White Bean Chicken Chili

WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI RECIPE WITH CREAM CHEESE - Can you say it 5 times fast?!

White Chicken Chili with cream cheese is the ultimate creamy comfort food! This recipe is loaded with everything good and so comforting on a cool night. We top ours off with avocado, cilantro, green onions, tortilla chips, shredded monterey jack cheese, jalapenos, sour cream, and more. Don’t forget the hot sauce! You can either make this in a dutch oven on the stove or in a slow cooker. Either way it is delicious and wonderful for those chilly nights that have started! This recipe was inspired by one we found on Damn Delicious! A go to for recipes!

We have included cooking instructions for both stove and slow cooker + a rich and delicious version of the recipe that includes cream cheese!

Photo from Damn Delicious

Photo from Damn Delicious

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 onions diced

  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 2 pounds cooked chicken (we used 5 boneless skinless breasts that we roasted at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and then shredded)

  • 32 ounces chicken broth

  • 2 32 ounce cans of either black beans or white beans rinsed and drained (any bean is fine). You can even use chick peas (we go with what we have in the pantry at the time).

  • 2 16 ounce cans of diced green chiles (do not drain)

  • 2 teaspoons salt

  • 1 teaspoon pepper

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped

  • Optional: for an extra creamy dish: 8 ounces full fat cream cheese cubed & 1 cup heavy cream stirred in right before scooping into bowls.

TOPPINGS

  • Tortilla chips or strips

  • sliced jalapeños

  • chopped cilantro

  • shredded monterey jack cheese

  • sour cream

  • sliced avocado

  • lime juice

  • Hot sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

In a 6 qt dutch oven or stock pot, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil and lime juice over medium high heat. Cook until the onions are fragrant and translucent.

Add in the cooked chicken, chicken broth, beans, chiles, and seasoning. Bring to a boil, stirring often, and then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer uncovered for 30-45 minutes, or until it's the thickness you desire. Stir occasionally. I let mine simmer for a full hour to let all the flavors blend fully and to get a nice thickness. It would have been ready to go after 30 minutes, so just do what you like best! *** (See below for Slow Cooker Instructions)

Optional for extra creamy dish: Turn off the heat and stir in the cubed cream cheese. Stir constantly until the cream cheese melts and incorporates completely. Stir in the heavy cream.

Top with as many or as few optional toppings as you desire. I used them all! The more the merrier.

Instructions for the slow cooker

Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil in a frying pan until fragrant. Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker up (except the cilantro and toppings). Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 2-4 hours. Once cooked, remove and shred chicken with two forks. Place it back in the slow cooker and stir. Once hot and thickened add the fresh cilantro, the cream cheese and the heavy cream. Add a touch more lime juice and serve immediately.

Eat PrettyLindsay BovairdComfort Food, Slow cooker, Chili, Chicken, Healthy Eating, Healthy Recipes, Cozy Food