It’s certainly getting close to chili weather here in Wisconsin, and I am very much looking forward to that.
This recipe is, admittedly, not the healthiest thing I’ve posted on this blog. But if you’re going to eat something fatty, do it right—with butter, half and half, and a high-quality cheese. Because when you use ingredients that are this good, you’re bound to make something tasty.
This chili will forever remind me of skiing in Colorado. We used to go with friends two or three times a year—we’d rent a cabin in the woods and spend all day on the slopes before returning to our temporary home, nose dripping and muscles-you-forgot-you-had aching, and make white chicken chili.
Those trips, unfortunately, ended two years ago after I took a nasty fall and tore my ACL. The past two winters, I’ve been practicing my cross-country skiing skills here in Wisconsin and I promise to get back to the mountains next winter.
Until then, we’ll be making this chili at home. Sure, we may not have burned 1000 calories on the slopes, but we still deserve it. At least for it’s nostalgic effects.
- ½ cup unsalted butter, divided
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 poblano peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped
- 1½ lb chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch pieces
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups half and half
- 1-2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
- 1½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 15 oz can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup swiss cheese, grated
- ½ cup gruyere cheese, grated
- cilantro for garnish
- In a medium sized skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and poblanos and cook until they start to brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer vegetables to bowl.
- Add chicken breast pieces to pan and cook until pieces start to brown, about 8 minutes. The chicken will finish cooking in the chili, so it doesn't need to be cooked all the way through. Remove from heat.
- In a large sauce pan, melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add flour and whisk constantly until a roux forms, about 3 minutes. Stir in onions and peppers. Gradually add chicken broth and half and half, continuing to whisk. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, until mixture thickens.
- Stir in Tabasco sauce, chili powder, ground cumin, salt, and pepper. Add beans and chicken. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in swiss and gruyere cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with cilantro as garnish.
2prelude
writes 2eventsJust made this and eating it as I write – soooo yummy!
writes Stephanie