White Chicken Chili and Homemade Biz-cuits

Hi friends! I hope all is well with you, and you are enjoying this lovely November night. Tonight's dinner at the 812 house was courtesy of Kara! She raised the bar this evening with homemade biscuits to accompany her delectable white chicken chili. I have to say this is one of my favorite dinners, and Kara made it a few times last year, but this is the first appearance this year for the white chicken chili. It is creamy and hearty and perfect for a cold fall or winter night. Both the homemade biscuits and chili are super easy to make, so in no time you too can whip up a satisfying dinner!

Tonight's dinner table discussion involved quite a few silly things. Kara, Tim, Anna and I talked about our childhood pets, broken bones, and watching Kara try and wink. Our pet conversation was pretty funny because we all had stories of our cats and dogs and all the crazy or dumb or funny things they did. From Kara's sweet and sophisticated dog Niko to Anna's wild and crazy shelter dog, to one that Tim and family had stored in the...er...um...freezer...(don't worry, he was in a better place). Then somehow we got on the subject of breaking bones. Kara has not really broken a bone, except she cracked her knee cap when she tore a ligament in her knee. Tim said he has never broken a bone, and neither have I. Pretty good if you ask me! And the funniest part of the conversation tonight was definitely when Kara was trying to wink. She could do it easily with one eye, but when she tried to wink with the other eye...not so easy. One eye would kind of stay open and the other would mostly shut, but at the same time her mouth was wide open and it almost looked like it hurt. So funny. I wish all of you could have been there to witness this event! Maybe someday Kara will be able to wink that eye...

Well I know you are probably wondering about the recipes for the homemade biscuits and white chicken chili so here they are! Bon appetit!

Biscuit Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup butter or 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup shortening
1 cup milk

Biscuit Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add milk all at once. Using a fork, stir just until mixture is moistened.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough by folding and gently pressing it for four to six strokes or just until dough holds together. Pat or lightly roll dough until 3/4 inch thick. Cut dough with a floured 2 1/2 - inch biscuit cutter; re-roll scraps as necessary and dip cutter into flour between cuts.
3. Place dough circles 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until golden. Remove biscuits from baking sheet and serve warm. 

*(For drop biscuits: Prepare as above through step 1, except increase the milk to 1 1/4 cups. Using a large spoon, drop dough into 12 mounds onto a greased baking sheet. Bake as directed above. Makes 12 biscuits.) (Better Homes and Gardens Prizewinning Recipe Book).

These biscuits are very good, and I'm not just saying that. They are flaky and crumbly and just melt in your mouth. I think they would be perfect for Thanksgiving coming up, with a little butter or honey on them. With ours tonight we had the choice of spreading butter, apple butter or honey on them. All are delicious choices! And here is the white chicken chili recipe!

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 (4-oz) can chopped green chilis
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 (16-oz) cans BUSH'S Great Northern Beans
1 (14.5-oz) can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups finely chopped, cooked chicken breast (rotisserie works great!)
* optional shredded Monterey Jack cheese
* optional sour cream
* optional salsa

Directions
In large skillet, cook onion in oil for 4 minutes or until transparent. Add chilis, flour and cumin; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add beans and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken; cook until hot. Garnish with cheese, sour cream or salsa and serve hot. (www.recipes.bushbeans.com).

This chili is so incredibly easy and so incredibly delicious! One of my favorites for sure! Kara doubled the recipe because it is great for leftovers. But you do not have to double it because it makes enough for about 4-5 people.

I hope all of you are eating some bangin' dinners, and trying out some of the ones I have shared with you. If there is anything tasty that you would like me to try out, please leave a comment with the recipe! And please take a look at my last post, which has the winning green chili recipe that Kara won the UW chili cook-off with! Enjoy!