Shredded Chicken Chili

This was inspired by my roomie who used to be obsessed with making chicken chili in her slow cooker when we lived together freshman and sophomore year. We happened to be talking about it the other night so I got the craving to make it! I went to Bloom, bought my essential chili ingredients, and started it the next morning.

Oh also, the Crock Pot I have been talking about is our 6 quart baby that we got for J's apartment in Vermont. But when I come back down to Williamsburg, I haven't been using one because I don't have one here. And then suddenly, an angel (my mother) pulled out a brand new "extra" Crock Pot she had laying around the house! Yessss. And as an added bonus, the new Crock Pot is 4 quarts, so when I move to Vermont in June, J and I will have not one, but two Crock Pots to use (you know, appetizer and main course...hehe).

So, back to the recipe... I made this very similarly to how I made the White Bean Turkey Chili, but I just love how the meat becomes so tender and juicy, and what starts as a big lump of meat, will just shred apart so easily after being cooked for 8-10 hours. I am still amazed by it.



SHREDDED CHICKEN CHILI

Ingredients:
1-2 pounds chicken breast (I used about 3 breasts)
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can Northern Cannellini Beans, drained
1 can diced green chiles
1 can (12-16 ounce) chicken broth (depending on how soupy you like your chili)
1 packet White Chicken Chili seasoning (optional)

Directions:
Mix onion, garlic, beans, chiles, chicken broth, and seasoning in slow cooker.
Add in the chicken breasts. Make sure the chicken is submersed under the liquid and is covered on all sides by chili mixture.
Cook on LOW 8-10 hours.
Pull chicken apart into shreds with two forks.

Before: Chicken breast before it is completely shredded.

After: Shredded chicken mixed with the rest of the chili.

For Those Cold Days...White Bean Turkey Chili

At the request of my roommate...

Even though Spring is supposedly here, we all know that we have plenty of cold, miserable days ahead of us (sorry to break the bad news). But! I have a good idea. When you're sitting there trying to decide which of the on-campus dining halls is worth bearing the cold for, after hours of walking around campus and sitting in class, why don't you just go home to the delicious White Turkey Chili waiting in the crock pot for you?

Let me preface this recipe by saying that, when made right, this smells amazing.



WHITE BEAN TURKEY CHILI

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey (or beef, if you prefer)
1-2 cups chicken broth (depending on how soup-y you like your chili)
1 (15 ounce) can Northern Cannellini Beans, not drained
1 (12 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 can green chiles (this is what gives it a little kick...choose mild if you don't want the kick!)
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground red (cayenne) pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pinch ground black pepper
salt, to taste
1 packet white chili mix (optional)
Shredded cheese (to garnish, if desired)

Preparation:
On the stove, brown the ground turkey and drain off excess fat.
Mix in the remainder of the ingredients and stir well.
Cook on LOW 4-5 hours.


Stay Warm! You know that's my number one priority :)