Warming up with chili
By Scott Stegmaier
mail@floridanewsline.com
With our short winter season comes the craving for comfort food. A meal my family really enjoys is White Chicken Chili, especially the kiddos. It is a perfect dinner and another great way that we have found to incorporate many vegetables.
Each of our children has a different job when it comes to creating this dish. Our oldest loves to open the can of beans using the can opener, mainly because he thinks it’s cool. He is also responsible for adding the vegetables.
Our middle guy gets a kick out of sprinkling the seasoning and mixing all of the ingredients together. When he adds the chicken stock and the sound sizzles, he smiles. The youngest little princess loves to scoop the sour cream up to add and then stir the pot.
Our little chefs just love cooking in the kitchen. There are many variations when it comes to making this dish. Here is how we create ours.
White Chicken Chili
2 lbs. chicken (breasts, tenders or boneless thighs)
1 diced sweet onion
1 diced green pepper
1 diced red pepper
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 diced jalapeno
1 lime
Cilantro
2 avocados
1 can cannelloni beans or navy beans
16 oz. chicken stock
1 white chicken chili seasoning packet
Sour cream
Sharp cheddar cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
White rice
Cube chicken into 1-inch pieces. Salt and pepper lightly. Heat a 12-inch large pot on medium heat with two to three tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté chicken for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Add onion, green pepper, red pepper and sauté for five minutes. Add garlic and continue to sauté for one minute. Sprinkle in seasoning packet and mix within the ingredients. Add chicken stock, can of beans and stir. Simmer on medium-low heat for about 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Add jalapeno, cilantro, squeezed lime and two tablespoons of sour cream. Stir and turn heat to low and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve over steamed white rice and garnish with sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese and sliced avocado.
Scott Stegmaier is the general manager of Metro Diner in Julington Creek. Follow him on Instagram @dinnerwiththestegmaiers
Photo courtesy Edana Stegmaier
White Chicken Chili
