White “Chicken” Chili

The perfect creamy wonderful white chili with a nice little kick to make whenever you have leftover chicken or turkey on hand! This white “chicken” (or turkey!) chili uses white beans, lentils, cashews AND cream cheese to make it extra creamy along with sweet and spicy peppers, sweet corn, onions and garlic for an irresistible white chili you will absolutely love.

This COVID Thanksgiving it was just me and my two (grown) kids at home. My extended family decided that, to keep us and our family members safe, we should each do our own Thanksgiving at home. To make it special for just the 3 of us, I wanted to make some of the traditional fare, like turkey. My kids eat chicken a LOT, so cooking up a chicken didn’t seem special enough … it needed to be a TURKEY. Turkeys are big. Much too big for three people to eat in a sitting (or even two), even if you get a small one. I debated whether I should just get a turkey breast, but after looking at prices, the practical side of me took over and told me to just get the turkey. I could get a whole turkey for less than what a turkey breast would cost … and that would leave me with fun leftovers to play with! (Am I the only one who rejoices when there is leftover turkey? I hope some of you at least join me in this simple pleasure/culinary challenge.)

I saw a white chicken chili recipe from one of my foodie friends (I’m kicking myself because I can’t recall WHO it was) … and immediately KNEW this was the first thing I needed to make with my leftover turkey. Of course, you can use leftover chicken in the same way.

If you want to make your own broth: the day after you cook up your turkey or chicken (or whatever bird you cooked), simply remove most of the meat from the bones and toss the carcass and bones in a pot with enough water to cover and whatever flavor enhancers you desire. Some people toss in onions, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, extra herbs or seasonings. I had plenty of that in my first cooking, so I just used water with a bay leaf and a teaspoon of Chicken Better than Bouillon tossed in to make my broth. You can also use purchased broth if you don’t want to make your own, but I always figure it’s better to make use of those bones when you’ve got them.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour. Let cool enough, then strain out extra ingredients and pick any extra meat off the bones that you find before discarding.

Once you’ve got the broth, making the chili is super simple. Soak your cashews in some of the broth, do a quick saute of the onions, garlic and peppers, then add in the beans and broth along with the corn and seasonings and let cook until the lentils are soft, then blend some of the broth mixture along with the cream cheese and soaked cashews. Pour the blended mixture back in, stir in the chopped turkey or chicken and adjust the seasonings and heat to your own liking and tada! You’ve got a beautiful pot of white chicken chili.

I’ve got to say: I really really love this chili and it’s such a great way to repurpose leftovers in a delightfully different twist from the every day options. I will definitely return to this recipe again. It’s so creamy and delicious, yet also heart healthy, high protein, high fiber, gluten free and diabetic-friendly.

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