White Chicken Chili & Swedish Cornbread

Hi! I'm Kelly and I'm part of the women's group at Christ the King.   I'm a busy mom with a four year old and two year old in the house, which mean almost everything we make is kid friendly.  On top of challenge of cooking for kids, my husband and I are both picky eaters.  I won't bore you with the details, but cooking can be an adventure when one of us doesn't eat fruit (him) and the other doesn't care for vegetables (me).  As a cook, I'm not a huge recipe follower.  If I don't like something, I omit it.  If I have more or less of something the recipe calls for, I go with it.  I cook by how the food smells and looks, not only by the measurements on the recipe.


It is thirty degrees and snowing here.  A day that makes me want to curl up under a blanket with a book all day and only come out for a hot bowl of soup at dinner time.  Here is what I wish were cooking at our house tonight:

Lewis and Clarks Famous White Chili

Serves 6-8*

 Ingredients:
3 lbs cooked Great Northern Beans (canned or bottled)
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 Tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves *

2 medium white onions*, finely chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp ground oregano

2   4 oz cans chopped mild green chilies*

4 cups chicken stock or canned broth

20 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, grated

Place chicken in large sauce pan.  Add cold water to cover and bring to simmer.  Cook until tender, approx. 15-20 minutes.  Remove from sauce pan and shred into bite sized pieces.  Discard water and heat oil in the same pan over medium heat.  Add onions until translucent.  Stir in garlic, chilies, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano and cloves.  Saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add chicken, beans, stock and 12 oz cheese.  Let simmer for 15 minutes or longer.  Ladle into large bowls and top with cheese.  Serve with sour cream, tortilla chips, Swedish corn bread and chopped jalapeno peppers.* 

*NOTES*

I got this recipe from a coworker several years ago.  I don't have any idea where she got it - but it isn't of my own creation.

One time, I came in first in a chili cook off with this recipe.  

I almost always double or triple this recipe because it heats up well in the microwave and everyone in the family will eat it without complaining.  Word to the wise, if you are tripling the recipe you're going to need a BIG pan (a lesson I keep learning over and over again).

I like garlic.  So, I put more in.

I don't really like onion, so I usually use one medium or half of a large onion.

I sometimes skip the green chilies altogether.  If I use them, I only put one can in. I don't ever use the jalapenos.

SWEDISH CORNBREAD

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Butter 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish.

1 1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

3 Large Eggs

2 Cups Water

2 Cups Yellow Cornmeal

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 Tbsp. Baking Powder

1 Tsp. Salt

Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until blended.  Add eggs and beat until well blended.  Beat in 2 cups water and cornmeal.  Sift flour, baking powder and salt into small bowl.  Add to cornmeal mixture; stir just until blended.  Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake until bread is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.  Transfer dish to rack and cool corn bread slightly.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.  Cool bread completely.  Cover with foil and store at room temperature.)  

Recipe can be baked in two smaller size pans for easier serving.  Bread freezes well for future use.

*NOTES*

I got this recipe from another member of the Christ the King women's group, Judy Bartels.  She is a WONDERFUL cook!

We like to cook these up as mini muffins because it is easier for the kids to eat with less mess.