Red or white? Chili, that is. (2024)

By Holly PrestidgeRichmond Times-Dispatch

Red or white is often a question reserved for wine preferences, but it could just as easily be a reference to one of fall and winter’s best-loved meals: chili.

Classic chili, as many of us know it, is rich and meaty, built around crushed tomatoes, dark red kidney beans and usually cubed or ground beef with warm spices, such as cumin, cayenne and chili powder. There’s your red.

On the other hand, white versions are made with chicken instead of beef, and without tomatoes but with beans (usually white beans) and tons of flavor from green chilies. They are polar opposites of each other, except that they’re both exceptionally delicious meals that can be made for Sunday game days and church potlucks alike, and both create leftovers that taste better than the first servings.

October happens to be national chili month, and if fall weather would kindly get here, that would be great. I’m sure I’m not the only one who prefers bowls of steaming chili when it’s actually cold outside and not just cold inside because the air conditioner is set to arctic.

But like Mom’s meatloaf, chili can go in any direction you like, and before you go spouting off about what should be and shouldn’t be in your favorite version, know this: It’s all good. Some parts of the country — I’m looking at you, Texas — don’t consider beans or tomatoes as necessary chili ingredients, preferring instead a traditional chili con carne made with fiery peppers that form a stew for tender beef.

On the other hand, some people throw a rainbow of beans into their pots, including kidney, navy and black beans, while others add spices, such as cinnamon and cloves, and even the likes of chocolate into their chili (you’d be surprised where chocolate can go).

White chili recipes can vary, too, particularly when it comes to their intensity. Mild versions include those green chilies, which add only so much heat, or they can be taste bud-tingling hot when made with jalapeños, poblanos or even Hatch chilies, if you were able to catch those when they were in season at summer’s end.

I’m somewhere in the middle of all of these, with red chili preferences that include beef and a variety of beans (sorry, Texas) and mild white chili that includes just a bit of heat and some added chewiness from, of all things, hominy.

I’ll start with the white version, which happens to be my favorite. Ready in only about a half-hour (provided you’ve cooked your chicken already or bought a rotisserie and picked it apart), this is one of the best ways to stave off the winter chill. It’s flavor-packed thanks to cumin and coriander, and around our house, it’s served with a healthy pile of cilantro on top and maybe a few sprinkles of Monterey Jack or some other mild cheese. Rather than making a roux to thicken it, as some recipes call for, I simply reserved some of the white beans, mashed them, and added that mash back into the pot.

The chilies give it mild heat, though you can add hotter peppers, if that’s your preference, or simply add hot sauce. Although some recipes include white or yellow corn, I like the texture of hominy as opposed to regular corn kernels.

Moving on, there are no surprises in the hearty beef chili, which isn’t hot enough to set off alarms but instead leaves you with a slight lingering heat.

For color and variety, I added protein- and fiber-rich light and dark kidney beans and pinto beans. Browning the meat first adds flavor, and from there, it’s simply a waiting game. Let the chili simmer for a few hours on your stovetop, or throw everything in your slow cooker in the morning and you’ll have little to do at dinnertime except grab some garnishes, such as sour cream, cheddar cheese, or perhaps some corn chips.

Then again, few things go better with chili’s heat and heft than cornbread. One of my favorites is a slightly sweet version with a tender crumb thanks to a full cup of buttermilk. (Full disclosure: I’d eat this stuff just about anytime, anywhere, with anything, although it really does hit the spot with something as robust as chili.)

So all ye of seasonal eating habits, don’t worry. October might not yet be chilly, but it doesn’t mean we can’t eat it.

White Chicken Chili with White Beans and Hominy

With just enough heat to tickle your taste buds, this chili comes together in less than a half-hour. Garnish with cilantro, jalapeño slices or Monterey Jack cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

1 pound cooked chicken, cubed or chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 4-ounce can diced green chilies

2 15.5-ounce cans white beans (I used cannellini), with ¾ of 1 can reserved

1 15-ounce can hominy

32 ounces chicken broth

1 cup water

2 teaspoons cumin

Dash coriander

Salt AND pepper, to taste

Cilantro, jalapeño slices, Monterey Jack cheese for garnish, optional

In a large pot, heat chicken with garlic until the garlic fragrant, about 1 minute. Add diced chilies, 1 ¼ cans of the white beans, hominy, chicken broth, water, cumin and coriander.

In a small bowl, mash or puree the remaining white beans and add to the pot.

Bring chili to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer about 20 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.

Serve with garnishes, if desired.

Beefy Chili with Beans

This chili features light and dark kidney beans, plus pinto beans, and chunks of round roast rather than ground beef. Canned chipotles and chili powder add lots of heat, but you can reduce the amounts of both if you’re not a fan. This recipe works great in your slow cooker.

Makes 6 servings.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 2-pound round roast, cubed into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 bell pepper, seeded and finely diced

3 to 4 ounces canned chipotles, chopped into small pieces

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes

2 15-ounce cans kidney beans (I used light and dark), rinsed and drained

1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon chili powder (reduce for less heat)

½ teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Salt AND pepper, to taste

Garnishes, optional: cheddar cheese, sour cream, tortilla or corn chips

Heat oil in a large stock pot over high heat, and add beef with garlic and bell pepper. Sauté until the beef is browned. (You may need to do this in batches.)

To the browned beef, add chopped chipotles, crushed and diced tomatoes, 1 cup water, kidney and pinto beans, chili powder, cumin, sugar and paprika. Bring mixture to a boil, taste for salt and pepper, then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 2 to 3 hours.

(Note: If using a slow cooker, after browning meat and peppers, transfer to a slow cooker, add remaining ingredients and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.)

Garnish before serving.

— Holly Prestidge

Honey Buttermilk Cornbread

Chili and cornbread are a match made in heaven. This version is a little on the sweeter side but perfectly suited to tame the chili’s heat.

Makes 9 servings, or more with smaller slices.

4 tablespoons melted butter, cooled slightly

¼ cup vegetable oil

½ cup sugar

¼ cup honey

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/3 cups cornmeal

2/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt (omit if using salted butter)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch baking dish.

In a mixing bowl, whisk melted butter with vegetable oil, sugar and honey. Add eggs and buttermilk and continue whisking. Add cornmeal, flour, baking soda and salt, if using. Mix just until combined — do not overmix.

Pour batter into greased baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, or until edges are browned. Serve with chili.