WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

My apologies to those of you who heard me speak, as this one will be a repeat for you. But it's so good I just had to share it with everyone! That, and the fact that I don't have time this week to type up another recipe . . .

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

1 to 1-1/2 pounds cooked boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 - 4 ounce can chopped green chilies
2 - 14 ounce cans chicken broth
3 - 16 ounce cans white Northern beans (or 1 - 48 ounce jar)
2 teaspoons (heaping) cumin
2 teaspoons (level) oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash hot sauce

Cooking Day:
In a large soup pot, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Stir in chilies with liquid, chicken broth and beans. Add chicken. Stir in spices and seasonings. Place in freezer bag and freeze.

Note: I use the chicken cooked as directed below and the resulting chicken broth when I make this. I then SKIP sautéing the onions and garlic in olive oil, and just add the garlic to the mix. There is enough onion flavor for us in the cooked chicken and chicken broth. If you prefer to have a more intense onion flavor, then I would recommend sautéing the onions and garlic as directed.

Serving Day:
Thaw. Reheat and serve – tastes best if placed in slow cooker for approximately 6 hours.

TO COOK CHICKEN:
When I have recipes that call for cooked chicken, I cook my chicken overnight in the slow cooker. To do this, place as much chicken as you need (or a whole chicken) in the slow cooker and add the following:

1 or 2 sliced onions
2 tablespoons parsley
2 teaspoons Lawry’s salt
1 or 2 bay leaves

Cover with water and cook on low over night. Remove from slow cooker, cool and shred or cube chicken. Discard bay leaves.

Save the broth! I run it through a colander with a bowl underneath to get all the “gunk” out. If you don’t need the broth for the recipes you are making at the time, you can freeze it for later. I freeze it in a Rubbermaid container.

Note: 1 pound cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts = 2 3/4 cups