THis isn't a White Chili, but it is the best Chicken Chili I have ever had. It is an Ina Garten recipe..... Chicken Chili from Ina Prep Time: 15 min Inactive Prep Time: hr min Cook Time: 1 hr 45 min Level: Easy Serves: 6 servings 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions) 1/8 cup good olive oil, plus extra for chicken 1/8 cup minced garlic (2 cloves) 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced 2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained 1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves 4 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on Freshly ground black pepper For serving: Chopped onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6 to 8 times). Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly. Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with the toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.

Oh wow, just noticed you are making all of these yourself? They all would benefit from a few things waiting until the heat and serve time...a half hour before party time. (keeps cooking during the party even on a simmer) Cheese, cream/milk, coconut milk, herbs, etc. Basically anything that is added last in the recipe that says "add last and bring to temp and serve". Canned corn is kinda dead tasting and usually full of sugar. Frozen, added morning-of, would be better. Puree half of it for creamed corn. Side bowls of fresh herbs, limes, cilantro, grated cheese, croutons, toasted slices of baguettes, tortilla chips...even if it is already in the soup, folks like to customize their bowl, :) (tortilla added to the soup gives a nice flavor and breaks down in the broth and really good, but adding half later is nice for the texture) Almost all soups freeze just fine as leftovers cooked all the way as a recipe even with a pasta or rice...but do taste like a leftover. Holding off an ingredient or two will give it some freshness, like the chopped kale or fresh chopped tomatoes. When i thaw leftover soups, i always dig in the fridge and look for something fresh to add, like a fresh frozen salsa, pesto, shelled edamame... You are on the right tract by holding off what makes sense. Keeping the list and menu planned and organized for what goes into where and when can be tricky. (imagine what a restaurant chef goes through all day, every day! yikes) -don't mean to be anti-canned goods, but most of those recipes passed around are coming from the big manufacturers of processed foods, so the same flavors can be made with much fresher ingredients without the chemicals and fake flavors.

I would guess that "fresh" ricotta means recently made ricotta as opposed to manufacturer-made ricotta? Maybe there is an Italian deli near you that makes their own ricotta? I think the meatballs will freeze just fine but might be more moist than a recipe w/o the ricotta cheese - don't know for sure as I have never made meatballs with a soft cheese in the ingredients. I do make and freeze meatballs all the time. You might want to freeze these in hard-sided plastic containers rather than bags as these may be softer meatballs than most. I would use foil or parchment paper to line the baking sheet - less chance they will stick to the pan. Teresa

mylab, I'm also glad to know that Donna freezes fudge, in case I ever feel the need to do that. Not that I ever have, because it gets eaten far before it could go bad. Of course, if it were frozen maybe it would last longer because I couldn't eat it as quickly. Yeah, that might work! Annie