White Chicken Chili

My kiddos love creamy chicken enchiladas, the hubby and me, not so much. So this is our compromise. Feel free to wrap this up in a tortilla, but at least try it in a bowl. Promise you won’t miss the tortilla.

Serves 4-6 (generous for four!)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (if you are pressed for time leftover chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken works fine!) (Need about 3 c shredded chicken)

• 1 T Greek Seasoning Blend

• 2 T olive oil

• 1 small yellow onion, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

• 3 1/2 c chicken broth

• 1 4 oz can diced mild green chiles, undrained

• 1 1/2 t ground cumin

• 1 t oregano

• 1/2 t smoked paprika

• 1/2 t ground coriander

• 1/4 t cayenne pepper (adjust to heat preference)

• Salt & ground pepper to taste

• 2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened to room temperature and cut into cubes

• 1 can corn, drained

• Juice from half a lime, more for serving

• Optional: 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, more for serving if desired

Directions:

• For Chicken: pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In shallow baking dish, add chicken and Greek seasoning blend. Cover with water. Bake in the oven until chicken is cooked through, approximately 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. Allow chicken to cool before dicing or shredding.

• In a stock pot or dutch oven, add olive oil and heat over medium heat for 1 minute. Add diced onion and soften, stirring occasionally to avoid browning, approximately 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.

• Add chicken broth, can of green chilies, and all the spices. Season with salt and pepper. Turn heat to medium high and bring to just a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and allow everything to simmer for 15 minutes.

• Meanwhile, drain and rinse the cannellini beans. Remove approximately 1 cup of beans and set aside. Add the remaining beans and 1/4 cup of simmering broth to food processor. Puree until beans are smooth. Good moment to shred chicken.

• When stock base is finished simmering, add the cream cheese and stir to combine. Add the whole beans, the pureed beans, corn, and the cooked shredded chicken. Simmer for an additional five minutes to finish cooking chicken and allowing cream cheese to melt completely (if using rotisserie, then add just before serving to warm it through). You can reduce heat to low to keep warm until ready to serve.

• When ready to serve, add the fresh lime juice and cilantro. Stir. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Stir.

• Serving suggestions: shredded Monterrey Jack, Pepper Jack, or Cheddar Cheese. Sliced jalapeños. Fresh chopped cilantro. Avocado slices or fresh guacamole. Sour cream. Pico de Gallo or chopped tomatoes. Lime zest or additional limes to squeeze. Tortilla chips.