Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 large chicken breast

12 ounce jar of salsa verde (I use cholula brand)

2 1/2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup AP flour

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/8 teaspoon celery seed, salt, or powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 cup dry white beans, cooked OR 1 can of white beans, rinsed

1 block (8 oz) of cream cheese, softened

1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded

1/2 cup water

Instructions:

Melt 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Once the butter is completely melted, whisk in 1/4 cup AP flour and cook, stirring frequently, until it no longer smells like raw flour.

Slowly whisk in 1 1/2 cups of broth a little bit at a time, and incorporate each addition fully before adding more. 

Add seasonings

Turn the heat down to low and once the bubbling slows, taste and adjust seasonings.

Add mixture to a crock pot along with the jar of salsa verde and chicken breast. Wait to add the beans, water, and cream cheese until later. (You can take your cream cheese out to soften at this time.)

Cook on high for 2-3 hours. Start checking the temp of the meat at 2 hours. Cook until internal temp reaches 165F and remove chicken to shred and set aside.

If you have an immersion blender, mix your cream cheese into the crockpot.

If you don’t have an immersion blender, ladel some of the chili base from the crock pot into a mixing bowl with the cream cheese and whisk, adding more of the chili base as needed to make it smooth. Incorporate cream cheese mixture into the crock pot. Add the beans, water, shredded chicken, and monterey jack cheese. Once it’s hot and cheese is melted, it’s ready to serve!

Optional toppings: green onions, crushed tortilla chips, crackers, sour cream, shredded cheese, and baked tortilla strips (brush oil on both sides of tortillas, cut into strips, spread out on a cookie sheet and bake at 400F until browned.)

Notes

Seasoning as you cook is going to pull out the flavors and make your food taste better, but it’s also subjective. Taste your cooking often while you are cooking it, and never call a dish done until you’ve tasted it one last time.