I cook this white chicken chili on the stove so the cumin toasts in the oil before the broth and green chiles go in. Chicken thighs simmer in that pot until they shred, then I mash a cup of beans against the side and whisk softened cream cheese with a ladle of hot broth so it melts in without lumps. If I want the tomato-and-beef version, I make homemade chili, and I set either bowl next to a pan of cornbread.

Ingredients

• 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, cut into cubes and left out to soften
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cans (4 oz / 113 g each) diced green chiles, undrained
• 4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 cans (15 oz / 425 g each) cannellini or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1½ cups (210 g) frozen corn (no need to thaw)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Soften and saute: Cut the cream cheese into cubes and leave it on the counter while the pot heats so it isn’t fridge-cold when you need it. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat, add the onion and 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and cook 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and the edges pick up a little color. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds, until it smells sweet, not raw.
2. Bloom the spices: Add the cumin, oregano, coriander, paprika, and cayenne. Stir 1 minute until the spices darken a shade and smell toasty. If they start to stick, splash in a tablespoon of broth so they toast instead of scorch.
3. Simmer the chicken: Pour in the broth and the undrained green chiles, scrape up the browned bits, and nestle in the chicken thighs. Bring to a gentle simmer with small bubbles around the edge, not a rolling boil, then cook uncovered 15 to 18 minutes, until the thickest thigh reaches 165°F (74°C) and the meat shreds with two forks. Transfer the thighs to a cutting board.
4. Mash beans for body: Stir the drained beans into the pot. Mash about 1 packed cup of them against the side with a potato masher or the back of a spoon until the broth looks cloudy and slightly thick, with plenty of whole beans still visible. Shred the chicken and return it to the pot with the frozen corn.
5. Temper the cream cheese: Ladle about 1 cup of hot chili into a bowl with the softened cream cheese and whisk until smooth and pourable, with no white lumps left. Drop the heat to low, stir the slurry back into the pot, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the chili coats a spoon. Don’t let it boil or the dairy can split. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro, taste, and add salt if the beans flattened the seasoning.

What I tried and skipped

• Cold cream cheese cubes dumped into the simmer sit as white lumps even after 10 minutes of stirring. Soften the block, whisk it with a ladle of hot broth until it’s a slurry, then stir that in off a hard boil.
• A flour-and-milk roux in a second pan thickens the pot, but the chili tastes like gravy. Mashing a packed cup of beans against the side of the pot gives the same body and keeps it tasting like chili.

What I serve it with

• A square of buttermilk cornbread to scrape the bowl.
• Baked jalapeno poppers if this is a game-day spread.
• Skillet Mexican street corn on the side for the same cumin-and-chile lane.

Storage

Cool the chili, then refrigerate it in an airtight container within 2 hours. It keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat and don’t boil, or the cream cheese can split. It freezes up to 3 months; the dairy can turn slightly grainy after thawing, so stir well while it warms and add a splash of broth if it tightened up. USDA leftover food safety guidance is the 3-to-4-day fridge window I follow for cooked chicken.

FAQ

Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?

Yes, boneless breasts cook faster and dry out sooner in this pot, so simmer 12 to 14 minutes and pull them as soon as they hit 165°F (74°C) and shred. Thighs stay juicier through the extra minutes the beans and corn need.

Can I make white chicken chili in a slow cooker?

Saute the onion and bloom the spices on the stove first, then add them to the slow cooker with the broth, green chiles, raw thighs, beans, and corn. Cook on low 5 to 6 hours or high about 3 hours. Shred the chicken, mash a cup of beans in the cooker, then temper the cream cheese with a ladle of hot liquid and stir it in on Warm, not High.

Why is my white chicken chili watery?

Usually the beans went in whole and nobody mashed any, or extra broth never got a chance to reduce. Mash a packed cup of beans against the pot, simmer uncovered a few more minutes, and make sure the cream cheese went in as a slurry so it actually thickens the liquid.

These sticky toffee pudding cookies combine finely chopped Medjool dates, salted caramel, and dark chocolate in a brown butter dough. Browning the butter develops its nutty flavor but also removes water, so replacing that moisture is a small step that helps keep the centers chewy. An overnight chill gives the dough time to hydrate before baking, while caramel shards melt into pockets across the tops.

