What’s cooking?

If you’ve read any of the Ridge Ranch, you know they like their food. From Liv’s wonderful muffins she serves in her cafe to Heather’s creations for the ranch hands, you can’t get through a day on the ranch without the proper cuisine. 

I’m a true believer that anything you cook at home, can be cooked over a campfire. Imagine after a long day of moving cattle, you stop, set up camp and enjoy a bowl of white bean chili and some cornbread around the campfire. It doesn’t get much better than that. 

While this calls for a crockpot, I highly recommend a cast iron dutch oven and some open flames. Enjoy

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-1/4-inch pieces

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, divided

• 2-1/2 cups chicken broth, divided

• 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

• Optional toppings: Sliced avocado, quartered cherry tomatoes and chopped cilantro

Directions

• Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat; saute chicken until browned. Transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker.

• In same skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat; saute onion until tender. Add jalapeno, garlic, oregano and cumin; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add to slow cooker.

• In a bowl, mash 1 cup beans; stir in 1/2 cup broth. Stir bean mixture and the remaining whole beans and broth into chicken mixture.

• Cook, covered, on low until chicken is tender, 3-3-1/2 hours. Stir before serving. Sprinkle with cheese; add toppings if desired.

From Taste of Home