White Bean Chicken Chili

I remember the very first time I had White Bean Chicken Chili.  My husband and I had gone out for lunch to Brueggers Bagels.  The soup of the day was White Bean Chicken Chili.  My husband said, "that sounds good and I think I will try it."  He did and of course I had to steal a taste.  Guess what, I liked it.  So I found a recipe by McCormick Seasonings that we tried and have tweaked.  

Recently, I was looking on Allrecipes and came across Chef John and I decided to give this recipe a try. Wow, the ancho chili powder and chipotle pepper powder gives it some great flavor and a bit of a kick.  I am convinced this will be my go to White Bean Chicken Chili recipe for now on... Thanks Chef John!!!

White Bean Chicken Chili

Ingredients

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 large onion, diced

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon fine cornmeal

2 cups chicken broth, divided

2 (15 ounce) cans white beans, drained

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, flip breasts, cover the pan, and cook until browned on the other side, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate and allow to cool before chopping into cubes.

2. Return skillet to medium heat, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, onion, salt, and black pepper. Cook and stir until onion turns translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Stir ancho chili powder, cumin, flour, chipotle pepper powder, and oregano into the onion mixture; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth and stir, scraping up any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in cornmeal and bring to a simmer.

4. Stir in beans and 1 more cup chicken broth. Cut cooled chicken breasts into cubes, add to the chili and bring to a simmer. Add remaining cup of chicken broth, season with salt, black pepper, sugar, and cayenne pepper to taste; cook until heated through. Serve garnished with green onions, sour cream, and cilantro.