Frugal Recipes: White Bean Chicken Chili

All this cool weather puts me in the mood for chilis, soups and stews! Which is great, because such foods can be major money savers. This recipe cost us ~$4.50 which fed us twice, and I sent some to another couple. So at least 6 hearty servings makes it around $0.75 per serving.

White Bean Chicken Chili

2 chicken breasts

1 chopped onion

3 cloves minced garlic (or 1 1/2 tsp. pre minced garlic)

1/2 red pepper, diced

1 LB dry  Great Northern beans (soaked overnight)

2 cups chicken broth

2 cubes vegetable bouillon

1 can chopped green chilies (optional-but add great flavor! we use chili powder if we dont have these)

3 tsp cumin

2 cups water

1 pkg frozen white shoepeg corn

Optional toppings: Tortilla chips, mozzarella, Monterrey jack, cheddar cheese, sour cream and/or salsa

Crockpot directions: Combine all ingredients except corn in your crockpot. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 10-12 hours. About an hour before serving, remove chicken and allow to cool, then shred it and return to pot. Also add corn at this time. Allow to cook one more hour. Serve hot with your choice of toppings

Stovetop directions: Saute cubed chicken breasts, onion, and garlic in a pan with a little oil. In a pot, bring the rest of the ingredients to a boil, and add chicken/onion/garlic. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve hot with your choice of toppings.

Mmmm, I can smell it now! Enjoy, and cuddle up afterward on the couch with your honey! I like to serve this soup with a small “wedge” salad- Just slice a head of iceberg lettuce into a few wedges, then top with blue cheese dressing and a few toasted pecans. YUM!

Health moment: Make sure you use trimmed chicken breasts and low fat chicken broth. I make sure my broth is low fat by making it myself. When the broth cools, the fat solidifies on the top and I dispose of it, leaving a clear, low fat broth behind. As for the beans, garlic and onion, all are good for your heart! Yay! I use an organic vegetable bouillon that is basically spices and sea salt- You could come up with your own seasonings without having to use bouillon at all. Lastly, go easy on those toppings! LOL. Or at least choose reduced fat tortilla chips and sour cream.

Here’s to living: Happier, Healthier, more FRUGAL lives!

~FrugalMegan~