The Other Meat - Slow Cooker White Chili

I have to be honest... I've never thought about making white chili.  As a food lover, I have subscribed to numerous food magazines and emails.  It helps to revive creativity and brainstorm new recipe ideas.

An email from AllRecipes.com highlighted a fantastic White Chili recipe.  I thought it would be great for our food budget and a 4-day meal plan.  So I researched different white chili recipes and here is what I came up with...

Mara's Slow Cooker White Chili

Meat

- 1/2 lb of ground pork

- 1/2 lb of lean ground beef (You may substitute with 2 chicken breasts or ground chicken)

Liquid

- 3 cups of chicken stock

- 3 cups of beef stock (you may substitute with vegetable stock... but this does give great flavor)

- 2 cups of water

Thickening

- 2 cans of Pinto Beans

- 2 cans of Northern Beans

- 1/2 cup flour

- 1/4 cup corn starch

Vegetables

- 2 bell peppers, roughly chopped (any color of your choosing... I suggest going for a color variety)

- 1/2 medium red onion, chopped

- 3 to 4 stalks of celery, chopped

- 1 clove garlic, minced

Spices/Seasoning

- 1 TBSP dried oregano

- 1 TBSP ground cumin

- 1/2 TBSP chili powder

- 1/2 TBSP chili 3000 from Penzey's (try smoked paprika as a substitute)

- 1/3 TBSP dried tarragon

- 1/3 TBSP dried or fresh rosemary

- 1/4 TBSP freshly grated nutmeg

- Crushed red pepper (Optional: Season to taste)

- Salt and pepper to taste

Optional side

- 1 or 2 cups white rice

Phew!!  I know this seems like a lot of ingredients but putting them all together is relatively quick and easy.  Just combine and let the slow cooker do the rest!

Directions
Add the beef stock, chicken stock and water to the slow cooker. Heat on high for 10 minutes.  When the liquids become warmer, begin browning the meat.

Brown the meat in a skillet.  Season with salt and pepper.  When the meat is brown, add the flour and corn starch.  The stock and water should be hot, but not boiling, by this point.  Combine the meat with the hot liquid and continue stirring. 

Gradually begin to add the vegetables - onions, peppers, celery and garlic.  Continue stirring.  Add the seasoning little by little.  Be sure to taste the chili - you can always add more seasoning but you cannot take it away. 

When all ingredients have been combined, set the slow cooker to low and walk away.  Stir occasionally for 2 hours.  Turn to warm when it becomes thick.  While the chili is on warm, boil 1 cup of rice with 2 cups of water.  Fluff with a fork and set aside.

Add the rice to the bottom of a bowl and ladle chili on top.  The best topping for this particular chili is Asiago cheese and red onion.  You can also try Colby Jack and chives. 

For those of you outside of Wisconsin, we like to mix our chili with a form of starch.  Regular red chili is typically combined with pasta here.  We wanted to change it up and try rice instead.  It is a very pleasing combination.

I made the white chili on a Saturday afternoon and it fed 2 of us for 4 more days.  Although it's a slow-cooked meal... a slow-cooker is not needed.  This can also be cooked in a large pot on low heat for the same amount of time.  Perfect for cooking on weekends!

We hope that you enjoy this as much as we did.  Have a great week!


We could all use a hint of more time!
Copyright 2011 A Hint of Thyme.  All rights reserved.

Flavors Define Our Seasons - Chili

Our food can often define our seasons. When you smell a certain smell.. it can revive memories. When you taste a certain taste.. it can bring a feeling of comfort and love. And for me.. a nice big bowl of chili pairs perfectly with the fall season. Chili in the food dictionary should be right between Mango Salsa and Cranberry Turkey.

As a new wife, I haven't had the opportunity to make chili for my groom very often - just a couple times before we were married. But with the help of my Mom's cooking tips and random strangers in the grocery store.. I'd like to think that I pulled it off rather nicely. :)

Chili is one of those dishes that can be made in many different ways. Some people prefer it really spicy and some people prefer it without spice. Some eat it with noodles and some do not. It can be smooth or it can have texture. Since my husband does not enjoy spicy food, I always plan my recipes with the intent of being able to add more spice to my portion later on.

Mara's Turkey Chili
- 1 lb of ground meat (I used a mixture of lean beef and turkey.. I like the flavor and it's less fat than ALL beef)
- 15 oz can of kidney beans (drained)
- 15 oz can of chili beans (spicy or not)
- 28 oz can of chopped Italian tomato (any kind will do though.. I was going for smaller bites of tomato)
- 12 oz of tomato soup (as recommended by the nice lady in Aisle 3)
- 1 medium size chopped sweet onion
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 2 tsp of ground cumin
- 2 tbsp of medium chili powder
- 2 tbsp of Smoked Paprika
- 2 tsp of ground cinnamon (Mom says it will give it that "hmm" factor)
- 2 tsp of Chipotle Chili powder (Optional)
- 1 tbsp of Penzey's Arizona Dreaming spice (Optional: I haven't tried it yet but, I heard it's great for spicing it up)
- 1 box of Small Elbow Pasta (or whatever you might have in the pantry)
- Toppings: Scallions, Chedder or Colby Shredded Cheese, Sour Cream

Start by browning the meat in a skillet. When finished.. combine all the ingredients (other than the pasta or toppings) in no particular order into a large pot. Bring to a low simmer, reduce heat to medium low and cover. Stir occasionally. Cook for 45 minutes. Serve over noodles with something to dip in it (Pillsbury Grand Biscuits).

Before simmering for 45 minutes

After simmering for 45 minutes

My portion with toppings and a biscuit!



We could all use a hint of more time!
Copyright 2011 A Hint of Thyme.  All rights reserved.