Place the chopped bacon in a cold, large sauté pan or skillet, then cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate.

Remove about half the bacon fat from the pan. You can set it aside in a small bowl and add as needed later in this recipe, save it for another use, or discard.

Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high, and sear the chicken in the bacon fat until lightly browned on both sides (they don’t need to be cooked through). Remove to a plate.

Lower the heat to medium. Add the diced onion and red bell pepper; sauté for 3–4 minutes until softened (use additional bacon fat or olive oil, if needed.) Add the garlic; cook for 30 seconds.

Add the green chiles and cumin and stir to combine. Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits.

Return the chicken and half the bacon to the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 30–40 minutes, or until the chicken pulls apart easily with two forks. Shred the chicken right in the pan; simmer uncovered a few more minutes if the liquid needs reducing.

Lower the heat to very low. Stir in the heavy cream. Add the white chocolate and stir constantly until it melts and emulsifies. Taste to get a baseline.

Stir in the lime zest and juice. Taste again. If you want it a little sweeter, add more white chocolate, 1/2 ounce at a time. Or, adjust with salt or more lime juice to bring the sweet and savory flavors into balance.

Pile it over rice, tuck it into tortillas, or spoon it into bowls like creamy chile chicken stew. Finish with the remaining bacon and desired garnishes.