Poblano-Corn White Chicken Chili Dip

My super talented friend Amanda and I have been collaborating to make some videos for her blog, Heartbeet Kitchen. One of those recent videos we filmed for Facebook was sort of like a Mexican version of buffalo chicken dip: Skillet White Chicken Chili Dip.

AND LET ME TELL YOU 'BOUT THIS DIP.

First of all, I ate, like, a ton of it during our shoot. It's so, so good. It's one of the most popular recipes on her blog, and I absolutely understand why.

Then, of course, after the shoot I had to stare at the footage for hours while I was editing... and drooling on my keyboard.

And then (months later) I still couldn't get this food out of my head so I decided I had to make my own version. Not that the original really needed any improvement, but I thought I would pack it with poblano peppers (and some other things) anyway.

As you may or may not know, I'm really into poblanos.

If you make this for a party, it will be gone in nine minutes tops. If you make it for yourself, it'll take a little longer... but I believe in you. You can probably finish the whole thing. I recommend washing it down with these melon margaritas.

Poblano-Corn White Chicken Chili Dip

gluten-free recipe | party size; serves 8-12
inspired by Heartbeet Kitchen's Skillet White Chicken Chili Dip

Ingredients

1 can cannellini beans, drained
3/4 cup sour cream
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T cumin
1/2 tsp salt
2 limes
2 large poblano peppers, seeded and minced
1/2 cup frozen sweet corn
1.5 cups cooked chicken, shredded (I used rotisserie chicken)
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, mozzarella and/or pepperjack
1 big bunch of cilantro, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 cup salsa verde
2 green onions, sliced
optional: cotija cheese (cut back a smidge on the salt if you add cotija)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Using a food processor, puree the white beans with the sour cream, garlic, cumin, salt and the zest and juice from one of the limes.
In a bowl, mix together the the poblanos, corn, shredded chicken, half the cilantro and one cup of the cheese. Stir in the white bean puree so everything is coated.
Spread the mixture into the skillet (or another baking dish), spoon the salsa verde over that and swirl it into the mixture and top with the rest of the cheese.
Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the dip is bubbly and the cheese starts to brown.
Top with green onions, the rest of the cilantro and a squeeze or two of fresh lime juice (and optional cotija cheese — because, more dairy).
Serve with sturdy tortilla chips or plantain chips.

Notes

The flavor in this dip relies a lot on your choice of salsa verde, so choose wisely. Most salsa verde is pretty mild, but if you can find a medium-hot version that's even better.
If you're wondering why the salsa isn't added directly to the mixture, it's because it makes it a little more liquidy. I've tried it both ways and it still tastes great, but I like the consistency of swirling it in gently vs. fully mixing it in.
If you're literally eating spoonfuls of this for dinner and not as a dip (no judgement, I did this), then it'll serve about 6 people.
You might not think so, but it actually reheats well in the oven if you don't finish the whole thing in one swoop.
This dairy-ful recipe is gluten-free but definitely not paleo, and there are no easy substitutions to make it compliant either. Sorry, paleo friends. You know I look out for you in other ways with other very paleo apps like this Spicy Smoked Salmon Mousse, Paleo Nachos, Paleo Buffalo Chicken and Potsticker Paleo Meatballs.