Monday, October 15, 2007

Comfort in a Bowl (aka: White Chicken Chili recipe)


It seems that in the past month, at least two people are sick at any given time in our house. That's a lot of germs, folks. That's a lot of demands for comfort food, also. To be frank, I'm a little tired of chicken soup, so I've been trying to develop a taste for other comfort foods in my family. This recipe is a sure winner. Everyone loves it, and it's easy to make.

White Chicken Chili
2-3 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (if we've got leftover chicken from a roast, I use that, otherwise I boil 2 boneless breasts and shred it after cooking)
1 bag of great northern beans, soaked and cooked(or 2 big cans of northern beans or other white bean)
1 onion, chopped
1 stick, plus 2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cups milk or half and half
2 cups chicken stock (or 1 can chicken broth)
1 small can green chilies
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt & pepper (to taste)

Condiments: sour cream, monterey jack or sharp cheddar, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro or whatever else you fancy

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot (I use this cast iron dutch oven) over medium-high heat.
2. Add onions, stirring several times to coat with the butter. Allow the onion to cook down until golden, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove onions to a separate plate, and add remaining stick of butter to pot.
4. Once butter is melted, slowly add in flour while constantly whisking (this is making a roux)
5. very slowly whisk in the milk/half and half until the mixture is thick and well blended, then very slowly whisk in the stock
6. add in the onions, chicken, green chilies and spices
7. reduce the heat to med-low and let simmer for 20-30 minutes (or reduce to low and let it simmer for an hour or so)

Serve with condiments and enjoy!

Meal Plan Monday



Last week's meal planning made my life so much easier, so I'm definitely on board again for this week. Here's what I've got planned:

Monday: White Chicken Chili (recipe coming soon)
Tuesday: Veggie Lasagna
Wednesday: dinner at church
Thursday: Breakfast Dinner (eggs, bacon, pancakes and cottage potatoes)
Friday: homemade pizza bar (I make the crust and prep the toppings, then each boy gets to create his own pizza) We do "Family Night" on Fridays, where we all make pizzas together, then either watch a family movie or play board games.
Saturday: Mushroom Risotto
Sunday: Meatballs with Gravy (aka: homemade tomato sauce for you non-Italians, LOL!)

Monday, October 8, 2007

Menu Plan Monday


In the constant effort to simplify my life and get more out of my days, I'm once again going back to a menu plan. I'm confident hopeful that this will drastically reduce the amount of time I spend thinking about dinner.

Monday: French Dip sandwiches, mashed yams and garlicky broccoli
Tuesday: Veggie Tortilla Soup
Wednesday: Dinner at church
Thursday: Spinach stuffed chicken breasts with cider gravy
Friday: homemade veggie pizzas
Saturday: kids to Gigi & Pop-pop's, mama and papa to NY for a wedding (woo-hoo, a night away!!)
Sunday: grilled cheese and homemade veggie minestrone
Sunday: