White Chicken Chili

White chicken chili is one of my all-time favorite cold weather foods. It's also surprisingly easy to make--you probably have most of the items in your kitchen right now!

For a recipe to qualify as a Recession Recipe, it has to be inexpensive and use items that are already in the pantry. I always have chicken broth on hand, along with spices, canned beans, etc. You may not have a can of salsa verde nearby, but it won't set you back that much. I picked this up about 6 months ago at my nearby bodega, and even the jacked-up "convenience" price was just over a dollar. And most of all, a Recession Recipe has to TASTE good!

There are a ton of recipes out there, so I improvised with the basic ingredients. You'll need:
2 15 oz cans Navy Beans (about .89 each at Trader Joe's & corner grocery)
1.5-3 cups chicken stock (on sale for about 4 bucks on FreshDirect.com, or make your own--I've used up all of mine)
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin (staple in mi casa)
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion (diced in mere seconds thanks to my awesome chopper, last featured here)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
7 oz can green chiles (1.19 at bodega)
2 cups shredded chicken (about a buck or 2 when bought in bulk on FreshDirect.com!)

I sautéed the onions and garlic in about 2 teaspoons of olive oil, just enough to sweat them (don't let the garlic burn!!), then I dumped everything but the chicken into the pot. Once the aromatic mixture came to a boil, I simmered it for 5 minutes and then added the chicken. It smelled so good that I could only wait another 5 minutes or so before I doled some out for dinner. YUM! Not as good as my mom's, but pretty damn close. I had some more for lunch today, and it tastes even BETTER!