Aria’s Appetite: Warm up with this delicious white chicken chili

Photo by Aria Brent

Aria Brent
Variety Editor

The weather has reached below 50 degrees and fallen leaves are covering the ground. With only two weeks until Thanksgiving, it’s official that Fall is here.  Everyone loves pumpkin spice during this time of year but if you’re looking for something that will warm you up and be sure to leave you wanting seconds, try out my white chicken chili recipe! 

This recipe has spicy, savory and creamy flavors that will make you wonder why you haven’t tried this variation of chili earlier. There are many versions of this delicious soup, some of which include corn. Although mine doesn’t include corn, feel free to add some to yours for a flavor profile that will remind you of Mexican street corn. Consider making this for your next big game day or Fall bonfire. Whether you decide to eat it with cornbread, tortilla chips or simply by itself, this recipe is super easy to make and even easier to enjoy!

White Chicken Chili
Serving: 1 bowl
Makes 10 servings 

• One entire white onion- diced 
• 2- 4oz cans of green chiles
• 1- 4oz can of diced jalapeños 
• 1 spoonful of minced garlic 
• 1 lime
• 3lbs of chicken breast- shredded
• 2- 32oz containers of chicken broth
• 2- 15oz cans of cannellini beans 
• 2 1/2 TBS of cumin 
• 1 1/2 TBS of chili powder
• 1 tsp of cayenne pepper
• 2 TBS of onion powder
• 1 TBS of garlic salt 
• 1/2 TBS of coarse kosher salt
• 2- 8oz bricks of cream cheese 
• 8oz of Monterey Jack cheese 

Start off by cooking down both cans of green chilies, your diced jalapenos, minced garlic and white onion. Cook them on a medium temperature in an oiled pot until the vegetables become aromatic. Halfway through the vegetable cooking, squeeze the juice of one lime in the pot. 

Then begin seasoning your chicken breast with all of the seasonings listed above. There is no specific set of measurements for this part of the recipe, add as little or as much as you like. Then add your chicken to the pot with your vegetables and begin to cook them off.

Do this for about 10 minutes on each side, while periodically checking on them. Cooking time may vary depending on the size of your chicken breast. Once your chicken is done, set it aside. 

You then want to add in one container of chicken broth and both cans of cannellini beans. At this time add in all of your measured seasonings. Let the mixture boil, and marry itself. As this happens, begin to shred your chicken. 

Once your mixture is boiling, add your chicken back in and add in both bricks of cream cheese. As you add in the cream cheese, be sure to constantly stir your soup so that the cream cheese doesn’t curdle and the soup doesn’t separate. 

Taste your soup at this point to see if anything needs to be added in and to assure it tastes how you’d like it to. If your soup tastes how you’d like it to, go ahead and add in your Monterey jack cheese. Once again, be sure to stir your soup as you do this, so that the cheese doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot and burn. 

You can let your soup cook down on a low temperature for as long as you’d like. Now, all that’s left to do is, enjoy! 

Try garnishing your bowl of soup with some freshly chopped cilantro, avocado, sour cream, and lime to truly enjoy the spicy, southwest flavors of this chili.