Slow Cooker White Bean Chilli

It's not the prettiest bowl of food, but it is damn delicious!

I love chilli. I have always, and will always love chilli. I thought everyone felt the same. But then I shacked up with someone who DOESN’T LIKE IT. I assume he must be the only one. He’s certainly the first person I’ve met who doesn’t care for it. My mum and I could live off a big pot of chilli con carne for days!

I’ve tried everything. I’ve tried not making it spicy. I’ve tried not putting beans in, I’ve tried slow cooking it with hunks of stewing beef.. Nada. So, I decided I should take a different approach entirely. Let’s turn the notion of chilli on its head. Using typical chilli spices, with shredded chicken instead of beef mince, and with a white, creamy sauce instead of a dark and tomato-y one. And of course, I’m using my slow cooker.  The finished  product is a bit like a cross between a roasted chicken soup and a chilli con carne, and I’m well on board for that – comfort food and spice, a killer combination!

As an aside, apparently beans/no beans is a huge argument in the chilli world – I couldn’t imagine a decent chilli without some beans. This chilli could easily work with just one tin of beans, but I went with two because I'm a bean-fan. I used to hate beans, but I have grown to love them, they are great at bulking out a dinner and are so wholesome and filling. You still won’t catch me eating baked beans on toast, YUCK.

Serves 2, plus leftovers (as always)

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp cayenne
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 large carrot
• 3 spring onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 x 300g cans of white beans – I went with cannellini and haricot beans
• 350ml chicken stock
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1.5 tbsp flour
• 200ml milk
• 1 chicken stock cube
• Salt and pepper

Method

Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker and sprinkle over the herbs and spices.

Now, dice the carrots into little cubes, slice the spring onions and mince the garlic cloves. Toss those into the slow cooker too.

Open the cans of beans, drain and rinse them and then throw those in too.

Stir over the chicken stock and put the lid on.

Cook on low for 4 hours 30 minutes, and then turn up to high for 45 minutes. Shred the chicken.

After the chicken has been shredded, make a béchamel in a saucepan – melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook briefly, then gradually whisk in the milk. Allow to come to a simmer and then crumble in the stock cube.

Cook for a few more minutes until it is thickened and lovely.

Pour this into the slow cooker and stir well.

Allow to cook, on high for another 30 minutes.

Serve with some rice, or sloppily, sopping up the sauce with bread. You could slice over some avocado if you were feeling particularly decadent.