Creamy Chicken Chili w/ Heirloom Posole & Yellow Eye Beans

Creamy Chicken Chili!

Here’s another super simple recipe that allows you to get dinner on the table when everything around you, your schedule, your list of to-do’s and even your pantry are trying to convince you otherwise.

Oh – and these flavors will knock your socks off (thanks to 3 unexpected and a short list of essential seasonings).Let’s start off by talking about the first 4 ingredients that inspired this meal ::

• heirloom Yellow Eye beans and red posole from Rancho Gordo (a souvenir from my Napa trip)
• a jar of salsa verde
• a can of pale ale

For those of you not familiar with posole, it’s dried hulled corn (hominy) and is the backbone of Mexican soups and stews. It really adds an awesome flavor and texture to a slow-cooked meal. Thanks to the red color of this posole, my chili turned an amazing deep, dark chocolate brown color.

If you don’t have yellow eye beans or red posole, navy beans and dried hominy will perfectly substitute.

Chili Ingredients ::

In a large dutch oven, combine the following:

• ½ pound yellow eye beans
• ½ pound dried posole
• ½ yellow onion, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 3 T fired roasted, chopped green chiles
• 16 oz salsa verde
• 3 T tamari

That’s right – I said tamari.

Tamari is a close cousin to soy sauce – but I think it has a richer, more robust flavor ((if you don’t have tamari, sub soy sauce).

Okay – why tamari? It adds a savory, background flavor that both helps to develop the other flavors in this chili and adds a depth of flavor – helping to hit that 5th basic taste, umami (aka savory).

Into the pot next:

• 1 stalk of chopped celery
• 3 T BBQ sauce (adds a hint of smoky sweetness)
• 8-10 fingerling potatoes

• chopped cilantro
• beer
• chicken boullion
• cornstarch 

Now for the chili spices & seasonings…

• 3 T green chili powder
• 2 T cumin
• 2 T Mexican oregano
• 1 t salt
• 1 t black pepper

Top it off with water (approximately 8 cups depending on the size of your pot) and place in a 350° oven for 6-7 hours.

Folks it took me longer to type this out than it actually did to assemble this pot of ingredients. In under 15 minutes this beast was in the oven and I was on to my list of to-do’s — feeling all kinds good about the fact that the “what to-do for dinner” question could be checked off the list.

Once cooking time is complete, add chopped rotisserie chicken and 1-2 c heavy cream (the cream is optional but wow is it yummy!).

Taste and add additional s & p as needed.

Stir to combine and return to the oven for 30 minutes to heat through and allow flavors to fully combine.

Top with a little fresh pico – 

a sprinkle of jack cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

This hearty chili is flavor-packed, slightly spicy thanks to the salsa verde and mild green chili powder and has layers of flavor that makes this taste like it came out of a 5 star kitchen.

All thanks to my secret ingredients (tamari, BBQ, a good quality pale ale and some fresh spices straight from New Mexico). The hominy and beans combine to make a super satisfying bowl of down home comfort food. All ready for your dinner table on even the busiest of days! Whoever said fast, home cooked, comfort food wasn’t possible never tried my no-peek cooking! #lifesaver