Recipe Details

• Yield: About 16 large cookies
• Prep time: Approximately 40 minutes, plus cooling
• Chilling time: 12–24 hours
• Baking time: 12–15 minutes per batch

Ingredients

Salted Caramel Shards

• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Cookie Dough

• ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter
• Room-temperature water, as needed to replace moisture lost during browning
• ⅔ cup (135 g) packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¾ cup (120 g) finely chopped, pitted Medjool dates, measured after chopping
• 3½ ounces (100 g) dark chocolate, preferably 70–75% cocoa, roughly chopped
• All the salted caramel shards from above, divided
• Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Instructions

1. Cook the caramel. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Combine the sugar and water in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir gently until dissolved, then increase to medium. Let it bubble without stirring, gently swirling the pan if the color develops unevenly. Once deep amber, remove from the heat and carefully stir in the salt.
2. Cool and break into pieces. Immediately pour the caramel into a thin layer on the prepared sheet. Let it cool completely until hard; never touch or taste hot caramel. Break into ¼–½-inch pieces. Set aside one-third in an airtight container at room temperature for topping.
3. Brown the butter. Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom, until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl, including the browned bits. Let cool until barely warm, about 15–20 minutes.
4. Replace the lost water. Weigh the cooled brown butter in a bowl on a tared kitchen scale. Stir in enough room-temperature water to bring the combined weight back to 170 g. You’ll usually need about 1½–2 tablespoons, but use the weight as your guide.
5. Make the dough. Whisk both sugars into the butter, then whisk in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until smooth. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined, then fold in the dates, chocolate, and the two-thirds portion of caramel.
6. Shape and refrigerate. Divide the dough into 16 equal balls. If it’s too soft to scoop, refrigerate briefly until manageable. Place in a covered container and chill for 12–24 hours.
7. Prepare the cookies. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C), conventional, and line a large baking sheet with parchment. Arrange 5–6 dough balls on the sheet with plenty of room to spread. Press each into a thick puck, about ¾ inch tall. Press the reserved caramel into the tops, keeping large pieces away from the bottom edges. Leave the remaining dough refrigerated.
8. Bake and let set. Bake on the middle rack for 12–15 minutes, until the edges are browned and the centers look soft but no longer wet with raw dough. Sprinkle lightly with flaky salt. Cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack once firm enough to lift. Let the baking sheet cool before starting another batch.

Tips for Chewy Centers and Crisp Edges

• Choose soft, sticky dates. Chop them into small pieces so they blend through the dough. Firm, leathery dates will leave tougher pieces in the cookies.
• Weigh the flour and butter. Too much flour can limit spreading, while guessing how much water the butter lost makes the dough less consistent.
• Keep the caramel thin. Thick chunks can leave large, hard patches after cooling. Small, thin shards are easier to distribute.
• Use dark chocolate to balance the sweetness. Dates and caramel already contribute plenty of sugar. A 70–75% chocolate bar adds a slightly bitter contrast.
• Check a small batch first. Bake two cookies to see how they spread in your oven. If they stay too thick, flatten the next batch a little more.
• Allow time for the caramel to cool. The centers can still be warm when served, but the caramel should no longer be bubbling or piping hot.

Storage and Reheating

At room temperature: Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Place parchment between layers to keep the caramel from sticking. The edges will soften during storage.

To freeze: Freeze cooled cookies in a sealed container or freezer bag for up to 2 months, separating layers with parchment. Thaw at room temperature.

To reheat: Warm thawed cookies in a 300°F (150°C) oven for about 4–5 minutes. Let them stand briefly before eating, since the caramel can heat faster than the dough.

Common Questions

Can I use caramel sauce instead of shards?

Caramel sauce adds moisture and won’t behave like hard caramel in this dough. Use the shards for this recipe. The softer caramel used for homemade caramel apples is a different preparation and isn’t a direct substitute.

Do I need to soak the dates?

Use soft Medjool dates without soaking. Soaking introduces extra water that this dough hasn’t been formulated to accommodate.

Will the caramel stay gooey after cooling?

It will be softer while the cookies are warm. As they cool, exposed caramel can become firm or crisp. Briefly reheating the cookies softens the centers and chocolate, though the caramel won’t necessarily turn into a flowing sauce.

