Favorite winter comfort foods

[jollystomper]

Bacon flavored sweet onion dip. I started with this recipe from the food network: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/onion-dip-from-scratch-recipe-1940409 . I modified it to my taste by using sweet vidalia onions at twice the proportion, and carmelizing the chopped onions in bacon grease instead of olive oil. I also increase the salt/pepper/garlic to my taste. For eating variation I sometimes sprinkle on a packet of True Lime on a serving.

 

[goingtotravel]

Winter is time for soups, stews and chili in our house. Pork and Tomatillo stew is one of my favorite recipes and we always freeze a few pounds of tomatillos from the garden to make this throughout the winter.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pork-and-tomatillo-stew

 

[Bamaman]

Chicken and Dumplings

In the South, we can buy frozen dumplings in the grocery stores which makes it easy.

After cooking two-three chicken breasts in the pressure cooker with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning, I remove and debone the chicken. Then cook the frozen dumplings 45 minutes. Return the chicken and serve. Very easy to cook.

 

[MissMolly]

Make a side of cornbread while it simmers and you're well fed for a few days ;-)

From my wife's collection, not mine ;-)

Sausage Bean Chowder serves 10-12
1lb bulk sausage (pork, turkey, mild/hot to your taste)
2 (16oz) cans kidney beans (undrained)
2 (15 1/2oz) cans diced (or finely diced - sometimes marked "petite diced") tomatoes (undrained)
4C water
1 medium onion, chopped (adjust to taste - we like a little less onion)
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp salt (adjust to taste - we use very little salt when cooking)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 chopped green pepper (optional)
1 C diced potatoes (increase if you like potatoes or need to stretch the recipe)

In a large pot (there's about 12 cups of "stuff" in that list) cook sausage until brown. Pour off fat. (You may find it easier to cook the sausage - especially if it's the paste-texture turkey sausage - in a large skillet. You will still need the big pot for simmering everything.)
Add kidney beans, tomatoes, water, onion, bay leaves, salt, garlic salt, thyme and pepper to browned sausage.
Simmer covered 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes and green pepper. Cook covered 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Remove bay leaves (and green pepper if bagged) and serve.

I make almost this exact same recipe except I use smoke sausage, use navy beans or sometimes 15 Beans and leave out the green pepper. It would probably be good with great northern beans too. We just call it "Bean Soup"

 

[labmom]

Here's another of my favorites. I learned this one in Newfoundland. Went for dinner at a little cafe, just six tables, and thought I had died and gone to heaven, it was so good. Made friends with the owner over the next few days and she finally gave me the recipe. This is one of those deceptively simple dishes that just works perfectly and is easy to make on a cold winter day.



Codfish au gratin, Newfoundland style



1 lb codfish, cut in 1" cubes

½ cup butter

½ cup flour

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cups milk

½ tsp seasoned salt

½ tsp fresh ground pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

½ cup breadcrumbs



Preheat oven to 375°F

In a medium saucepan, melt butter, stir in flour until smooth

Whisk constantly, cooking for 5 minutes

Reduce heat, whisk in half the milk, stir for 2-3 minutes until smooth

Add remainder of milk, salt, pepper, and onion

Whisk until it starts to thicken

Mix cheese with breadcrumbs

Place cod in greased baking dish

Cover with sauce and top with cheese/breadcrumb mixture

Bake 20-25 minutes until golden on top

This was wonderful! Made it a week ago and making it again this weekend. Thanks for sharing!

 

[braumeister]

So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know.

 

[audreyh1]

The Instant Pot gets a good workout. Beouf Bourguingnon, Rabo de Toro, Chile Verde. Good stuff!

 

[jcfradio]

Here's another of my favorites. I learned this one in Newfoundland. Went for dinner at a little cafe, just six tables, and thought I had died and gone to heaven, it was so good. Made friends with the owner over the next few days and she finally gave me the recipe. This is one of those deceptively simple dishes that just works perfectly and is easy to make on a cold winter day.

Codfish au gratin, Newfoundland style

1 lb codfish, cut in 1" cubes
½ cup butter
½ cup flour
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cups milk
½ tsp seasoned salt
½ tsp fresh ground pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 375°F
In a medium saucepan, melt butter, stir in flour until smooth
Whisk constantly, cooking for 5 minutes
Reduce heat, whisk in half the milk, stir for 2-3 minutes until smooth
Add remainder of milk, salt, pepper, and onion
Whisk until it starts to thicken
Mix cheese with breadcrumbs
Place cod in greased baking dish
Cover with sauce and top with cheese/breadcrumb mixture
Bake 20-25 minutes until golden on top

Braumeister, this is timely. Normally I would be in Newfoundland this week (as I have for most of the past 25 years), but alas, COVID has changed those plans. If I may ask, which restaurant was this from?

