This White Bean Sausage Chili was adapted from a recipe I found, on Pinterest of course. Everything I saw had chicken in it though, and I really wanted to use sausage. And not just one type of sausage. I wanted to use two different sausages; ground sausage and smoked sausage link.

Don’t ask me why I had that specific combination in my head. But I’m sure glad I gave it a whirl. It turned out absolutely delicious, and I’ve since received multiple requests for the recipe.

This particular recipe makes quite a large amount. I’d say it makes enough for 7-10 people. But one of the best things about chili is using it for leftovers, so don’t feel like it’s something you need to save for a party.

How to Make White Bean Sausage Chili

Ingredients

• 1 lb smoked sausage link sliced
• 1 lb ground sausage (I used Jimmy Dean’s regular breakfast sausage, but Italian would be good too)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained (Side note, the cannellini beans are just a bit larger than the great northern beans. You could use one or the other but I like having the two different sizes.)
• 1 32 oz box chicken broth plus one another either 8 oz of chicken broth, or 8 oz of water
• 2 4 oz cans chopped green chilis
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferably)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 6 oz heavy whipping cream
• 6 oz cream cheese

Directions

1. In a heavy bottom soup pot or dutch oven, start by drizzling half the olive oil and browning the ground sausage and sliced smoked sausage over medium high heat. When it’s cooked put it in a bowl and set aside
2. Now drizzle the rest of the olive oil in the pot and sauté the white and green onion until soft
3. Stir in all the spices and cook together for a couple minutes (cumin, garlic powder, ground pepper, salt)
4. Add the drained beans, chicken broth, chopped green chilis, and cooked sausage
5. Bring to a boil, then turn to low, cover, and simmer for at least 45 minutes (The longer it cooks, the more “chili” like it becomes. If you need it to be done sooner, you could cook it for only 25 minutes or so and have it be a bit more soupy.)
6. Add the heavy cream and cream cheese
7. Cook for another 10 minutes
8. It is now ready to serve, but remember as with many chilis, the longer you are able to let it cook the better it is
9. Garnish with some fresh chopped green onions if you have any left