Today was sort of rotten. Mondays are always a lot of work, it's my housecleaning day AND laundry day, I of course have driving to and from school and to and from dance class for my daughter and my husband is always home late due to staff meetings, we are usually tired from the weekend festivities and today I was working hard on my bedroom makeover! Whew! My kids, particularly the 2 year old, were being seriously naughty today and by the end of the day I didn't know if I wanted a do-over, a let's just be done with this day, or just some chocolate. But comfort food definitely seemed the order of the day and now that the weather has turned colder my husband was requesting one of his faves, it comes with a story....
...and the story comes with lots of cute old pictures of us (just because) from what seems like a lifetime ago...
(Those pics span 2000-2002, weren't we cute!? and wasn't I tiny! It's amusing to me to think of how I thought I was so fat back then, sigh, when I get there again I think I shall be much more appreciative this time around!!!)
When I met my husband there was a little coffeehouse on campus that served some yummy food and his favorite thing on the menu was White Chicken Chili. I tasted it and it honestly was the closest I had tasted to my Momma's superb chicken chili recipe but hers was still better so I had her make him a batch. He was so happy! So I quickly learned how to make it (the way to a man's heart...) and when we married as a young bride it was one of my favorite things to make for him because it made him so happy. My roommates in college liked it a lot too. So on a day with as many ups and downs as today had I made a big humongous batch (almost 2.5 x a regular batch!) I always like to try to make a lot because hey I have a giant soup pot why not use it and I can freeze some (so we don't have to have chicken chili every night this week, that would be a lot of beans!) and we can give some away. In fact in Sunday School yesterday the kids learned the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand and they had a little challenge to bring some food to a sick person this week. A good life lesson for my little people so they are out delivering the soup and I get a tiny corner of peace and quiet in my day to write up this blog! Everyone wins!
So that was a LOT of ado but here goes...
White Chicken Chili
Chicken:
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp sage
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- onions sliced
- 2 chicken breasts cut up
Sauce:
- 3 Tbsp butter (light)
- 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 jar northern white beans
- cayenne pepper and white pepper
- Tortilla chips, green onion and shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Use 5 qt pan to sauté onions, garlic, salt, sage, ginger, and cumin. Add chicken and cook until chicken is just done. Remove mixture and set aside. Melt butter in pan. When bubbling add flour and whisk briskly while adding cream. When smooth and thick add chicken broth. Stir until well blended. Stir in beans and chicken mixture. Simmer, add peppers (Careful! Both of these types of pepper can heat your chili up quickly, spicy lovers may want extra.) Serve with shredded cheese (we always go with monterey jack), chopped green onion and tortilla chips (I like the Lime Tortilla chips!) on top.
A full bowl of over a cup is only 3 pts, a couple extra for toppings but still not much and if you are hungry you can easily eat two bowls of this yummy goodness. So if you are looking for a little fall comfort food I invite you to get out the big pot, make a huge batch, a little for now, a little for later, and a little to brighten someone else's day with a little comfort! Blessings to you all!
No comments:
Post a Comment