Heidi's White Chicken Chili (Instant Pot)

INGREDIENT

• Chicken: 3 options, all work well 

- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts &/or thighs, trimmed of excess fat & chopped into bite size pieces; 

- 2 large cans of chicken or 

- A deboned rotisserie chicken

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 yellow onion diced

• 1 diced bell pepper (optional)

• 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 tsp preminced jarred garlic or 1 tsp dried granulated garlic

• 24-32 oz. chicken broth (low sodium) or bone broth from boiling the deboned rotisserie chicken carcass

• 1 (15oz) can triple bean chili beans with mild chili sauce.  Do not drain or rinse.

• 1 (15oz) can great Northern beans, drained & rinsed

• 1 (15oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed

• 1 (15oz) can Dark red kidney beans

• 1 (15oz) can light red kidney beans

•  3  cans whole kernel corn either with peppers or without

• 1 can Rotel tomatoes (with chilies) or plain stewed or fresh tomatoes without peppers

Optional if you want more peppers:

• 2 (4oz) cans of chilies, jalapenos, habaneros etc., or fresh bell, chilies, poblano, jalapeno, habanero

o   1/2 tsp black pepper

o   1 tsp cumin

o   3/4 tsp oregano

o   1/2 tsp chili powder

o   1/2 tsp paprika

o   1 package of ranch mix

~ 1 tbsp chicken bullion, to taste

o   Small handful fresh cilantro chopped

o   2 (8 oz) cream cheese blocks, softened

          - Can be cut and cubed into 1oz chunks for melting ease; if you don't want to you don't have to, it just melts smoother if you cut it up.

·   ★ Corn starch & water for thickening as needed

Fresh Toppings:

·        • Sliced jalapenos

·        • Lime wedges

·        • Sliced avocados

·       •  Sour cream

·       •  Minced fresh cilantro

·       •  Tortilla strips or oyster crackers

·         Shredded cheeses:  Monterey jack, Mexican blend, cheddar, cojack

INSTRUCTIONS

Layer ingredients in the IP inner pot:

1) chicken broth

2) butter

3) chicken

4) onions, & peppers

5) beans, 

6) corn (without juices if plain, with juice if pepper blended), 

7) Top with garlic & seasonings.  

- (pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, cayenne pepper, ranch mix, paprika, garlic etc.).  

8) Tomatoes are added to the layers absolutely last.  Do not stir. 

Seal & cook for 15 minutes with 15 minute NPR.

When the beep sounds, allow it to NPR (natural pressure release) for 15 minutes.  If there is any remaining pressure, you can go ahead & release it if you're impatient, or you can just allow it to sit there till the pin drops on its own from a full natural release.  

After you've opened it, stir, taste test, season if it needs more. The cream cheese will detract from the spice just a tad and the cooking will numb the intensity of the spices.  

Add cubed cream cheese, stir and cover for about 10 minutes, or  turn on saute low for a bit till its just starting to ripple.  After the ripples appear, be sure to continue stirring until chili is creamy and slightly thickened.  Use the corn starch and water slurry to thicken up the broth to your personal preference. 

Notes:

**  If using dried beans, the ratio of beans to water is 1:3, you'll need to cook the beans ahead, and discard the water before beginning the chili.

• 0.5-cups dried beans = 1.5 cups cooked

• Different beans require different cook times, but they average approximately 30-minutes of pressurized cook time

** If you attempt to bring back to a rippling boil once the cream cheese is added, it may be more likely to burn so just be watchful.

[2017, 2018, 2019 2x]