"We had a chili cook off one night between about eight of us at [my publishing company], Big Loud Shirt Music," Craig Wiseman tells Taste of Country of how his White Spicken Spili recipe came to be. "Everybody brought an anonymous pot and little servings were passed around and voted on. Mine was called Spicken Spili because Spam is a modified word from the ham and other ingredients in it."

He continues, "So when you make White Chicken Chili with Spam, it became White Spicken Spili. I was just trying to do something different and thought that ham and beans were pretty good together so why not try this? It turned out amazing! My wife was as stunned as I was at how good and simple it was. This recipe was the hands down winner that night. The girls freaked out when they found out what it was and what was in it and that they voted for Spam! It is really, really good and really, really easy!"

White Spicken Spili Recipe Ingredients:

1 can of Spam
1 packet of McCormick White Chicken Chili Seasoning Mix
16 oz. can of white beans
1 pound block (to taste) of pepper jack cheese
½ diced onion

White Spicken Spili Recipe Directions:

1. Cut Spam into ¼ inch cubes.
2. Saute cubes and onions in your chili pot with a little butter or oil for 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add can of white beans, a cup of water and seasoning packet.
4. Bring to boil.
5. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Grate just enough pepper jack into spili to thicken.
7. Add a little heat, stir in until melted.
8. Serve.

About Craig Wiseman:

Even before he wrote 'Live Like You Were Dying' for Tim McGraw, Craig Wiseman was one of Nashville's most respected and admired songwriters. Wiseman was crowned BMI's Songwriter of the Year in 2003, 2005 and 2007.  In 2005, he won a Grammy for Best Country Song for 'Live Like You Were Dying,' which spent a record-breaking 10 weeks at No. 1. Wiseman also took home the CMA and ACM Song of the Year awards for 'Live Like You Were Dying' that year -- and the following year -- for Brooks and Dunn’s 'Believe.' In 2009, NSAI honored Craig as the Songwriter of the Decade at their annual awards ceremony.

To date, Wiseman has had well over 300 cuts, 100 singles and 19 No. 1’s, including Kenny Chesney’s 'Summertime,' Toby Keith’s 'Love Me If You Can,' Blake Shelton’s 'Hillbilly Bone' (featuring Trace Adkins) and most recently Chris Young’s 'Voices.' Other artists who have recorded Wiseman's songs are Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Montgomery Gentry, Phil Vassar, LeAnn Rimes, Boyzone and Dolly Parton.

In addition to writing hit songs, Wiseman is also the owner of his own publishing company, Big Loud Shirt Music, on which he has signed several hit songwriters including Rodney Clawson and Chris Tompkins. In seven years of Big Loud Shirt's doors being open, the group has charted over 65 singles -- 13 of which topped the charts and 10 of those being penned by Wiseman.


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