Cozy Night, Crockpot Delight: White Bean Chicken Chili 🌧️🍲

It was a cold, windy, and rainy day here today—the perfect excuse for a crockpot supper! We decided to try something new, and it turned out to be a total hit with everyone: White Bean Chicken Chili.

I started it this morning with three frozen chicken breasts (and before anyone comes for me—yes, frozen! We buy them in bulk and use the crockpot for batch cooking almost every week) in the crockpot on low, along with one cup of chicken stock, a pinch of oregano, and a dash of cumin. You could certainly use thawed or even rotisserie chicken too—do what works best for you and your family! After a few hours, the chicken shredded beautifully, and I built the rest of the soup from there.

🥣 Ingredients

3 chicken breasts
1½ cups frozen corn (or 1 can, drained)
28 oz chicken stock
4 oz can mild diced green chilies (could use a 7oz can if you prefer more spice)
2 cans cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed and drained (one used later for thickening)
4 stalks celery, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp dried oregano
1½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp black pepper
1 (8 oz) block of cream cheese, cubed (saved for closer to serving time)

👩‍🍳 Directions

In your crockpot, place chicken breasts, 1 cup worth of chicken stock, dash of oregano and cumin. Cook on low until chicken easily shreds (about 3–4 hours).
Shred the chicken and add corn, green chilies, one can of beans, celery, and all spices.
In a skillet, sauté onion until tender, then add garlic, sauté for another minute or two.
Transfer the onion-garlic mix and the second can of beans to a blender with a splash of stock or water. Puree until smooth—this step makes the chili wonderfully creamy without using flour or cornstarch!
Pour the blended mixture into the crockpot and stir.
About an hour before serving, add cubed cream cheese and let it melt through.

🧀 Topping Ideas

Monterey Jack shredded cheese
Avocado slices or guacamole
Tortilla strips
Fresh cilantro
Fresh lime

This was one of those make-it-up-as-I-go recipes (and we all know how those can go 😅), but this one is officially added to the family cookbook! If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out—or what creative twists you add.

💛 Stay cozy, stay simple, and keep that crockpot working for you.

Simply Samantha 🌻
Simply Real. Simply Me.