Can I make the dough ahead?

Yes. Shape and refrigerate it, covered, for the planned 12–24-hour chill. Keep the reserved topping shards in a separate airtight container at room temperature and add them just before baking.

More Cookies to Bake

For a smaller chocolate chip cookie to serve alongside these, try Sweet Martha’s copycat cookies.

This chicken tetrazzini is baked spaghetti, shredded chicken, and mushrooms in a cream sauce that starts on the stove. I cook the mushrooms until the pan is dry before the flour goes in, because leftover liquid is what thins the sauce in the oven. I set the pan next to a slice of golden garlic bread, or a scoop of classic coleslaw if I want something cold against the bake.

Ingredients

• 12 oz (340 g) spaghetti or linguine
• 3 cups (about 12 oz / 340 g) shredded cooked chicken
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb (450 g) cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• ⅓ cup (40 g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (60 ml) dry sherry or dry white wine
• 2 cups (480 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups (480 ml) half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• ½ cup (30 g) panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Heat the oven and cook the pasta: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti 2 minutes less than the package al dente time. Scoop out ½ cup of the pasta water, drain the noodles, and leave them in the colander without rinsing.
2. Brown the mushrooms dry: Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high. Add the mushrooms and leave them alone for 3 minutes so the first side takes color. Stir and keep cooking until the liquid they give off has evaporated and the pan looks dry, 7 to 9 minutes total. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon of the salt, cook 3 minutes until the onion is translucent, then stir in the garlic for 30 seconds and scrape everything onto a plate.
3. Build the cream sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes until it smells nutty and looks pale gold. Whisk in the sherry, scraping the brown bits off the pan, then add the broth a splash at a time so the sauce stays smooth. Stir in the half-and-half, lemon juice, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until it coats a spoon but still pours like heavy cream, not gravy.
4. Toss and top: Add the pasta, chicken, mushroom mixture, and ¼ cup of the Parmesan to the skillet and toss until every strand is coated. The mix should look a little loose; if it already looks tight, stir in a splash of the reserved pasta water. Spread it in the baking dish. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, toss it with the panko and the rest of the Parmesan, and scatter that over the top.
5. Bake, then rest: Cover the dish with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 12 to 15 minutes more, until the edges bubble and the panko is golden. Rest 10 minutes so the sauce thickens enough to scoop instead of running, then finish with the parsley.

If the tetrazzini turns dry or watery

• A tight, pasty bake means the sauce went in looking like gravy, or the pasta was already fully cooked. The sauce should pour like heavy cream, and the spaghetti still needs 2 minutes of bite left.
• A watery pan means the mushrooms were still wet when the flour went in. Keep cooking them until the skillet looks dry and they take on color. That liquid has to leave the pan on the stove, not in the oven.
• A pale, flat sauce usually means you skipped the brown bits. Don’t wash the skillet after the mushrooms. The sherry is there to pull that fond into the sauce.
• A rubbery cheese lid comes from a thick mozzarella blanket left uncovered too long. This topping is a thin panko-Parmesan layer, and it only bakes uncovered for the last 12 to 15 minutes.

Storage

Cool leftover tetrazzini, then refrigerate it in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat a portion covered at 350°F (175°C) until the center is hot, about 15 to 20 minutes, with a splash of broth if the sauce has tightened. To freeze, assemble the casserole without the panko, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge, add the topping, and bake as directed, adding about 10 minutes. USDA leftover food safety guidance is the 3-to-4-day fridge window I follow for cooked chicken.

FAQ

Can you freeze chicken tetrazzini?

Assemble it in a freezer-safe dish without the panko topping, wrap it tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, add the buttered panko and Parmesan, and bake as directed, adding about 10 extra minutes since it starts colder.

Can I use leftover turkey instead of chicken?

Use 3 cups of shredded cooked turkey in place of the chicken, same volume, no other changes. That’s the old leftover move this casserole was built for, and the sauce doesn’t care which bird you use.

What pasta can I use besides spaghetti?

Linguine or thin spaghetti are the closest. Penne or rigatoni also work if you undercook them by 2 to 3 minutes. Skip very thin angel hair, because it turns slack in the oven before the sauce sets.