Finally it’s winter in Austin! One of the things I loved about living in Nashville was the change of seasons, Fall was beautiful and Winter started right around Thanksgiving and I got to wear sweaters and enjoy warm winter foods. It’s been in the 70’s and 80’s lately in Texas and we finally got some winter weather yesterday in Austin. As the weather gets cold I always whip up a huge batch of white chicken chili, it’s my favorite winter dish! I love to freeze the leftovers in small portions to have whenever I get a hankering for it. My childhood neighbor Lori gave this recipe to my mom and I can honestly say it’s the best white chicken chili I have ever had, thanks Lor!

What you’ll need: 2 poblano peppers- chopped, 1 red bell pepper- chopped, 1 sweet yellow onion- chopped, 3 garlic cloves- minced, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 beer of choice (1 1/2 cup chicken broth can be substituted) 2 14oz cans chili diced tomatoes, 1 can kidney beans- drained, 1 can black beans- rinsed and drained, 2 cups water, 3 cups cooked chicken, and a packet of white chicken chili seasoning of your choice (I used McCormick)

Start by sweating the onion, peppers and garlic in the olive oil

After about 8-10 minutes, until the veggies are tender, add the rest of your ingredients. My favorite addition this year was this local Austin beer, Austin Amber. I have really embraced the local brews since moving back to Texas and I really love this one!

Once everything is incorporated, bring it to a boil, and then turn it down to a slow simmer for about an hour.

This chili is super healthy and has a great “kick” to it! I like to top mine with a little shredded sheddar, but you can add sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeno peppers or whatever your heart desires.

The leftovers are even better, so grab a spoon and dig in; then grab a tupperware and have some more tomorrow.

Happy eating!