Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

It has been about two months now, and my family's plan to eat more meals at home is going well.  I mentioned a few weeks ago that we decided to try and simplify the process of cooking at home (due to the limited lime both of us have trying to care for our ten-month old son) by using our slow cooker more.  It has been a real time saver in the kitchen, since we have been prepping about two weeks worth of meals at once, freezing them in Ziploc bags, and just plopping the contents of a bag into the slow cooker in the morning.  As an added benefit, most of the meals have been quite good, far better than anything that could be made in the microwave.  Though it wasn't exactly a freezer bag meal, the French dip with horseradish and au jus I wrote about a couple weeks ago was fantastic and I recommend you try that recipe as well.

White Chicken Chili

This white chicken chili recipe has become somewhat of a staple in our house, as it is not only very easy to make, but is quite delicious fresh and reheated.  It is especially good now that the weather is getting cold, and makes for a warm, hearty meal.  The original recipe we used calls for chicken tenders, though we used chicken breasts because they are cheaper.  It also calls for a side of warm cornbread, which we did once (delicious), but it is certainly not a necessity.  If you do have the chili with cornbread, be sure to butter it, because as I inexplicably only learned a few months ago, cornbread is so much better with butter.  I am sure those living in the south are laughing  at my ignorance right about now, but some of us are more sheltered and missed the lesson on buttering cornbread.  Maybe it is just me.  I would also suggest shredding some cheddar or other cheese to put on top before serving.

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken breast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 1 can chopped green chilis (drained)
• 2 cans white beans (drained)
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups chicken stock (do not add to freezer bag)

Instructions

• Add all ingredients except the chicken stock to a freezer bag and put bag in freezer until ready to cook
• Remove bag from freezer a couple hours before cooking (so food will dislodge from bag)
• Turn slow cooker onto low, add chicken stock, cook for 4-6 hours
• shred chicken and mix well
• serve in bowl.  Shredded cheese is optional, along with cornbread
• Enjoy in front of a warm fire