How to Make: White Bean Chicken Chili
Okay, I admit it, Paula Deen is one of my favorite guilty pleasures. Everytime I watch her show, I feel my cholesterol level going up. I seldom make anything that Paula cooks but a recent episode caught my eye and I decided to take a step outside of my chili making comfort zone and go with a White Bean Chili. One thing to note is that on the show they used diced jalapeno peppers (as did I) but the recipe on FoodTV (seen below) called for green chiles.
White Bean Chili
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen1 pound dried navy beans
5 cups chicken stock
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3/4 cup diced onion
1 1/2 cups chopped green chiles (fresh or canned)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 to 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, choppedRinse beans well, cover with cool water, and soak for 2 hours. Drain. Place beans in large pot with chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. In a saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and chiles and saute for 5 minutes. Add chile mixture to pot with beans. Add chicken, cumin, oregano, pepper, white pepper, red pepper flakes, and cilantro. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Serve with cornbread, if desired.
This is a simple recipe that takes sometime to prepare, but start the beans in the AM and by early afternoon you’ll be ready to dig in. I prepared all the jalapenos, onions and chicken while the beans were soaking so it made assembly a breeze.

Diced Grilled Chicken

Saute the jalapenos, garlic and onions with butter.

Combine beans, chicken, peppers, onions and garlic

Looks better after adding the cilantro and seasonings

After simmering for 2 hours

Naked chili – ready to eat

All dressed up
Looks good Nick. I know what you mean though, I onky use a recipe as the base for a dish. I always change it to my tastes and likes.
Looks really good Nick, kinda unusual for a Paula Deen recipe to be somewhat healthy for you.
Great Job Cooking That!! Emeril has nothing over you! Bam Bam.. lol
I am not a bean person but I would have had that chicken and then the fried jalapeno’s, onions, and garlic over chicken with rice!!
This chili looks great, its just asking to be kicked up though!
Lately I been putting Blairs Death Rain Nitro with Jim’s Red Savina Flakes into my soup and it is great.. The flavor is really superb!
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Me too, I love Jims Red Savina Powder,(i ussually kick a bag of chips up with it) anyway, that is some dangerous stuff because 2/3 times that I use that stuff, it ends up in my nose, I breathe it in or something. Sneezing fits ensue.
Damn that looks so good.
It needs salt and maybe a dash of vinegar?
Nick,
I met Paula Dean last Sunday at the International Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. She was there promoting here line of food products. She’s a really nice lady and every bit as sweet as she is on TV. And speaking of the Fancy Food Show. If anyone has the opportunity to attend this thing, it’s well worth the $35 it costs to get in. The spring show is in Chicago and the summer show is in New York. There were over 1100 venders in over 550,000 sf of space tasting everything you can imaging. It is the ultimate grazing experience — like Costco on Barry Bond’s steroids. Disapointingly though, there were not very many hot sauce companies there. Some who were there that I can remember were Dave’s Gourmet, Walkerswood, Arizona Pepper Products, Bone Suckin Sauce, the guys who make that Gringo Bandito stuff (it does taste like a rip off of Taco Bell Fire sauce) and a handful of others whom I can’t remember because their products aparently were not worth remembering. Anyway, if you live in the Chicago or NY areas, check out this show.
Problem is Gary, those shows cost more for a weekend then most of us hot sauce manufacturers make in a year! They are incredibly expensive to be at. Last I heard, going price for *just* the booth was $3,500. And, mind you, you’re trying to make that up on wholesale trade at those shows. That’s about a bazillion bottles of sauce to sell 😉
And that is the truth!!!!!!!!
Ya know, The Food Network has soured me to online cheffin’. As with many others, I’m not a unique one here. And their portrayal of Paula never did entice me.
However, when they offered up her Story, her backgrouind and history, I sat down and gave her my time to see. I still don’t watch her show, but she well deserves her fame and money and her recipes are solid.
I think I’ll give this one a try and let you know when it hits MH, I flat out love white beans.
Biggles
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We go to the Fancy Foods show in Manhatten every year, and there really aren’t any hot sauce booths. With the money you’d be spending for just the booth (not including tables, electric, garbage removal, etc, etc, etc), you’re MUCH better off doing actual hot sauce shows.
Granted for $35 where else can you eat gourmet foods, as much as you want, from 100’s of countries in Manhatten?
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Yah Jim, I checked into it myself and agree that it’s expensive, but great exposure. I wasn’t suggesting to booth at the the show, just commenting on how few hot sauce companies there were. My main point was regarding the inexpensive $35 entry fee and the incredible amount of products to try.
I think your recipe is lacking Chi Chi Salsa and Picanti Sauce. I have a similar White Bean recipe that only takes about 1/2 hour to make, minus the simmering. Every ingredient from my recipe is precooked. You just open the can/jar and miss altogether.
2-3 cans of chunk white chicken
2 jars Chi Chi Salsa (hot or mild)
1 jar of Picanti Sauce
1 large can of chicken broth
1 can Pinto Beans
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 chopped onion
1 can of chilies (optional)
salt, pepper, oregano to taste
mix everything in a pot, heat and serve with shredded cheese and crunched up tortilla chips on top.
Delicious!
Angie
This recipe is excellent, we had a chili cook-off at my job and I won 1st place b/c of it! This is actually my first time making chili and I’m proud of the results. Thanks Paula Dean and I’ll stay tuned for more fabulous dishes.
I have made white chili before but always used the great northern beans, they have a totally different flavor than pinto’s or navy.