It’s game time and with football season comes tailgating. The smell of burgers and brats on the grill, chili, bourbon, and “C-A-T-S” chants fill the air. No matter the outcome of the football game this chili is guaranteed to be a winner. There are so many possibilities for a tailgating menu, but one of my ultimate favorite recipes is a white chicken chili! This is a perfect tailgating item because it is great by itself or also can be used as a dip with tortilla chips, fresh salsa, sour cream, avocado, and Mexican cheese.
Game Day White Chicken Chili
- 2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup (1/2 of a yellow onion) chopped
- 2 green onions chopped
- 3 Cloves of minced garlic
- 2-3 Celery stalks finely chopped
- 1/2 of a red bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 of a green bell pepper chopped
- 1 4 oz can of green chilis
- 1 lime
- 1 package of McCormick’s White Chicken Chili Seasoning Mix
- 2 or 3 cans of white Northern Beans
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 lb of boneless skinless chicken breast cut in 1 inch cubes (or for a time saver use the rotisserie chicken from your grocery store and just pull off the bone)
- 1 box of chicken stock (32 oz)
- 1/2-1 cup of heavy cream
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
Toppings (optional)
- 1 package of shredded mexican three cheese blend
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Tortilla Chips
- Avocados
- Cilantro
Directions
In a medium or large size stock pot heat olive oil on medium high heat until nice and hot. Add the chicken and brown on all sides (about 5-10 minutes). Remove the chicken and place on a baking sheet and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Add in the onions and let cook for at least 1 minute before adding the garlic, then add the celery, allow these ingredients to cook until the celery and onions start to become translucent (clear). Add the peppers and green onions and continue to stir. Cook for about 2 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the green chilis and navy beans and stir all the ingredients together. You should also turn the heat down now that you have cooked the vegetables to a medium to low temperature. The bottom of the pan maybe starting to brown and stick so take your lime and squeeze the juice to “deglaze” the bottom of the pan, it will steam up but will help remove some of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and add flavor to your chili. Add the chicken (either boneless skinless or rotisserie) Now add the McCormicks spice mix, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and then add your chicken broth. (Note: You may not need to add all of the chicken broth, add as much as you want to get the constitency you like. Some people prefer a very thick and chunk chili, some like it “soupy”… it’s a personal preference) At this point you will want to let the chili just simmer on a low to medium heat for about 30-45 min with occasional stirring so that it doesn’t settle on the bottom and scorch. After about 35 min or so you will notice that some of the liquid has reduced, at this point I like to add between 1/2 cup to a cup of heavy cream. It really gives the chili a nice creamy consistency. If time permits, continue to simmer, the longer the better. For tailgating, just take it in a crock pot. Just before you are ready to serve, add in the fresh cilantro. Pull the leaves from the stem & just add in whole, there is really no need in chopping this herb. Don’t forget the cilantro! It will add so much flavor and a pop of color to your chili. Sit the toppings out for your guests and enjoy all the compliments you will receive on this amazingly satisfying game day chili.
ChefAllisonDavis.com 