Goodness, it sure is cold here in ATL! I love the cold weather and snow! This weather calls for a warm fire, hot chocolate, and some yummy comfort foods.
These are a few of my go-to comfort food recipes for those blustery days.
Hot Chocolate
I am a TOTAL SNOB when it comes to hot chocolate. None of those packets for me, no, no. Made from scratch goodness only! You can also try one of these recipes!
Ingredients:
- whole milk
- sugar
- salt
- turmeric
- cinnamon
- cocoa powder
Directions:
- I’m a little loosey-goosey on the measurements because I measure with the mugs I fill for the kids when we make hot chocolate.
- Pour milk into the pan. When warm (not boiling, do not let your milk boil at any point in this process), whisk in sugar, turmeric, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. When dissolved, the milk will be a golden color, and it will taste scrumptiously delicious.
- Add cocoa powder to desired chocolateyness. Our editor tells me that “chocolateyness” is not a word, but if you like dark chocolate, you need more cocoa powder. If you want a chocolate flavor in your golden milk, you need just a little cocoa powder. See? Chocolateyness should be a word.
Tom Kha Gai Soup
This recipe hails from my lovely mother-in-law, who is a wonderful cook. She taught us this recipe during a visit when it was especially cold. This is the ULTIMATE comfort food to warm your bones. There is a lot to it, but this makes a huge batch and you can eat on it for several days.
Ingredients:
- 6c chicken stock
- whole rotisserie chicken, meat pulled off the bones and cut or torn into bite-sized pieces (set bones aside)
- 1 lemongrass stalk
- 4 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or frozen. You can sometimes find these at Asian grocery stores. If not, substitute with the zest of one lime.
- 2c shiitake mushrooms
- 1c cremini mushrooms
- 1 can of straw mushrooms (optional), can usually be found at Asian grocery stores
- 1 thumb-sized knob of galangal or ginger, some grated, the remainder sliced into chunks
- 1t sriracha sauce
- dash red pepper flakes
- 2 cans of coconut milk
- juice of 1-2 limes (start with 1, add more to taste)
- 2T+ fish sauce (start with 2, add more by the tablespoon if not enough flavor)
- 1t ground coriander
- handful of fresh basil, julienned
- 1/2 bag basmati rice
- raw cashews, coconut oil, scallions (sliced), cayenne pepper, salt… more below
- Optional: cilantro and basil for garnish
Directions:
The first step is optional, but you’ll get more flavor (and health benefits) out of the broth, especially if you’re using store-bought broth.
- Put chicken bones in a cheesecloth. In a large stock pot, boil chicken bones in stock.
- Meanwhile,
- Mince the lower portion of the lemongrass stalk, and cut the upper portion into large pieces
- Clean and slice all mushrooms
- Zest lime if not using kaffir lime leaves
- Julienne basil
- Slice scallions
- Open cans of coconut milk
- Cook rice per package instructions
- Cook cashews (see below)
- Remove chicken bones from stock.
- Add mushrooms, lemongrass, sriracha, red pepper flakes, kaffir lime leaves (or lime zest) to the stock. Let boil for 5-8 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add coriander, ginger, fish sauce, and coconut milk. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add chicken and stir well.
- Add lime juice and basil.
- Do a taste test:
- Add more fish sauce if it needs more flavor
- Add a pinch of sugar if it’s too sour
- Add more lime juice to deepen the flavor
- Add more coconut milk if too spicy
- Add more sriracha sauce / red pepper flakes if not spicy enough
- Serve soup over a scoop of rice. Top with cashews. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, basil, and/or scallions.
Directions for cashews:
- In a large skillet, heat coconut oil on medium-high heat.
- Add cashews and toss until coated with coconut oil.
- Keep tossing cashews until toasted. Add scallions, a pinch of cayenne pepper, a dash of red pepper flakes, and salt about halfway through the cooking process.
The cashews are the best part of this recipe if done right. We usually make up a fairly large batch of cashews, and we try to say we just use them for the Tom Kha soup, but it usually disappears in a day or two.
Granny’s Chicken Casserole
My great-grandmother was an amazing southern cook. This was my favorite meal as a kid. She’d bring it to all our holiday meals just for me. I am lucky to have had her in my life for so long.
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken breasts, cooked and pulled or diced
- 1 1/2 cups minute rice
- 2 cans of cream of chicken soup
- 3 cups of chicken broth (from the chicken or store-bought)
- 1 stick of butter, melted
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 8 oz sour cream
- 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers. slightly crushed
- pepper to taste
Directions:
- To make your own broth:
- Boil the chicken breasts until cooked through. Reserve 3 cups of the cooking liquid to use as broth in this dish. Or, use cooked chicken breasts and store-bought chicken broth. Either is fine.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large saucepan, heat chicken broth, chicken bouillon cube, cream of chicken soup, and sour cream until hot.
- Meanwhile, put dry rice in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish. Put a layer of cooked chicken over the rice.
- When the liquid mixture is hot, pour it on top of the chicken layer. Top with crushed Ritz crackers. Pour melted butter over the top.
- Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Chili
I make chili a lot because it’s easy and the kids like it. This makes a pretty big batch, so you’ll have leftovers for a few days!
Ingredients:
- splash of olive oil
- onion, diced
- about 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
- about 2 tablespoons chili powder
- about 1 tablespoons cumin
- 3-4 cans of beans. I like to use a mixture of beans, like one can of kidney beans, one can of black beans, one can of pinto beans, one can of northern beans. You do you.
- 2 cans of diced tomatoes
- can of diced chilis
- Optional: beer
- Optional for serving: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and Fritos
Directions:
- This is another one where I am a little loosey-goosey on the measurements.
- Heat the oil on medium. Add onion and a pinch of salt, and cook until transparent. Add turkey and cook until done. Add chili powder and cumin, stir until very fragrant.
- While the turkey and onions are cooking, add the beans, tomatoes, and green chilis to a Crockpot. Add salt. If using beer, now’s the time to pour it in. When the turkey mixture is done, add it to the Crockpot and stir.
- Cook for 8 hours on low, taste-testing occasionally. Add salt if needed.
We usually serve our chili with cheese and sour cream, and sometimes with Fritos if we’re feeling extra fancy!
Chicken Nuggets and Kraft Mac & Cheese
Okay, this does not qualify as a recipe… but I’d be lying if I said this isn’t a total comfort meal. Throw some of those frozen nuggets in your air fryer and whip up a box of mac & cheese. Just sit there and enjoy yourself. You deserve it!
What are your go-to comfort foods?
If you’re looking for more ideas on chilly nights, check out these soup recipes.
