Canning White Chili

Sometimes, you will try something new and kick yourself for not trying it sooner. At my son's birthday party, I served white chili as an alternative to those who don't like traditional chili. It was a big hit and ran out before anything else. That morning, I stripped down a chicken I had roasted earlier in the week and tossed in the slow cooker with the following: 2qts chicken broth, 2 cans of cannelli beans, rinsed, 2 cans green chilis, one chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic, salt, cumin, and a pinch of cayenne. I also provided chopped cilantro as a garnish. It was seriously delicious!

I thought this would be a great item to have stored in the pantry. After looking at similar recipes online, I set out on my own. This is super simple and requires no cooking.

1. Soak 2 pounds white beans (I used Great Northern) for 6 hours or overnight.
2. Heat 3 quarts of chicken broth. Add 1 Tbs canning salt, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chili or cayenne powder.
3. Dice 3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken. Thighs are my favorite. You can use raw or cooked, or sear chunks before canning. It will cook the rest of the way during processing.
4. Dice 2 medium yellow onions.
5. Divide ingredients evenly in clean jars, including 2 cans of diced green chilis and 2 cans salsa verde. (These are in the Mexican/Hispanic food section at just about every grocery store.) Top off with broth, adding water if necessary.
6. Process at 11 pounds of pressure for 90 minutes.

My batch produced 7 quarts. I did most of these in pints so that we had single servings for lunches. I love adding a bit of shredded cheese and corn chips. You could add some more veggies to this recipe, such as corn, tomatoes, or different peppers (anything will do...bell, pablano, jalepeno, etc.)
You could easily swap out turkey or chorizo, or skip the meat altogether.