White Bean Chili

Winter Storm 2011 has already struck Atlanta. While this "storm" may not seem like a big deal to some people, I have to remind you that our city is not properly stocked with an endless supply of snowploughs and salt trucks. Things can get messy real quick. And of course, when the meteorologist starts throwing out words such as snow, icy rain, and... a wintry mix of snow and icy rain... a lot of folks feel the need to prepare for a lock down. Everyone starts buying up the basic essentials. So when I went to make my weekly grocery run, the stores were wiped out of all my baking essentials - eggs, milk, unsalted butter. Ok. They were not completely wiped out of all this stuff, but they were wiped out of the brands I use and I'm kind of picky about certain things. So lets just say, it was slim pickins for my pickiness. :) Lucky for us, I had already purchased the ingredients I needed to make this awesome white bean chili. There is nothing like warm soup or chili when it's below freezing outside. This recipe makes a lot, so Matt and I were set for days!

Here are some pics of our winter wonderland. Remember that we live in the south... we were born in the south... we have always lived in the south... so snow like this is VERY exciting for us!

Meet Gus...

And Charlie...

Our pups love the snow! :)

Ok, back to the chili... A friend of ours shared this recipe with us last winter. It is a Publix recipe, and it is scrumptious. Serve it up with a grilled cheese or homemade cornbread and you've got yourself a fantastic meal!

Ingredients
Yields 8 Servings
1 (12 oz) package reduced fat sausage
1 lb ground turkey
1 (10 oz) bag frozen seasoning blend (I use one that contains onions and a couple types of bell peppers)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning mix
2 (15.8 oz) cans great northern beans (undrained) 
1 (14 oz) can low sodium chicken broth
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles
1 (16 oz) can green chile and lime refried beans

Directions
Preheat large saucepan on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add sausage, ground turkey, frozen seasoning blend, and garlic. Cook 10-12 minutes or until meat is browned and no pink remains; stir frequently and break meat up as it cooks. Stir in taco seasoning; cover and cook for 1 minute.

In a large stock pot, combine beans (including liquids), chicken broth, green chiles, and refried beans over medium-high heat. Stir in meat mixture; cover and bring to a boil. Serve.

Source: slightly adapted from Publix Apron's recipe