Pour this 1 mixture over raw chicken breasts into a slow cooker for a cozy winter dish you’ll crave on repeat

For a lighter version, swap half of the heavy cream for whole milk or half-and-half; the sauce will be a bit less rich but still pleasantly creamy. If you prefer thigh meat, boneless, skinless chicken thighs work beautifully and stay very tender—just keep the total weight around 1 pound and check for doneness. To add more vegetables, stir in 2 cups of baby spinach or chopped kale during the last 15 minutes of cooking on LOW (or last 5–10 minutes on HIGH); the greens will wilt into the sauce without becoming mushy. You can also tuck 1 to 2 cups of small broccoli florets or frozen peas around the chicken before adding the pasta for extra color and texture. For a smokier profile, add 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika to the sauce mixture. If you enjoy a stronger sage note, finish the dish with a drizzle of sage-infused brown butter: quickly brown 2 tablespoons butter with a few fresh sage leaves in a small pan and pour over the pasta just before serving. Leftovers reheat well with a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce; the pasta will continue to absorb liquid, so don’t hesitate to add more as you warm it on the stovetop or in the microwave.

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My 9-year-old daughter baked 300 Easter cookies for the homeless — the next morning, a stranger showed up at our door with a briefcase full of cash. My daughter, Ashley, has always had a heart too big for her chest. Since my wife died, we’ve barely been making ends meet. We spent everything we had trying to save her from cancer. But when Easter came this year, Ashley told me she’d been saving up her own money to buy ingredients. “For the homeless,” she said. Her mom used to be one of them. She was thrown out by her parents when they found out she was pregnant with Ashley. When I met her, she had nothing — but she had the brightest smile and the sharpest mind I had ever seen. I fell in love with her. I took her and Ashley in. And from that moment on, Ashley became my daughter in every way that matters. So when Ashley said she wanted to help people like her mom once was… I didn’t stop her. For three nights straight, after school and homework, she baked. Her little hands worked nonstop. She found her mom’s old cookie recipe. She rolled every piece of dough herself. She decorated every cookie. She made three hundred cookies. On Easter, she handed them out one by one. She looked people in the eyes. She wished them a Happy Easter. Some of them smiled. Some of them cried. I stood there thinking it was the proudest moment of my life. I thought that was the end of it. The next morning, I was washing a mountain of dishes when the doorbell rang. I opened the door. An older man stood there in a worn-out suit, holding a scratched aluminum briefcase. His eyes were locked on Ashley. Before I could ask anything, he set the case down and opened it. I froze. Stacks of hundred-dollar bills — more money than I had ever seen in my life. “I saw what your daughter did yesterday,” he said, his voice shaking. “I want to give all of this to her.” My heart skipped. Then he added: “But you have to agree to ONE CONDITION.” My chest tightened. “What condition?” I asked. He stepped closer. He lowered his voice. And what he asked for in return made my blood run cold.