Last night I made a super easy white chicken chili. I literally just threw a package of dried beans and liquids into the crockpot, which took all of 30 seconds, let it cook all day, then dumped in a few other ingredients, which took like 30 more seconds, and dinner was on the table.
This wasn't a meal I made up totally from scratch, but I feel like it fits the goal of things I want to share here that are cheap, easy, and healthy. More than things being a culinary masterpiece of art that feels unattainable, I feel a passion to post meal ideas, and for you to share yours too, that we can all easy make and feel good about. So....
I used Canterbury Naturals Artisan Soups White Chicken Chili mix and was pleasantly surprised—it’s non-GMO, free of artificial ingredients, and really flavorful. It didn't taste cheap or fake, and my husband said he really enjoyed it. I got it at Kroger, but I did a quick Google search and it looks like you could also grab some up at your local Wal-mart or on Amazon, depending on where you live.
The package included slow-cooker instructions, which I mostly followed, but I made some tweaks.
How I Made It:
Swap the liquid ratios. The instructions called for 3 ½ cups of water and 2 ½ cups of chicken stock, but I flipped it—3 ½ cups of chicken stock and 2 ½ cups of water—for extra flavor.
Use pre-cooked shredded chicken. Instead of raw chicken, I used about 3 cups of shredded chicken that I had stashed in the freezer. (I do this often—either from rotisserie chickens or by simmering a whole chicken, which gives me great chicken stock and lots of meat with minimal effort.) You could also use canned chicken in a pinch!
Let the beans cook low and slow. I started by putting the beans from the mix, chicken stock, and water into the crockpot. I set it on low for 6 ½ hours, letting the beans soften effortlessly.
Add in the seasoning and chicken. Once the beans were tender, I stirred in the seasoning packet from the mix, the thawed shredded chicken, and a 4 oz can of green chilies. I let that cook on low for another 30 minutes.
Make it creamy. At the very end, I stirred in ½ cup of whipped cottage cheese for a little extra creaminess and protein (without making it heavy).
Garnish and serve! I ladled the chili into bowls and topped it with shredded Monterey Jack cheese, fresh chopped cilantro, and crunchy tortilla chips for texture.
Why I Loved This Recipe:
✔ Minimal effort (the crockpot does the work!)
✔ Budget-friendly (especially if you use leftover chicken)
✔ Healthy-ish (clean ingredients + added protein)
✔ Super satisfying (warm, creamy, and full of flavor)
Have you ever tried this mix? Or do you have a favorite cheap, easy, healthy white chicken chili recipe? Let me know in the comments!
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