White Chicken Chili for 2

Cooking isn't something I ever really loved until about a year ago. Now I can't wait to try a new recipe, especially now that I'm married to a man who will eat almost anything. On Tuesday I attempted my first White Chicken Chili. 

It was DELICIOUS. 

Even though the recipe is a "meal for two," there was enough extra for my husband and I to enjoy leftovers for lunch the next day. This recipe comes from The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook from America's Test Kitchen. You can find my version of it below!

Ingredients:

• 1 15-oz can white or yellow hominy (I used white.)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or other cooking oil)
• 2 poblano chile peppers (Poblanos have a richer, earthier flavor than bell peppers, but you could easily substitute green bell peppers in this recipe.)
• 1 small onion (I used a yellow onion, but in the future I'll probably use a purple onion for added color.)
• 2 garlic cloves 
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (I used one large chicken breast, and it was more than enough.)
• 1/2 cup jarred tomatillo salsa (salsa verde)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• Salt and pepper

Process:

1. Open and rinse the hominy. (I usually use a mesh strainer when I'm rinsing canned beans and wait until the water runs clear.)
2. Rinse, stem, seed, and chop the poblano peppers into small chunks. (If you want a little more spice in your chili, you can use some of the Poblano seeds instead of throwing them all out).  
3. Peel and finely chop the onion. 
4. Peel and mince garlic. (If you don't like mincing garlic and don't have a garlic press, you can buy minced garlic in a jar--I use about 1 Tbsp. to replace each clove)
5. Trim chicken breast and season with salt and pepper. (If you're using 1 really large chicken breast like I did, you may want to cut it in half. The chicken breast I used was too large for my saucepan in 1 chunk, and it was much easier to work with 2 smaller pieces).
6. Process 1 cup hominy (not the whole can) and 1/2 cup chicken broth in blender until smooth, about 10 seconds. (This seemed like an odd step when I was cooking, but it adds more thickness to the chili so it doesn't come out too soupy.)
7. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add poblanos, onion, garlic, cumin, and coriander. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened and spices are fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
8. Slowly whisk in remaining 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. (Do this slowly, like you would when adding liquid to flour for a gravy. You're not actually making a gravy, but you should take the same care. I added 1/2 cup or so at a time and stirred for about 20 seconds before adding more). Stir in pureed hominy mixture and remaining whole hominy. Add seasoned chicken to chili mixture, and bring to a simmer. 
9. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken registers 160 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes, flipping chicken half-way through cooking. (If you don't have a digital instant-read meat thermometer, it's well worth the investment. Gone are the days when I have to cut open a piece of meat to know when it's done. I just stick my thermometer in and get an instant read). 
10. Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces using 2 forks.
11. Return chili to simmer, stir in shredded chicken and tomatillo salsa, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

My husband and I added a scoop of sour cream to our bowls for an even creamier chili. In lieu of crackers, we dipped flour tortillas in the chili. You could also easily use tortilla chips if you're looking for an extra crunch.

This recipe is, without a doubt, going to become a regular in our home. DEFINITELY worth trying!