Our memorable Thanksgiving was spent in the sunny state of Arizona and yes, it was wonderful because of the weather but mainly, it was wonderful because we were together once again with family. There were 35 of us Jones’ all together and the week flew by much faster than we wanted. Well…..except for the 48 hours we spent in the van driving there and back from Minnesota. I felt every minute of that.

Now comes the hard part: being so far away once again. Our hearts want nothing more than to live close to family, but sometimes the Lord requires something different from us than what we want. Many times during our visit, I couldn’t help but to ask Him, “Are you sure you still need us in Minnesota?” Watching my kids become absorbed in the love and attention of their cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents makes my heart ache for that to be a common experience for them, not just once every few years.

So off we go back north to the cold, long winter of Minnesota but forever grateful for the memories and experiences we had this week. We are greatly blessed and have much to celebrate this holiday season.

If you have leftover turkey from your Thanksgiving feast, this delicious white chili will use up your extras as well as warm your tootsies now that the weather has turned colder! No leftover turkey in your fridge? The recipe can easily use cooked or raw chicken as well. It makes a nice big pot full of chili which would also freeze beautifully.

White Chicken (or Turkey) Chili

Author: Carole

Scale

Ingredients

3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 lime
salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder to taste
2 Tb olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cans chopped green chilies
3 cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
2–15 oz cans chicken broth
1/4 C chopped cilantro
1/2 C chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tb sweet Hungarian paprika

Instructions

1. If using chicken, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay chicken in a greased pan and squeeze the lime over the top. Generously season with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Save the pan juices! Chop or shred the chicken into pieces once it has cooled. If using leftover turkey, just cut up some of your leftover turkey
2. In a large pot, saute onion and garlic in the olive oil for 3 minutes then add the red pepper and sauté for another 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients along with some salt and pepper and enough water to just cover the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Serve with grated cheese, tomatoes, a squeeze of lime juice and tortilla chips!