Some Like It Hot: White Chicken Chili

I made this last week for a football party. It's a good way to use up leftover chicken. If you don't have any leftover chicken, you can buy a salt-free rotisserie chicken at the grocery, remove the skin and shred it for an easy shortcut.

2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
2 tbsp. pickled jalapenos, chopped (I used LaPreferida's jarred jalapeno nacho slices)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 can low sodium chicken broth
2 15 oz. cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 pound cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
1/2 cup milk or half and half

Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add celery, carrots, onion, pepper and jalapeno. Saute until just beginning to soften, about 4 minutes.

Add garlic, chili powder and cumin. Saute 1 minute.

Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer.

Add beans, chicken and milk. Bring to a boil again, reduce heat to medium and simmer. Chili is ready to eat in as little as 5 minutes if you're in a hurry. If not, I like to simmer it for about 30 minutes so the beans start to fall apart a bit.

Top with cheese, sour cream and chopped onions.