Crock-Pot Cheesy White Bean & Cauliflower Chili

It's official...we're going to the Championships!! Oh Tom Brady, I love you. This was a very happy house yesterday after a bit of a nail biting game.

Well, I was probably more happy than anyone else in the house. ;-) I'm so excited we're one step closer to Superbowl, and even more excited that I get to watch next week's Championship game with other Pats fans in my New England home. Can't wait!

But enough about football. Let's move on to football food.

I've officially kicked off my crock-pot challenge, and it was quite a tasty first slow cooker meal.

When I meal planned over the weekend I dug through some old crock-pot cookbooks and found a recipe using cauliflower as the base for a white chili. It's no secret than I'm a big cauliflower fan, so I loved the idea of using the chunky veg to bulk up the chili. If you want to add meat or more protein, shredded chicken would probably be a good addition as well.

This chili is creamy and cheesy with a nice balance of heat from jalapenos and freshness from lime juice and cilantro. Add a few crushed tortilla chips on top, and you've got (vegetarian) football food at its finest!

Cheesy White Bean & Cauliflower Chili

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 can cannelini beans (white kidney beans)
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 cups cauliflower florets
1 green pepper, cut into strips
6 oz. low fat Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 oz. low fat cream cheese
1 can chopped green chilis
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish
10 dashes hot sauce
Juice of 1/2 lime

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened. Add garlic, jalapeno pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper, and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer to a slow cooker. Add beans and broth and stir to combine.

Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, until bubbling around the edges. Meanwhile, blanch the cauliflower by dropping it into boiling, salted water for 3-4 minutes; then drain and set aside.

Add the cooked cauliflower, green pepper, Monterey Jack cheese, cream cheese, chilis, cilantro, hot sauce and lime juice to the slow cooker mixture. Stir to combine, then cover and cook on high 30-35 minutes, until cauliflower and peppers are hot and cheese is fully melted.

Serve with extra cilantro, hot sauce and a squeeze of lime juice; garnish with crushed tortilla chips if desired.