White Bean Chicken Chili

To counteract the horrific mid-May temperatures we've been having (seriously...40 degrees and rain on Sunday. I vote NO to Mother Nature's power these days), our menu planning turned to incorporate a little chili. White bean chicken chili, to be precise.

We recently bought the Cook This, Not That cookbook in an attempt to make healthier meals. I'm not going to lie, we have really enjoyed everything we've made from this book. The recipes are simple, uncomplicated, and quite tasty. Speaking of those three things, here is the recipe for the White Bean Chicken Chili from that cookbook. (I add my own tips as well.)

Ingredients:
-1 lb ground chicken
-1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
-2 yellow onions, diced
-4 cloves of garlic, minced
-1 7-oz. can of roasted green chilies
-1 can of white kidney beans (aka great northern beans or cannelini beans, usually 14-16 oz.)
-4 cups of chicken stock
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp dried oregano
-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
(Optional garnishes: diced jalapeno, cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro)

How to:
-Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot (I never measure, just use enough to coat the pan).
-Add the onions and garlic and cook for about three minutes.
-Add both kinds of chicken, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper and chilies. (We actually bought thighs with skin and bone, but my husband was kind enough to cut these all up. If you bought boneless/skinless thighs, this dish would be so much easier. Additionally, I just used two four ounce cans of the green chilies. I couldn't find the 7 ounce cans.) Cook for about eight minutes, or until chicken is mostly cooked.

Looks pretty good already, right?

-Reduce heat to low and add the chicken stock and beans. Simmer for twenty minutes. (Or longer, if you can be patient. We did about 30 minutes, but I feel like this would be a good dish for slow cooker. The longer it sits together, the better it tastes.)
-Garnish with whatever you like. (We added corn chips too for a good little crunch. Also, a squirt of lime juice is DELISH.)

(Recipe says it serves eight, but I'm guessing it's more like four for an entree. We likely will get two dinners out of this.)

Enjoy!