Yum Peaceful Cooking: Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili #SundaySupper

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili #SundaySupper


The holidays are approaching fast and if you're budget is anything like mine, things get tight. Or should I say....tighter. Sales, coupons, making meals stretch, all become more focused for the next couple of months. If a meal can be made by only spending a few bucks....and makes enough for lots of leftovers...I'm one happy camper. When said meal tastes wonderfully delicious and is comforting and filling....I'm doing the happy dance. (probably something you don't really want to witness)

A while back I won Erin Chase's cookbook, The $5 Dinner Mom. It's a great cookbook in many ways. The recipes are good, quick and easy to prepare. I don't know if this meal is actually a $5 dinner as prices have gone up since it was published back in 2009. But the key is to purchase on sale, use your coupons and make things from scratch whenever possible. Foods that have been prepared and processed for convenience are pricey, but they lure us in because we all know how busy our lives are. And saving time appeals to us all. Funny thing is....a lot of those processed foods don't really take that much time to make. Especially if you plan accordingly and make it ahead of time.

Making this chili is easy, inexpensive, and doesn't use any processed foods. You're going to have some minor prep work, but trust me...it's simple and worth the few minutes it takes. Not only will you be saving money, but you'll be avoiding a lot of unnecessary ingredients that come with packaged foods.

I did most of the prep work the night before (my time is very limited in the morning and I didn't want to get up any earlier that I had to...5:30am just isn't an option). All I had to do before going to work was toss it all in the slow cooker, turn it on...and bam! Dinner was in the making.

I'm going to be giving you 2 recipes here. One for the chili and one for the homemade basic white sauce. The basic white sauce is one of the major things I made the night before in order to save time in the morning (and it's a big money saver).

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Inspired by The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook by Erin Chase

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cup into bite sized pieces
1/2 onion, chopped
1 recipe for Homemade Basic White Sauce (recipe below)
6 oz green chilies (either canned or fresh) chopped
4 oz jalapenos (either canned or fresh) chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup dried Great Northern beans
2 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cob
1 zucchini, chopped
4 cups chicken broth (or water)
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Avocado and cilantro to garnish (optional)

Note: I used about a pound of veggies. Keep this in mind when swapping with other preferred or less expensive veggies.

Combine all of the ingredients into your slow cooker. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hrs. Garnish if desired and serve.

Homemade Basic White Sauce
4 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the butter until a paste is formed and it bubbles.

Whisk in the milk and continue to whisk until the butter and flour have dissolved. Cook and stir for about 5 or 6 minutes, being sure that nothing sticks to the bottom or sides. The sauce will thicken a bit as it cools.

Tips: If chicken thighs are less expensive than breast...use them. If you find other veggies that you prefer, or are on sale....use them.

For more wonderful budget friendly meals, check out what the rest of the Sunday Supper team has in store for you!

Scrumptious Mains (Breakfast and Dinner)
Satisfying Sides
Sweet Treats
Sips, Spreads, and Snacks
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15 comments:

  1. Yum! I'll have to try this, have been looking for a good white chicken chili.

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  2. First of all, your photo is gorgeous! I want a big bowl of this chili pronto! Secondly, I love the white sauce to the chili. I wonder if using a frozen bag of veggies would be an easy swap for the other veggies? Delicious!

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  3. What a spectacular white chili!!! Love, love the avocado garnish!!! A must try soup :)

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  4. I can understand why you do a happy dance...and you should...IN PUBLIC, too! ;-) Thanks for a delicious AND budget friendly recipe.

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  5. I was just thinking of making a Chicken Chili the other day! Thanks for the new recipe to try!

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  6. Wow that looks good. Love the avos floating on the top!

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  7. What a fabulous soup with an unexpected garnish. Love the heat too!
    Renee - Kudos Kitchen

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  8. $5 or not, it looks delicious and healthy!!

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  9. I love White Bean Chicken Chili - this is definitely a version I will have to try!

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  10. never has white chili before - yummy!

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  11. Your chicken chili sounds like the perfect lunch to me. Definitely budget-friendly and delicious!

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  12. LOVE white chicken chili, I try to make it once every fall/winter season. Yours looks wonderful!

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  13. I can't say I've ever made white chicken chili, but I love yours with the avocado garnish! Thank you for sharing!

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  14. I had never had white chicken chili until about a year ago. Funny thing is that although I absolutely loved it I haven't made it again either. Food blogger problems.. never have the same dish twice! Now I have a reason to have it again though, to try your recipe. : )

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