New Recipe!

When I went to Boise for some training with work, my boss and I went out to eat a lot. One evening, we went to Cheesecake Factory and my boss ordered a White Chicken Chili. It looked really good- basically chili made with chicken and no tomatoes- it was in a creamy white sauce. So, I attempted to make my own version of this dish and Gordon just about went head over heels for it. He especially loved the leftovers for lunch today! Anyways, here is the recipe (approximately) and you all should try it because it was really really good!

1 T oil
2 T butter
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c mushrooms, diced
1/2 - 1 lb diced chicken breast
1/4 c flour
3 chicken boullion cubes
2 1/2 c water
1/2 c milk
1/4 t chili powder
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t cayenne
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/8 t cinnamon
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can white or kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 c frozen corn

Cook onion and garlic in oil and butter until slightly browned. Add cubed chicken pieces and cook thoroughly. Add mushrooms and flour. Cook about 2 minutes to soften onion and cook out raw flour taste. Add in boullion cubes, all spices, and water using a whisk to avoid lumps. Sauce will thicken. Add milk in to desired consistency. Add beans and corn. Serve over rice. Some toppings that we liked include: tortilla chips, lime juice, avocado, fresh tomato, cheddar cheese, cilantro, and sour cream.

I happened to have rice pilaf in the fridge from a previous meal and that seemed to make a big difference in flavor, so here is a quick recipe to flavor rice- Instead of adding water to cold rice on the stove top, melt 1-2 T butter and cook the rice for about 3 minutes. Add in desired amount chicken stock, salt, pepper, and 2 bay leaves. (If your rice package calls for 2 cups of water, just substitute the same amount of chicken stock)

Let me know if you try it out and like it!