Recipes from the Road: White Bean Chicken Chili

From Melissa Crockett
Serves 16

How can you resist a recipe when the first ingredient on the list is “one rotisserie chicken”? Melissa, another Milwaukee cook, is a massage therapist by day, and appears to own a collection of sweet vintage aprons. I didn’t get a decent photo of her cheesey chili – one good for a hearty winter meal – but here’s a cute pic of the cook, center, flanked by her friends Kate and Tyan. Thanks ladies!

Ingredients
1 rotisserie chicken
6 cans White Northern beans
2 medium white onions, chopped
4 tablespoons garlic
8 ounces (2 cans) chopped mild green chilies
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves
1 habenero (wear gloves when chopping!!)
6 cups chicken stock
4 cups grated Monterey Jack Cheese
sour cream
chopped fresh cilantro
fresh lime wedge

Preparation
Remove chicken from bones and shred into chunks. Saute onions and garlic with a little olive oil until translucent. Add chicken, chiles, and spices to taste. Then add beans and stock. Bring pot to a boil, then lower heat to simmer stirring often for … an hour? When chili is done add grated Monterey Jack cheese and stir until it melts.

Ladle into bowls, add toppings of choice, grab a chunk of crusty bread, and enjoy!