Hi Readers! This is Nicole, Summer's little big sister back in Southeastern Mass. Summer is going to let me guest blog today and share a meal I made with our slow cooker. Hope you enjoy.

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Today I made a very yummy, soul pleasing, slow cooked white bean and chicken chili. The slow cooker is one of the greatest kitchen gadgets I own, second only to my expresso machine. (Yes, I own an espresso machine.)

This recipe is quick and easy. It only takes about fifteen minutes to prepare and it simmers away in the slow cooker all day while you’re at work or school. When you walk in the door exhausted and hungry, the house smells delicious, and dinner is ready and waiting for you.

To make this chili, you’ll need:



2 cans of white cannellini beans
1 can of corn
1 can of green chilis
32 oz (4 cups) chicken stock (The carton is usually 32 oz so use the whole thing)
boneless chicken breasts (I used three.)
half a yellow onion
a couple of garlic cloves

For spices, you’ll need:



1/8 tsp Ground Coriander Seed
A pinch of salt
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp White Pepper
1 tsp Oregano

You’ll also need olive oil to saute the onion and garlic, and cook the chicken. After the chili cooks all day, I added 1/4 cup of heavy cream and some flour to thicken it up.

So, to get started, you need to put about a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and warm it up on medium heat. While the oil heats, chop up the onion into very small pieces with a butchers knife. Very. Small. Pieces. When you think you’re done chopping, chop some more.



The oil should be nice and hot by now, so put the garlic in a garlic crusher and crush it into the pan. If you’re Italian like Summer and I, use four or five cloves. If you have an Irish stomach like Summer’s man, stick to two or three. Push the garlic around with a spatula and let it sizzle away for about a minute. Don’t let it turn brown. Add in the chopped onion, and also the coriander, cumin, and oregano.



Continue turning the mixture with the spatula until the onions start to look translucent. This smells amazing...



Amazing.

Once the onion mixture is done, scape it into the slow cooker. If you’re using a cast iron skillet like I am, get someone with upper body strength to help you. Put the skillet back on the burner, add a little more olive oil, and place your chicken breasts into the skillet. Still on medium heat, cook them just until the outside of the chicken is nice and white, then place the chicken into the slow cooker right on top of your onion mixture. The chicken will finish cooking through when you turn it on.



Drain and rinse the cannellini beans and toss em’ on top of the chicken and onions. Add the corn and the green chilis.



Pour the chicken stock in. I also wound up adding 1/2 cup of white wine. Try not to sample the wine and stick to your morning cup of coffee.



Now you’re ready to turn the cooker on and go about your day!



I let this simmer on low for about 8 hours. When I got back from school, (after I savored the aroma and finally poured myself a glass of that white wine) I removed the chicken breasts from the cooker and shredded them with a fork. I put the shredded chicken back into the cooker, added 1/4 cup of heavy cream and a sprinkle of Wondra flour to thicken it up, (just add little bits of flour at a time until you're satisfied with the thickness) and tossed in a pinch of salt and about 1/2 tsp of white pepper. I left the lid off of the cooker and set the heat up to high for about 45 minutes and let it simmer away.

I forgot to take a picture until after we ate about half of it, but here it is:



Not the prettiest dish you’ll ever see, but with chili it’s all about the flavor. This was spicy and warm and a nice variation on the usual red bean/red meat chili. Try it with some fresh cornbread and I think you’ll agree.