I’m not going to lie – before I started dating Brad, I had little to no interest in football. I was totally the girl that watched the Super Bowl only for the halftime commercials, and early on in college, my best friends and I would go to the Northwestern football tailgates, but then opt for bagels and a nap instead of the actual game. However, since I now live with a guy who watches any and every football game, whether college or professional, and my TV blares with game updates from Saturday at noon until Sunday when I go to bed, I’ve definitely (perhaps by necessity) learned to love it. I can’t watch it with the same fervor as lifelong fans, but give me a good game on a beautiful fall day (particularly if Northwestern is involved) and I’m pretty much the happiest girl in the world.
Admittedly, a lot of my newfound enjoyment of football watching has to do with the food (duh). Football food – warm, hearty, stick-to-your-ribs fall comfort food — is pretty much my favorite, especially when washed down with a (pumpkin) beer or two. I think the quintessential football-watching/fall food is chili – a big bowl of steaming, spicy, meaty deliciousness. So for the first football games of the season that we were actually home to enjoy the games for an all-day Sunday extravaganza, I whipped up this slightly healthier, very nontraditional version of the classic: a white bean chicken chili. Not only was it really quick to prepare (whereas often chili can be quite the undertaking, with a “low and slow” cooking method) it was also incredibly flavorful, with a laundry list of spices brightening up ground chicken, cannellini beans, kale, and corn. I loved that it wasn’t tomato-based, but it still definitely felt like a chili, as opposed to a stew or soup. And, like all chili, it required massive amounts of toppings; we topped off our steaming bowls with Parmesan cheese, flat-leaf parsley, a few chunks of avocado, and huge spoonfuls of plain Greek yogurt (my favorite substitute for sour cream). It was fantastic, the perfect thing to savor while watching an afternoon football game on a beautiful day. Or, you know, at any time ever.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minces
- 2 lbs. ground chicken
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 (15-oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed off and drained
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 ½ cups frozen corn
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Black pepper & Salt, for seasoning
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Avocado chunks
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for only 30 seconds. Then add in the ground chicken, 1 tsp salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Stir it all together and cook, continuing to stir frequently for about 8 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Next, stir the flour into the chicken mixture. Add the cannellini beans, kale, corn, and chicken stock.
- Bring the whole mixture to a simmer, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 55-60 minutes, until the chili has thickened and the liquid has reduced to about half. Add the red pepper flakes; simmer for 10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Ladle the chili into serving bowls and top with ALL THE TOPPINGS!
