White Chili

By Christy Rost

For winter dinners or a Super Bowl buffet, a pot brimming with White Chili is a welcome sight. Thick with beans and chopped OSO Sweet® sweet onions, this white chicken chili is flavored with garlic, cumin, and oregano, while jalapenos give it a nice "kick". Set out bowls of chopped green onions, shredded cheese, and sliced jalapenos as garnishes. www.sweetonionsource.com

Ingredients:

1		16-ounce package great Northern beans
1		8-ounce package navy beans
2		strips bacon, diced
2		stalks celery, diced
1		large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
5		large cloves garlic, minced
2		jalapeno, seeded and diced
3		cups homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth
2		cups water
2		teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½		teaspoons dried oregano
1 ½		teaspoons coarse salt (adjust salt if using canned chicken broth)
1		bay leaf
¼		teaspoon white pepper
1 ½		tablespoons flour
¼		cup chicken stock or broth
2		cooked chicken breasts, cubed

In a large pot, soak the beans overnight in 2 quarts water, drain, and set aside.

In a large stockpot, sauté the bacon just until it renders its fat. Stir in the celery and onion, and sauté until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno, and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in the chicken stock, water, cumin, oregano, salt, bay leaf, and white pepper.

Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook 1 hour, stirring occasionally, or until the beans are tender. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the cubed chicken. In a small bowl, stir ¼ cup chicken stock into the flour to form a smooth slurry and stir into the chili. Adjust the seasonings and cook 10 minutes more until the chicken is hot and the chili has thickened. Garnish with chopped green onions, jalapeno, and shredded cheese.

Recipe serves 8 to 10.