White Chili with Chicken

 As we get closer to Christmas everything has gotten busier and busier, and I'm nearly pulling my hair out trying to do all the extra holiday things, on top of the added workload for my shop, and just generally trying to keep our home neat and bellies full.  Time for the crockpot!  I made this on Sunday night, and we've had the leftovers for dinner on Monday and Tuesday too.  I've made several versions of white chili over the years, and some have been good, and some have been bland.  This was AMAZING.  I altered the recipe I found on My Fitness Pal just a little, and am mostly posting it here so I can never lose it again.  Their version called for chicken breasts, which I find often dry out during a long crock-pot cook, so I switched to chicken thighs which stay nice and moist.  I also messed with their technique.  Just dumping everything in a crockpot in the morning is convenient, but doesn't allow for much depth of flavor that often comes from sautéing foods.  However, you can easily do the extra cooking steps the night before while cooking that night's dinner, then put the browned chicken & sautéed onions in the fridge till morning, then dump it all in and turn it on the next day.  Trust me, browning the chicken and onions makes all the difference.  Well that and the heat from the salsa verde! 

Crockpot White Chili with Chicken

Ingredients:
1 can great Northern Beans
1 can Cannellini Beans
2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
1 jar of Salsa Verde
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Chili Powder
6 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Stock

Toppings:
Fresh Lime Wedges
Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Avocado, cubed
Green Onions, sliced
Cilantro, chopped
Sour Cream
Tortilla Chips

Chop the onion, and set aside.  Pour a layer of salsa verde into the crockpot, and add 1 of the cans of beans. 

In a large skillet, heat 1T olive oil over medium or medium-high heat.  Once hot, add the chicken thighs in batches, being sure to unfold the thighs so they brown evenly.  Do this in batches so as not to crowd the pan.  Remove the chicken and place in the crockpot.  (Note: the chicken just needs to be browned, but does not need to be cooked through.)

Leaving the browned bits and oil in the pan, pour in the diced onion.  Brown the onion until soft and lightly golden, and your whole house smells like heaven.  Pour the cooked onions on top of the chicken in the crockpot.

Add the remaining salsa verde, second can of beans, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and chicken broth.  Turn the crockpot to low and cook for 6 hours.  (I suggest taking this time to get some crafting done, because hey, dinner is taken care of!)

Remove the chicken from the crockpot, and lightly shred with a fork.  It will already be falling apart.  Place the shredded chicken back into the pot, and stir well. 

Serve with any (or all!) of the toppings you like.  I greatly enjoyed aged white cheddar, avocado, cilantro, and lime wedges.