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!
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 chocolate lightly flavoring 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 zest of one lime.
- 2c shiitake mushrooms
- 1c cremini mushrooms
- 1 can 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 stock. Let boil for 5-8 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add coriander, ginger, fish sauce, and coconut milk. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes.
- Reduce 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 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, pinch of cayenne pepper, 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 it 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 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 this 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.