 

[Dash man]

I wish I could enjoy comfort foods! My doctor put me on a special Low FODMAP diet for 6-8 weeks. Then I test foods to see if I tolerate them. No comfort this winter! [emoji20]

 

[KCGeezer]

Figured today was a good day to bump this thread. It’s definitely winter here.

Tuna Casserole

16 oz pkg noodles
8 tbsp butter
5 tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups milk
8 oz cream cheese
2 cans tuna
Salt & pepper to taste
6 oz cheddar
1 c bread crumbs


Cook noodles set aside
Melt butter (I sauté onions with a little garlic but that’s just me)
Make a roux with butter and flour
Gradually add milk and let thicken. Add cream cheese, tuna, stir until cheese melts
In a greased pan, layer noodles, sauce, and grated cheddar. (A deep dish allows for two sets of layers)
Melt rest of butter, mix with breadcrumbs, sprinkle on top
Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes

 

[RetireeRobert]

Homemade beef stew with Swedish dumplings (a hard dough with just a pinch of baking powder). Stewing beef chunks, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, tomato sauce, sprinkling of peppercorns. Pair it up with some fresh artisan french bread and butter. Yum yum!

 

[albireo13]

This thread is dangerous. So many good recipes!!

 

[Stormy Kromer]

My thermometer reads -34 F here on the MN iron range. It will be even colder in the lower elevations nearby.


I'm going to make a meatloaf for supper this evening. I use elk burger, nice & lean with a little extra flavor. Mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and fresh baked bread. Cherry pie and pressed coffee for dessert. Maybe a sip of brandy while its all in the oven while I'm sitting by the wood stove.


I don't mind winter.

 

[nobody]

Dare I say: gumbo!
Not posting a recipe, if you don't know how to make it it ain't gumbo.

Hell yea!

 

[ncbill]

yummy meatballs:

your choice frozen meatballs dumped in a crock pot

combine a bottle of Heinz chili sauce & a can of cranberry sauce (w/ or w/o berries)

pour over meatballs, set on low, come back in 6-8 hours, eat.

 

[finnski1]

My thermometer reads -34 F here on the MN iron range. It will be even colder in the lower elevations nearby.


I'm going to make a meatloaf for supper this evening. I use elk burger, nice & lean with a little extra flavor. Mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and fresh baked bread. Cherry pie and pressed coffee for dessert. Maybe a sip of brandy while its all in the oven while I'm sitting by the wood stove.


I don't mind winter.

that sounds awesome.

 

[ownyourfuture]

Sauerkraut:

 

[ownyourfuture]

The Instant Pot gets a good workout. Beouf Bourguingnon, Rabo de Toro, Chile Verde. Good stuff!

I have no idea what any of that is, but it sure sounds delicious

 

[Jerry1]

Pot roast in a Dutch oven with potatoes, carrots and onions. That’s comfort in a single pan on a cold day. Usually a Sunday which I don’t understand why since the weekend is irrelevant to a retired couple. Oh well, comforting whenever.

 

[Koogie]

Sometimes it is the simple things in life.

After a morning spent snow blowing and snow shoveling, a simple "corned beef" sandwich on a bun. Lots of crappy yellow mustard.

 

[braumeister]

Since we're beginning to get into the colder weather again, I thought it might be fun to revive this thread for the benefit of (and hopefully some new inputs from) the newer members here.

I recently stumbled across this great Kielbasa Split Pea soup recipe from Andrew Zimmern, and it sounds so good I intend to try it.

 

[RobbieB]

Whole roast duck. Tastes great and makes the house smell wonderful -

 

[NW-Bound]

Wow, one year passed by already since this thread was started.

Winter is soup time for me. Onion soup, Manhattan clam chowder, vegetable chicken noodle soup, etc... That's for my lunch, and I usually eat a quart. For dinner, I need solid food.

 

[aja8888]

Texas chili....(no beans)

 

[street]

Really no different then any other season in our house. I do like soup and chili but don't care for all the salt used in bought soups.