Just got back from Michigan and I had to share this new recipe. Everyone raved about it after I served it for a casual dinner party:

3 limes (including zest)
1/2 cup tequila
Red pepper flakes
1 lb great northern beans (3 16-oz cans will work ok if you don't want to use dry beans)
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
2 large onions chopped (I used 2-very large Vidalia/sweet onions)
5 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 (4 oz) cans of green chilies
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper divided
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
(2 tablespoons corn starch – OPTIONAL)
6 cups defatted chicken stock (canned will work all right)
3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
Chopped fresh green onions

If using dry beans, pick over the beans and rinse them. Cover beans with water by at least 3 inches and soak the beans for 24 hours. Change the water 1 time about 12 hours after the soaking process starts. (I used jarred Great Northern Beans)

Remove fat and tendons from the chicken and place the chicken breast in a container that can be covered. Zest 1 of the limes and sprinkle the lime zest over the chicken breast. Using a lemon reamer, juice all 3 limes and pour the juice over the chicken breast. Pour the tequila over the chicken and add 1 teaspoon cumin and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Sprinkle red pepper flakes over the chicken and marinate for 3 hours. (I cubed the chicken before marinating and used zest from all three limes)

Heat olive oil in stock pot and add onion and sauté for about 10 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic, green chilies, cumin, cayenne pepper, and cloves and sauté for 10 minutes.

Add beans and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are tender, about 2 hours. (If using canned beans, complete step 5 below and then add the cooked chicken and reduce simmering time.)

Heat grill after the chili has simmered for about 2 hours. Grill the chicken breast for 5 minutes and pour remaining marinade over the chicken breast on the grill. Turn the chicken breast and grill the second side for 4 minutes. Remove the chicken breast from the grill and cut into small cubes. (I just put the chicken in a hot, non-stick frying pan and sautéed just until chicken was no longer pink)

Add the cubed chicken and 1 cup of cheese to the chili and stir until the cheese melts.

(To make chili a little thicker and zestier, I saved the marinade from the chicken and put it in the frying pan after I was done cooking the chicken. I put two tablespoons of corn starch in with the marinade, mixed with a bit of water first, and made a paste with the marinade over low heat. I then incorporated this in with the chili in the stock pot)

Ladle into bowls and serve with remaining cheese, chopped green onions, and sour cream. Salt to taste.

Whys it got to be WHITE CHILI? I smell predujicessss..........

Thanks GER. I was just looking for a chili recipe with chicken. I'm trying to cook healthy and avoid restaurants. Not really my idea. I'll be making it this week end.

Hope you enjoy it...it was one of the best I've ever made...it won some sort of 'manly-man' chili cook off in Michigan. Let me know what you think about it after you make it.

GER...I may have missed it, but how many does this serve????

m2c - When I made it, I increased everything by a 1/4 or so and it served about 12...I'd say the normal recipe would probably serve 10

Also, remember that this is not thick like traditional chili with ground meat...even after I introduced my thickener, it was still on the soupy side...don't worry, it is still delicious!

I decided to make the chili today. I let the chicken marinate overnight. Ihope that's not a problem. I think I might like this cooking thing. Of course the new kitchen helps. I put the laptop on the counter to read the recipe. So much easier than a book. I'lllet you know how it turns out.

Cool, can't wait to hear what your impressions are. Make sure you make some good cast iron skillet cornbread to go with it!!!

Your recipe sounds delish...however its steps do seem a bit time consuming for say, a time crunched week-day dinner and I'd like to offer a faster alternative. This white chili, which can be made with either turkey or chicken (leftovers are fine), is fantastic. The recipe originally came from "Cooking Light" so if you're into the January tradition of being more careful about what you're eating, it really fits the bill, although by no means does it taste "light".

White Chili

1 Tbs stick margarine or butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cups chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1 Tbs minced, seeded jalapeno pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken (about 15 ounces)
2 (19 ounce) cans cannellini beans or other white beans, drained and divided
2 (16 ounce) cans fat-free chicken broth
1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
1 1/2 tsps ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tst salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Melt the margarine in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 4 ingredients (onion through garlic), and saute for 5 minutes. Add meat, 1 1/2 cups of the beans, broth, and next 6 ingredients (broth through black pepper), and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Mash remaining beans. Add mashed beans and milk to the turkey/chicken mixture. Simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until mixture is thick, stirring frequently. Stir in chopped cilantro. Yield: approximately 11 1-cup servings.

Agnes...looks like a great (and less time consuming) recipe. I'm a big fan of Cooking Light...been a subscriber for years, but never tried this recipe.

The best part of my recipe is definitely the marinade in the Tequila and the lime. I also like spicy chili, so Cayenne would be my choice over chili powder.

GER, the chili turned out great. I made it in the crock pot on low for 6 hours. I agree the marinade was a big part of it. I added the cornstarch as you suggested. I managed to save a few cups of the liquid. I put a little more cayenne at the end. It was a great recipe. Thanks

M -

GREAT! Glad it worked out for you. I, too, ended up simmering the chili in a crockpot and also added more cayenne when I made it...funny! Hopefully you didn't mess up that nice new kitchen of yours too badly. ;-)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GlenEllynRing,

GER, You ended up where ? Those must be some parties at your house.

GER, the recipe was not as much work as the directions looked. I was done with the prep work and in the crock pot within 40 minutes.

quote:

GER, You ended up where ? Eek Those must be some parties at your house. Wink

Did I mention that I had a lampshade on my head while I was simmering in the crockpot? Talk about getting crocked!

Too funny Arten...thought it would have been fish that caught that one. My GBW English teachers would be so darn proud!

quote:

Originally posted by Arten:
GER, You ended up where ? Those must be some parties at your house.

Arten, you fool, next time you need to quote the error so the poster can't go back and fix it. I MISSED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, please repeat it so I can enjoy it too!

Delete [the chili] from the first line you mean spirited Shark.

Thank you. That was humorous. My day is now complete.

quote:

Originally posted by Fish:
Thank you. That was humorous. My day is now complete.

You are welcome. Now let me get back to see if Clam has been captured yet.