White Chicken Chili

I try to be open minded.  Really, I do.  But something in me always balked at the idea of white chicken chili.  I was suspicious of the base (What makes it white?  It can't be good). Many recipes include corn, and you know I can't stand corn IN my food.  And those white beans?  Just......ICK.

Once again, I was wrong, wrong, wrong.

I don't know why, but when I saw the delicious looking picture in my Slow Cooker Revolution cookbook, I HAD to try their White Chicken Chili.  And as with most of their recipes, this one did not disappoint.

White Chicken Chili
From: Slow Cooker Revolution

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can white or yellow hominy, rinsed & drained
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 onions, minced
4 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded, minced (**I used 2, because: KIDS)
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground coriander
3 (15 oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed, trimmed
Salt & pepper
2 Tbs. minced jarred pickled jalapeno chiles
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
Avocado

1. Puree 2 cups broth and hominy in blender until smooth, about 1 minute.  Transfer to slow cooker.
2. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, and coriander, and cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 cup broth, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to slow cooker.  
3. Stir beans into slow cooker.  Season chicken with salt & pepper and nestle into slow cooker.  Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4-6 hours on low.  
4. Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-sized pieces, discarding bones.  Let chili settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using large spoon. 
5. Stir in shredded chicken and pickled jalapenos and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes.  Stir in cilantro, season with salt & pepper to taste, and serve with avocado.  

What I love about this recipe: 

• I found everything at my local Walmart, so I didn't have to go to 4 different stores looking for the ingredients (a near-miracle in our tiny town).  Also, nothing was outrageously expensive.  
• The prep was fast, and most of the work was done by the slow cooker.  
• The avocado makes this recipe.  
• It cooks up a TON - a full 8 servings, so there was lots to freeze. 
• It's pretty healthy.  I don't have a nutritional breakdown, but other than the thighs being dark meat, everything else is very good for you.   
• That it makes me eat something called HOMINY.  I'm sorry, are we living in the 1820's?  What the who is hominy?