Phil's Famous White Chicken Chili

*Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro, Laura Martin, as seen on myrecipes.com

Phil's Famous White Chicken Chili

You know the expression "Will work for food?" A few years ago, I started working with the lovely and talented Dorothyann. We became good friends and I got to know her family. While we were working together, she and her husband had a second little boy, and I had the honour of being his first babysitter. Our arrangement was very simple: I would go over and watch the boys (who usually went to bed a half hour after my arrival anyway) and in exchange, I had free reign over their cable TV and internet, and Dorothyann's husband Phil would cook me a gourmet meal. I had several different dinners as payment for babysitting, but the one I always ended up requesting was Phil's White Chicken Chili. 

There is just nothing better than this chili. Seriously, I would stuff myself to the gills whenever he served it. It's hearty and full of flavour, and it's even pretty to look at! 

The recipe is from Cooking Light. You can see it here. I haven't made any modifications at all; Phil used to serve this dish with Old Cheddar rather than Monterey Jack cheese. I think either would be good, but I loved the strong cheese in contrast to the chili and the fresh cilantro. 

What you need: 

Cooking spray or 1-2 TBSP peanut oil
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 C finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground coriander
2 cans (4.5oz) chopped green chiles, undrained
1 C water
2 cans (15.5oz) cannellini or white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14oz) fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 TBSP hot pepper sauce
1 C (4oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or smoked cheddar)
1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 C chopped green onions

What you do: 

Heat a large non-sick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray or oil.

Add chicken to pan. Cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray or oil.

Add onion to pan. Sauté 6 minutes or until tender, stirring often.

Add garlic. Sauté 2 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in cumin, oregano and coriander. Sauté 1 minute.

Stir in chiles. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, partially covered.

Add the chicken, water, cannellini beans, and broth. Bring to a simmer.Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Stir in hot sauce.

How to serve it:

Ladle 1 cup of chili into each bowl.

Sprinkle each serving with cheese, cilantro, and green onion, to taste.

Serve with fresh baguette and creamy butter. 

Serves 8.