Comfort foods

[between2worlds]

Well, winter has finally arrived just about everywhere. Everyone has cold weather favorites - that one dish that will warm you up no matter how frozen you got clearing the driveway yet again.

What is your favorite winter comfort food?

[between2worlds]

Crockpot Winter Stew

This is one of my all time favorites -

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons chopped fresh or dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pounds pork stew meat, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small winter squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1" cubes
1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained
2 cups water
1 small can of sweet potatoes (with the juice)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cube chicken bullion (or two packets of your favorite chicken Ramen seasoning packets)
1 bay leaf
1 can of french cut green beans, drained

Mix the flour, parsley, thyme, and salt in a large plastic bag or a container with a good-fitting lid. Add the pork. Shake the bag or container so that the meat is well coated.

I used to watch the Frugal Gourmet (back in the day) and one thing he was always fond of saying is "hot pan, cold oil - food won't stick". And it works for me - preheat the skillet for a minute or two and THEN add the vegetable oil.

When the oil is hot, dump in the pork and any left over coating mixture. Cook the pork until it is browned on all sides.

Pour the entire contents of the skillet into a crock pot and stir in remaining ingredients (including the juice that is in the canned sweet potatoes) EXCEPT don't add the green beans yet. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.

Add the green beans about a half an hour before serving. Don't forget to find the bay leaf and pick it out. I like the flavor that bay leaves give to meats but don't ever bite into one, they are really awful to try to eat.

[*Brown Eyed Gurl*]

My fav thing to cook in the winter is one of the simplest sides...Mashed Taders...with anything i have on hand to mix in...but always with tons of garlic and dill and butter. *makes me drooly

[wyo_rose]

Noodles are my comfort food. Any kind! Shells and cheese, alfredo, spaghetti or any pasta with cheese. Even with just butter, salt and pepper.

Or for breakfast, french toast always makes me feel better, or biscuits and gravy with scrambled eggs.

[*Brown Eyed Gurl*]

ya pasta too...but i make that ALL year round lol

[wyo_rose]

Oh! I make mashed taters all year. JOKES

[tainee]

Tainee taters

bacon, about 6 strips
potatoes, 6 large, boiled the day before, shredded
one large onion diced
one green pepper, diced
mushrooms (optional) one small can or as many as you want of fresh, sliced.
one teaspoon minced garlic (optional)
cheese, enough to spread on top

Fry the bacon to the consistency you like, take out of skillet or grill(that's what I use), keep the grease. Saute the onions and peppers, add the potatoes, cook them until golden brown, turning them occasionally to mix in the onion and peppers, now if you wish, add the garlic, and spread on the cheese, cook until the cheese has melted.
cut up the bacon and put on top of the potatoes then add the cheese.
Also, any breakfast meat can be used; sausage, ham or bacon, or all three together
talk about comfort food, it's delicious

[musicedu77]

my comfort foods is choclate and soups.

[musicedu77]

oh yay not to mention ice cream as well

[tainee]

Pork and Creamy Noodles

1 1/2 lbs of pork loin, steak or ham or even canned commodity pork will work, sliced and diced
1 onion
1 teaspoon garlic
1/3 Cup olive or vegetable oil (i used olive oil)
2 Cans of mushroom soup
1 soup Can of milk
4 oz. Cream Cheese
1 package of Aux Jus Mix (or 4 to 6 beef buillion cubes)
1 large package of egg noodles

In a skillet put the oil, onion, garlic, aux jus mix and pork on to sautee

In a large pot, boil the noodles to the directions on the package, after they are done cooking, drain and put back into the pot.

Now add the mushroom soup and milk to the skillet, bring to a boil, stirring often so it won't stick to the skillet. Add the cream cheese, stirring until it's mixed in good.

You can add this to the pot of egg noodles or ladle it on top once the noodles are dished up, either way is right.

Tainee

[wyo_rose]

Oh, a good commodity pork recipe!

[andre]

1 bag of prepared onion rings (Ore-Ida or whatever brand you have)

Bake as directed. Eat whole bag. Be happy.

[Chevy_truckin_NDN]

Mine is plain potato and meat soup with onions for tasting and a batch of Navajo Frybread.

[Dweick]

home made chicken noodle soup

or Broccolli cheese soup

Any soup on a cold winter day

with a good chunk of fresh bread Fry or baked