little after 8, and did not walk back in the door until almost 5.  For many moms, this is the norm.  For me, this is a challenging day.  We had early morning orchestra, 2 dentist appointments, a big volunteer project at the girls' school, and an afterschool errand.  I needed a meal for this busy day that I could put in the crock pot before we left the house and have ready to eat when we walked in the door.  I love my programmable crock pot for nights like these.

With the chicken I found on sale at Meijer last week for $1.77/lb and my stash of pre-cooked beans in the freezer, I decided to put together a batch of White Chicken Chili for our menu plan.  I did some of the prep work the day before so that all I had to do was throw it into the crock pot in the morning.  This recipe came from my friend, Brenda, who shared her recipe in our Cypress Wesleyan Church MOPS Cookbook in 2008.  Brenda has been making this chili for her family for years and even pureed it for her kids when they were babies.  She also won 2nd place in a chili cook off with this recipe.  I made a few changes to her original recipe to suit our family's tastes, but it still got rave reviews from the hungry eaters around our family table.  You might have heard the clinging of the kids' spoons against their empty soup bowls. I love when our dinner table is filled with those sounds! 

I did not get a good photograph of this chili, however.  The white chili just did not photograph well in my white soup bowls.  I guess I'll have to invest in some new serving pieces if I decide to make this blogging thing more than just a place for me to organize my recipes and use the other side of my brain!  You'll have to just trust me that this recipe is worth making due to it's ease, low cost, and taste. 

Here's the recipe:

White Chicken Chili
3 lb jar of pre-cooked Great Northern White Beans (I used 5 cups of pre-cooked, frozen)
2 lbs of boneless chicken breasts, cubed (I used raw chicken, you can also used cooked)
1/3 cup chopped onion (leftover from the Pico de Gallo prep; can add more to suit taste)
1 tsp minced garlic (can add more to suit tastes)
2 cans of chopped mild green chilies (I used only 1 can)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I used 1/4 black pepper)
1/2 tsp salt
6 cups chicken broth (I used 3 cups homemade, 3 cups water + 3 bouillon cubes)
3 cups grated Monterrey Jack Cheese (add just before serving; we added ours at the table)

Mix all the ingredients except the cheese in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.  Stir in cheese just before serving.

We had a side salad of mixed greens topped with a generous scoop of leftover Pico de Gallo and crushed tortillas on top.  A bowl of apples, oranges, and blackberries and a loaf of artisan bread rounded out our meal. 

What's your favorite meal that is ready for you to enjoy when you walk in the door after a busy day?