Search Results for: blog comfort foods casseroles

Chickenlicious Comfort Food

In our home chicken is king. You can’t beat the bird’s price, flavor, and its versatility. What’s more, my kid loves it, which means I am spared a night’s worth of cajoling, bribing and threatening, when chicken is on the menu. Chicken is also an excellent addition to popular comfort foods, such as soups and casseroles. This winter has been especially harsh in the Upper Midwest, so we’ve relied on comfort foods to help warm up. The following Chickenlicious dishes are among our favorites: PARMESAN CHICKEN SOUP Ingredients: 4 tablespoons olive oil 4 boneless chicken breasts, diced in to bite … Continue reading →

Comfort Food for Cold Days

With all due respect to the residents of Florida, 39 degrees as a high temperature in January is a heat wave compared to the daytime high of 9 degrees that we suffered through today. I was born and raised in Hawaii, but now live in Wisconsin, so I understand that all things are relative in the weather department. I also know the power of a warm meal on a cold day… regardless of how you define “cold.” The following recipes are among my favorite “comfort foods.” They can take the biting sting out of an icy day with minimal prep … Continue reading →

Comfort Foods: Soup and Sandwiches

I grew up in Hawaii where the mercury rarely dips below 60 degrees. Needless to say, growing up, I didn’t crave soup as much as I do now that I live in the Upper Midwest where the average winter last about 8 months. These days soup and sandwiches are the ideal comfort food on a bitterly cold day. I’ve warmed up with the following recipes for the last decade. Hopefully, you will find them as warm and comforting as I do, regardless of where you reside. PATTY MELT Ingredients: 3 tablespoons butter 2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced 8 … Continue reading →

Comfort Foods: Meat and Potatoes

Continuing with our “Comfort Foods” theme, today I am focusing on the classic combination of meat and potatoes. There are some people who don’t go a single day without ingesting at least one meal that features a hearty helping of meat and potatoes. For these individuals the combo screams comfort. While I make a concerted effort not to serve meat and potatoes for dinner every night, I do admit that the combo brings back fond memories of my childhood. The following recipes were some of my favorites: CLASSIC MEATLOAF Ingredients: 2 pounds ground chuck 1 envelope dry onion soup mix … Continue reading →

Comfort Foods: Super Soups

Canned soups can come in handy when you are pressed for time and need to get a meal on the table fast. But, what most people don’t realize is that homemade soup doesn’t require a ton of time to prepare, and it’s so much healthier than the canned version. The following recipes prove that. Tip: Double the recipe and you can have delicious and nutritious leftover soup for lunch or dinner the next day. SIMPLE POTATO SOUP Ingredients: 1 medium onion, diced 2 stalks celery, finely chopped 4 tablespoons butter 1 (32-ounce) bag frozen Southern style hash brown potatoes 3 … Continue reading →

Comfort Foods: Casseroles

I’m on a comfort food kick. Perhaps, it’s because we are still dealing with snow and below zero windchills, or I’m just lazy. Either way when I think of comfort food, casseroles immediately come to mind. If you have a large family or you contribute to a lot of potlucks, then you know how convenient casseroles can be. You simply gather a bunch of delicious ingredients, mix them up, place them in the oven, and a short time later—presto—instant dinner. If you are looking for a warm, hearty, one-dish delight to serve tonight, consider the following outstanding casserole recipes: CHICKEN … Continue reading →

Simple Ways To Use Leftover Ham

According to food experts, you can safely eat leftover ham for up to five days after it was initially served, provided it was properly stored in your refrigerator. You may freeze leftover ham for up to six months, but for best quality, experts recommend that you consume it within two months. So, if you still have leftover ham from Easter, then time is ticking. That said, you might consider breathing new life into your leftover ham by making the following dishes: PASTA, PEAS AND HAM Ingredients: 2 (9-ounce) packages fresh tortellini, cooked 3 tablespoons butter 2 cloves minced garlic 2 … Continue reading →

Combining Meat and Cheese

When I’m looking for a quick meal to serve on a busy weeknight, I often turn to my initials—-MC. When my family members see MC on the dinner calendar that hangs on our refrigerator door they instantly know that we’ll be dining on two favorites: Meat and cheese. I have a seemingly endless variety of recipes, which feature a combination of meat and cheese, that are fast, tasty and nutritious. Some of my family’s favorites are: CHEEZ-IT MEATLOAF Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef 1 cup crushed Cheez-It crackers (you can also use a generic version of cheese crackers) 1/4 cup … Continue reading →

White Ham

My young daughter absolutely loves ham, but strangely enough she wouldn’t touch my pork chops until I convinced her that they were nothing more than “white ham.” Now she’ll eat them without complaint. It could be because I top them with her favorite raspberries and pair them with mac and cheese, but I’m not going to overanalyze the situation. If you are looking for a dinner that is a breeze to make and will be eaten by grown-ups and kids alike, then try these tasty recipes: PORK CHOPS WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE Ingredients: 4 pork chops Salt and pepper 1/4 cup … Continue reading →

Saturday Steak Night

Growing up, Saturday was always steak night at our house. Rarely did my parents ever serve steak on any other night. There were a couple reasons for it being that way: First, my dad worked long hours during the week and the weekend was the only time he could fire up the grill and cook steaks for our large family. The other reason had to do with the fact that steak is not cheap. Purchasing eight steaks more than once a month was simply not in the budget. So, one Saturday per month we splurged, and each of us got … Continue reading →