Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili

 

Well here's the crowning post of a truly amazing Slow-Cooker Week.  Maybe I'm just saying that because it's my blog.  The truth is, for every recipe I posted this week there were two or more I rejected; so these are all really good.

But that said, this one's the best.  

Here's an explanation from Cook's Country on "why this recipe works":

Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs added deeper flavor to our Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili than boneless breasts, especially when we browned them before they went into the cooker. We started with fresh jalapeños to give the chili the extra heat it so desperately needed. Adding pickled jalapeños at the last minute really brought the dish together.

Pureed hominy (dried corn kernels that have been soaked in lye or slaked lime to remove the hull and germ) added body and rich corn flavor to our Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili that tasters loved. To give the chili extra body, we pureed one can of beans with some broth.

What they said.  You will LOVE this chili.  And if you've never used hominy, like I hadn't, it looks like this and is found with the canned vegetables and beans.  You do NOT want to leave it out of this recipe!

 

And while I'm being bossy, also do not fail to garnish with fresh avocado and squeezes of lime - the best!

Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili (print recipe)
(Serves 6 to 8)
3 (16-oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (16-oz.) can white hominy, drained and rinsed
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper
6 to 8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), fat trimmed
1 T vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped fine
4 jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped fine
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 T ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 T drained jarred pickled jalapenos, minced
1 to 2 avacados, diced, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving

BLEND BASE - Puree 1 can beans, hominy, broth, and 3/4 tsp salt in blender until completely smooth.  Pour into slow cooker.

BROWN CHICKEN - Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Cook thighs, skin-side down, until skin is well browned and fat has rendered, about 5 minutes.  Remove and discard skin, then add thighs to slow cooker.

COOK AROMATICS - Pour off all but 2 T fat from skillet.  Cook onions, chiles, and 1/2 tsp salt until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.  Add garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Transfer half of onion mixture to slow cooker; reserve remaining mixture in refrigerator.

FINISH CHILI - Add remaining beans to slow cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW until chicken is tender, about 4 hours.  Transfer chicken to bowl.  When cool enough to handle, discard bones and shred chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Stir cilantro, pickled jalapenos, shredded chicken, and reserved onion mixture into slow cooker and let warm.  Serve topped with diced avocado and a lime wedge for squeezing.

Recipe from Cook's Country, Oct/Nov 2009