Simple Meals for December: White Chili

What can you get on the table for a quick simple meal in the middle of the December rush - how about White Chili?

When our kids were in high school, this was our Game Night Supper, because everyone liked it and I could get it on the table before everyone had to dash out the door. The trick is to have leftover cooked chicken (or turkey or pork) ready to snatch from the freezer, along with bags of frozen corn and and those handy pre-chopped onions.

In those days I didn't think twice about throwing in a couple cans of beans and green chilies. But now that we know about the endocrine disrupting chemical BPA in canned food, I am thinking rather carefully. If you don't have cooked beans squirreled away in your freezer (my own squirrel is behind schedule) the canned stuff will have to do. If you know of a brand available in jars, please let me know about it.

The canned chilies can be replaced with pimientos which are available in jars, or with fresh mild chilies. Unless you are certain your family enjoys the hot stuff, you probably shouldn't choose poblanos - I nearly lost a prospective son-in-law with a dish of chili rellenos made with those fiery critters, and that would have been a shame. Look for the long yellow-green "Hungarian Sweet" peppers or fresh Italian pepperoncini. If your grocer responds with a blank stare when you ask for mild chilies, go ahead and use chopped sweet bell peppers, then add (green) Tabasco sauce to taste. Another option would be to use nopalitos, the young pads of the Prickly Pear cactus with a flavor very similar to mild chilies.


 If you have two minutes to spare, take the time to toast the lemon pepper and cumin seeds in the dry skillet before adding the olive oil and onions. It brings the spices alive and intensifies their flavor. But if you don't have those two minutes, don't fret, the chili will be wonderful as it is.


Recipe: White Chili

1 tsp. lemon pepper

1 tsp. whole cumin seeds
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 c. chopped onion
4 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless, chopped
..... or cooked chicken, turkey or pork, chopped or shredded
2 c. frozen corn kernels, preferably white "shoe peg"
1/2 c. mild green chilies, diced
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 - 3 c. white beans, cooked (great northern or navy)
water or broth to cover
1 Tbs. lime juice
tortilla chips
shredded cheese

Toast lemon pepper and whole cumin seeds in a large, hot skillet about 2 minutes, or until they are fragrant. Add olive oil then add onion when oil shimmers. If using raw chicken, add and saute until no longer pink. Stir in rest of ingredients except lime juice, chips and cheese.  Bring to boil and simmer at least 20 minutes.

Chili may simmer as long as needed, but add additional water or broth occasionally. Stir in lime juice just before serving.  Top with tortilla chips and cheese.

Note: This is an excellent dish to simmer in a slow-cooker after the onion and chicken have been sauted in the skillet. Be certain the chicken is no longer pink before adding to the slow-cooker. 

When the nights are cold and frantic in Mid-December, White Chili is the perfect, simple meal.