Listen up red chili fans, this white chicken chili is coming for you! A smooth base of chicken stock, sour cream, and melted cheese is filled with bites of juicy chicken, roasted corn, and white beans. Try it out for a nice change up to your weeknight dinner routine.

I’ve spent some time getting organized this winter. I try not to keep a ton of stuff around, and I try to keep what I do have organized. A clean home with everything in its place makes me feel good. Like I’m in control. 

Like I have permission to mess everything up again.

People who I invite over often remark, “Oh, your space is so tidy.” I tell them thanks as I think to myself, “Come over unannounced on a Thursday night and see how tidy you think I am then.” Things get out of control.

Then I put it back together again.

I usually sign up for Apartment Therapy’s January Cure every year and tackle one area of my living space each weekend. This year I also signed up for The Minimalist Kitchen course at The Faux Martha. (Both of these are free and still available.)

The quick version is you take a look around at what you have available and then compare it to what you actually use. You do this for both the items you use in the kitchen and the food you actually make in your kitchen.

Even though it seems counter intuitive, having constraints in place actually frees up creativity.

My biggest gain was it helped me recognize my core shopping list. Now I don’t overspend on produce I won’t actually go through during the week, and I have room in my pantry for one new food item to try at a time – not the half dozen I get excited about.

It also made me a believe in the power of containers. I’ve used OXO Pop containers and Ball jars for years, but now I also use clear bins to hold things like snacks and random baking supplies. Before I tried it, transferring food from boxes into bins seemed silly, but it truly is nice to see what you have.

Early indications are that my system works. Last week my dad told me last week, “LeAndra, your refrigerator looks like a convenience store.” I wasn’t initially sure what that meant, but I soon learned he was highly impressed with my shelf dedicated to yogurt. The neatly contained food in the cabinets also earned high marks.

So, not only functional, but it looks nice and impresses guests!

All of this basically sets you up with the power to make your own personal cookbook. Even though I like to cook and bake, popcorn is still dinner most nights. So, I asked my sister to help me out by sharing the meals she made all the time. 

“This isn’t hard for me,” she wrote, followed by a decent list of menu items that rotate by season, quick nights, and weekends. I was impressed. And slightly embarrassed that “popcorn” was the only thing I could put on my “quick nights” list.

Until I made this white chicken chili, that is.

My sister also had this meal in her winter meals rotation. I’m not sure what recipe she uses, but I’m adding this version to my list. It’s fairly easy and definitely delicious, which sounds like the perfect combination to me. Enjoy! 

White Chicken Chili Recipe Notes

• Summer is but a dream, but when it’s abundance is upon us, you can freeze sweet corn and use it in this recipe later in the fall or winter. 
• I included measurements for cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper, but you can season the chicken breasts with however much of whatever spices you like. 
• Please take heed and stir in small handfuls of the grated Monterey Jack until melted. If you dump it all in at once, it will probably clump, especially if you’ve grated a block of cheese yourself.
• Green chiles are the most underrated ingredient in cooking. Personal opinion more so than a recipe note, but I just love these babies for the way they elevate a good dish to a dish you keep thinking about after you’re done.
• Red chili fans, if you’ve read this far, you deserve a recipe too. Here’s a red chili recipe made with chicken chorizo and plenty of beans.

White Chicken Chili

Yield: 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 white or yellow onion, chopped
• 1, 4-ounce can diced green chiles
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 2, 14-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1, 14-ounce can corn
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• 1/3 cup sour cream

optional garnishes

• crushed tortilla chips
• chopped cilantro
• sliced jalapenos
• additional shredded cheese
• additional sour cream

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Season the chicken breasts with the cumin, paprika, salt and pepper.
3. Add the seasoned chicken breasts to the pot and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
4. Add the onion, green chiles, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the red-pepper flakes.
5. Next add the beans, corn, and chicken stock to the pot.
6. Cut the cooked chicken into bite-size chunks and add the meat to the pot as well.
7. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook for 20 minutes.
8. Stir in small handfuls of the grated Monterey Jack until melted.
9. Next stir in the sour cream.
10. Ladle into bowls and serve with your choice of garnishes.

Notes

Recipe adapted from The Pretty Dish by Jessica Merchant.