ALL THE COLORS OF A FIESTA
All the colors of a Tex-Mex Fiesta in a bowl right here in this White Chicken Chili recipe. I love finding ways to add fresh and colorful produce to some of my favorite recipes. At my local church building, we were having one of our regular potlucks, and the “theme” was chili. So of course, I had to come up with something that would stand out against your regular “red” chilis, and White Chicken Chili was the first thing that came to my mind.
STANDING OUT IN THE CROWD
This Chili has a beautiful color combination. It’s made with red, orange, and yellow bell peppers, and of course, we can’t forget to add “white shoe peg corn” to add a punch of sweetness with that little crunch in every bite. The rotisserie chicken also adds an extra dimension of flavor because you’re using the juice dark and light meats that you don’t normally get when using regular chicken breast. To finish this chili off, it’s creamy texture comes not only from the rue, but also from the “cream” cheese melted into it’s soup base. When you take a bite, you can’t even figure out where are the flavors are coming from and how they manage to pair so nicely into such a delicious soup. Stand out from the crowd with this Fiesta White Chicken Chili. It’s truly a fiesta in your mouth.
FIESTA WHITE CHICKEN CHILI RECIPE
2 T. Butter
1 1/2 Cup Onions, diced
1/2 cup Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
1/2 cup Red Bell Pepper, diced
1/2 cup Orange Bell Pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 Whole Cooked Rotisserie Chicken From Deli, meat removed from bones, chopped in pieces
1 (7-oz.) can Mild Fire Roasted Green Chile’s
1 (15-oz) can White Shoe Peg Corn, drained
6 cups Water
2 T. Chicken Bouillon Paste ( I use Better Than Bouillon Brand)
4 (15-oz.) Cans White Chili Beans, rinsed and drained
4 oz. Cream Cheese
*Salt and Pepper to Taste
Optional Toppings: Sour Cream, Pepper-Jack Cheese, Cilantro
Roux Ingredients:
2T. Butter
2T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Flour
Roux Instructions:
- In a sauce pan over medium high heat, melt your butter. Then add your olive oil, and flour. Combine the fats with the flour until it forms a smooth consistency. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn until the color forms a golden brown, caramel color. DO NOT OVERCOOK your rue (meaning, just don’t burn it, which is easy to do). When it reaches the right color, remove it from the heat immediately and set it aside until you are ready to add it to the actual soup.
Chili Instructions:
- In a large stew pot, sauté onions, bell peppers and garlic in 2 tablespoons of butter until tender.
- Add Chicken, green chilies, and corn to pot. Then add water and bouillon paste. Bring to a low boil, and then turn down to simmer.
- Add rue (see instructions below), and allow soup base to thicken.
- Then add beans, and simmer on low for 30 minutes to allow flavors to combine, stirring occasionally.
- Finally, dissolve cream cheese in Chili. Keep warm until you are ready to serve.
- Before serving, top with sour cream, sprinkled cheese, and cilantro.
