Okay, so the other day I was really craving some white chicken chili, and not just any white chicken chili, the one from Cheesecake Factory. I’ve tried making it before, but it never quite hits the spot, you know? So, I decided to give it another shot, and document my every move, hoping to finally crack the code.
First things first, I gathered all the ingredients. I already had some canola oil at home, so I didn’t need to buy that. I went to the grocery store and picked up 4 pounds of chicken breasts, because that’s what the recipe online called for. I also grabbed some ground cumin, a big onion, and a head of garlic. I wasn’t sure about the other spices, but I figured I’d cross that bridge when I got there.
Back home, I prepped the chicken. I diced those breasts up into bite-sized pieces. This took a while, but it’s important to get them roughly the same size so they cook evenly. In a mixing bowl, I tossed the chicken with the cumin. The recipe mentioned some other spices, but I could not find the details. Whatever, I just used what I had at home, like some chili powder, salt, and pepper. I am sure it would be fine.
Next, I heated up the canola oil in my big soup pot. Once it was hot, I added the chicken in and started cooking it. I stirred it around until it was lightly browned, but not cooked all the way through. Then I took the chicken out of the pot and set it aside for later.
In the same pot, I sauteed the chopped onion and crushed garlic. The recipe called for 5 cloves, but I love garlic, so I may have used a few more, no big deal, I guess. I cooked them until they were soft and smelled amazing, which took about 5 minutes.
Then I added some chicken broth to the pot. I think I used around 6 cups, but I just eyeballed it. I also threw in a can of cannellini beans, which I had rinsed and drained.
I brought the whole thing to a boil, then reduced the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. This is where the magic happens, all the flavors start to meld together.
After 20 minutes, I added the chicken back into the pot, along with some chopped green chilies. I stirred everything together and let it cook for another 10 minutes or so, until the chicken was cooked through.
Finally, I turned off the heat and stirred in some sour cream. I used about half a cup, but you can add more or less depending on how creamy you like it.
- To serve, I ladled the chili into bowls.
- Then I topped each bowl with some chopped green onions, a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.
- I also served it over some white rice, which was a great addition.
Taste-wise, it was pretty darn close to Cheesecake Factory’s version! I might need to tweak the spices a bit next time to get it exactly right, but overall, I was really happy with how it turned out. It was definitely worth the effort, and I will keep making notes on this.
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