It seems that chili is in season this time of year and I’ve unknowingly joined the trend. I’m not sure where I got the idea to make it. Perhaps in was the undeniable force of a collective consciousness. Whatever the reason, I was craving it, so I made it, and it was delicious. Since my own personal chili-party, I’m seeing other bloggers sharing their favorite chili recipes with cyber space, so I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon too. I found this recipe while looking for something to warm my winter-chilled belly. It seemed like the perfect dish. I hope you’ll try it and enjoy. (p.s. It’s a slightly modified Giada recipe. Hi, I’m Laura and I’m a Food Network junky. Two months sober. I don’t have cable.)
White Bean and Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 pounds ground chicken
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 (15-ounce cans) Northern white bean, rinsed and drained
- 1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed, stems removed, and chopped
- 11/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
Directions
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir the flour into the chicken mixture. Add the beans, spinach, corn, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Add the red pepper flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Next time I’d like to add some crushed tomato and see how that tastes. I craved a little acidy-sweet. Maybe even a little Cholula would do the trick!