Adventures in Cooking: Saving Time & Money (cooking White Chili)

Okay, so I'm just going to call this "White Chili".  The original name of the recipe I'm using as a guide is "White Bean and Chicken Chili"...but since I usually alter recipes based on what's in my pantry and well, because I think I'll remember that name better...I'm going to call mine "White Chili." I made it using several items that are staples in my pantry and things that save me time and money!

If you want to see the original recipe, it's at All You: White Bean and Chicken Chili.   My ingredient list is almost the same as theirs...but my methods are different!

4 cups of pre-cooked white beans
2 cups of cooked, chopped chicken
1 can of chicken broth
1 chicken bouillan cube
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 (4 oz.) cans of green chilies
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste.

Now - here's where I change things up and save myself some time and money!

White Beans.  The recipe calls for canned ones but I prefer dried.  These are SUPER cheap when you buy a big bag at Wal-Mart.  Actually, I do this same thing with black beans, red beans, pinto beans, etc.  I dump a huge bag in a large pot, cover with lots of water, and bring to a boil.  Then I turn them down and simmer them for hours - until they're tender.  Next, I let them cool and measure them (usually in 2 cup portions) into freezer bags and freeze them.  I can get several freezer bags full of beans for the cost of 1-2 cans of beans.  Other than the dumping in the pan and measuring afterwards - this takes very little time out of my day.  I go about doing other things while they simmer.  Also, when I need beans for chili, red beans & rice, taco soup, or whatever, I just grab a bag out of the freezer and toss them into the recipe!  Doing it this way saves me time & money!

See...here are just a few of the bags out of my freezer.  Black beans for Chili. Half white, half black beans for Taco Soup.  Pinto beans for homemade Refried Beans.  I did all of these (and many more) one afternoon and it provided me with beans for several days worth of recipes!

Chicken.  I also buy this in large quantities when I find a great sale.  Bone in or not, white or dark - I don't care if the price is right.  I bring it home and separate it.  I may put some into the freezer as is (we love BBQ Chicken Legs - so I always save some of those), but I also take a huge amount of it and boil it.  Now I know...boiled chicken...not so appealing.  But..I let it cool, then take out the bones, remove the skin, etc. then cut it into small pieces.  Now, like the beans, I measure it into 1 or 2 cup portions and freeze it.  This might take a little time the day I do it, but when finished, I usually have enough chicken cooked and portioned for several meals to come.  I can use it in soups, Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole (a family favorite), Chicken Spaghetti, etc.  Again, this saves me time and money!

So, on a day like today, when I'm not feeling great, I can throw supper together in minutes.  Here's the rest of the recipe...

Take the chicken and white beans (from the freezer, in my case) and put in the crockpot.  Add the chicken broth, bouillan cube, and about 2 cups of water (enough to cover the beans and chicken).   Also pour in the green chilies (I didn't drain them...you might want to) and cumin.  In a small  skillet, warm the oil, then saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes (until clear), then pour into the crockpot.   All together, this took me about 10 minutes - start to finish.   I just set my crockpot on Medium-High, walk away, and in a couple of hours*, we'll have an inexpensive, (hopefully) delicious meal!   We'll probably eat ours with some cheese sprinkled on top!

*Since my chicken and beans are already cooked, you could toss all of this in a pot on the stove, heat it,  and theoretically have a meal ready in 30 minutes.  I prefer to simmer mine - the flavors always seem better after a few hours in a crockpot, but I don't think it's necessary. 

We haven't eaten it yet...I'll have to let you know how it turned out!