Chicken Chili in the crockpot

I have had two wonderful guys remodeling my bathroom for the last three weekends and decided to pay it forward and make them lunch on this wintry day to thank them for giving up their weekends and putting up with my dog's antics.

Here's my recipe for chicken chili - or perhaps it looks more like a stew. Call it what you want, but it's delicious!

torn up pieces of a rotisserie chicken/or just the breast
4 tsp of chili powder
2 tsp of ground cumin
1 medium onion diced
1 can of sweet yellow corn
1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbs minced garlic
2 bay leaves
2- 15-oz cans of crushed tomatoes with basil
1- 15 oz can of tomato sauce (or smaller - to your liking)
1 can of Rotel mild
2 tsp of white pepper
black pepper - to your liking - I never measure b/c I love black pepper, usually ground peppercorns
handful of chopped up fresh cilantro
sometimes I add a small diced jalapeno but I didn't this time.

Scoop out a ton of chili in a bowl and top with shredded Mexican cheese. If it's too spicy, then top with a dollop of sour cream. I also use Tostitos Scoops or Fritos instead of a spoon.

It would pair well with a white wine - perhaps a sweeter Traminette, Vidal Blanc or "Girlsaremeaner" or even a Sav Blanc or Pinot Gris.

My guys raved about it and I was even told by one that he could taste the cilantro. I LOVE cilantro and realize that people either love it or hate it. I don't understand why anyone would hate it, but to each his own.  Three big "mugfulls" and still have a good two dinners left over for me!

Bon Appetite!