It's cold outside you guys! Craving white chicken chili has become a thing in our house! Here's the recipe we love and have cooked many times over. This recipe uses canned precooked beans, and we use a whole rotisserie from Sams Club, but if you like the beans cooked fresh, you will have to slow cook them for 3-4 hours prior to adding the chicken and other ingredients. You can absolutely cook this over the stove, slow simmer, but using a Crock pot or slow cooker is always better and like traditional chili, it reheats even better the next day!

Ingredients:

• Chicken & Beans
• 1 ½ lbs shredded chicken (rotisserie or poached)
• 2 cans (15 oz each) Great Northern beans (drained + rinsed) or butter beans (Lima beans)
• 1 can (15 oz) white cannellini beans, undrained (for thickening)

Broth Base:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1–2 jalapeños, seeded + diced (or 1 can diced green chiles)
• 1–2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp sea salt (add more later to taste)

Liquids:

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened (optional but highly recommended — makes it silky)

Finishing:

• 1 cup frozen or canned corn (optional)
• ½ lime, juiced
• Fresh cilantro
• Shredded Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack
• Crushed tortilla chips

Instructions:

1. Build the flavor base: Heat olive oil in a pot over medium. Add onion + jalapeño and sauté 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.

2. Add shredded chicken, beans, and broth + all the spices. Stir, bring to a simmer, and cook 15 minutes.

3. Make it creamy Reduce heat to low. Add: Heavy cream or Half and Half. Cream cheese (break into small chunks). Stir until melted and smooth.

4. Add corn + lime Stir in corn and let cook an additional 5 minutes. Finish with lime juice to brighten the flavor.

5. Adjust seasoning to taste: adjust salt, pepper, and cumin to your preference.

Serve with the extras listed above: Cilantro, Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack, Avocado slices, Tortilla strips/chips and A dollop of sour cream

Variations:

Spicy: Add ½ tsp cayenne or leave seeds in the jalapeño.

Thicker: Mash ½ cup of beans before adding OR simmer longer.

Healthier: Swap cream for coconut milk (it actually works!).

Crock Pot or Slow cooker: Dump all except cream/cream cheese → cook 4–6 hrs low → add cream + cream cheese last 20 minutes.