Winters and holidays go hand in hand, bringing along opportunities to hang out with loved ones and share hearty meals. On those cold nights, nothing beats the company of friends and family and warm, comforting food. To ensure one has a wholesome meal every winter night, one can rely on a few recipes that are perfect for the cold weather. One might also be able to use just pantry staples to whip these meals up.
1. Roasted tomato soup with cheddar cheese
To make this easy winter comfort food, all one needs is tomatoes, yellow onion, garlic cloves, thyme, olive oil, black pepper, salt, chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, sharp Cheddar cheese, and freshly chopped olives.
- Preheat the oven and add onion, thyme, oil, pepper, garlic, tomatoes (with the cut side facing down), and salt to a large-rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake the tomatoes in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the tomato skins blister.
- Peel and discard the tomato skins and remove thyme. Then, transfer the baked contents to a Dutch oven and add some salt, broth, and vinegar.
- Use an immersion blender to process the mixture for about two minutes.
- Over medium flame, bring this mixture to a simmer.
- Remove the mixture from heat after letting it simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Use a blender again to ensure that the soup’s texture is smooth.
2. Baked spaghetti
Cheesy pasta can be the perfect comfort food for winter. To make this baked variation, one needs spaghetti, seasoning, ground beef, marinara sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and basil.
- Cook spaghetti in a large pot. Then, drain the water and set the pasta aside.
- Over medium heat, melt butter in the same pot. Add beef, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes to the vessel.
- Cook the mixture using a wooden spoon until the meat seems to be cooked through.
- Add marinara sauce to the beef, simmer, and cook for about three minutes.
- Take the pot off the heat and stir in cooked ricotta and spaghetti.
- Transfer this mixture to a baking dish, sprinkle some cheese over it, and place it in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once done baking, season the dish with basil before serving it.
3. French onion pot roast
This warm winter comfort food needs boneless beef chuck roast, seasonings, onion soup mixture, oil, onions, dry red wine, beef broth, shredded Gruyère, and a baguette.
- Use a spice grinder to crush the onion soup mixture, salt, and pepper until large pieces of the mix are broken down. Season a dry piece of beef with this seasoning mix.
- Grab a large, enameled, high-rimmed cast-iron or stainless steel skillet and place it over medium heat. Heat some oil in it and coat the pan.
- Cook the beef for about four minutes on each side before transferring it to a plate.
- Add onions and salt to the same skillet and cook until the onions turn brown.
- Add wine to the skillet and keep stirring until it reduces.
- Add broth, the cooked beef, and thyme to the skillet and bring this mixture to a simmer. Cover it with a lid. Roast the beef until it can be easily pulled apart, and then transfer it to a cutting board and discard the thyme.
- Bring the sauce in the skillet to a simmer over medium heat. Stir occasionally and remove the fat off the surface using a ladle until the liquid reduces by half.
- Shred beef with a fork and add it back to the skillet.
- Top the skillet with cheese and broil until the cheese melts and begins browning in spots.
- Top the dish with thyme and serve it with sliced baguette.
4. Garlic butter beef tenderloin
This hearty dish is perfect for winter evenings. To make it, one will need whole beef tenderloin, butter, seasonings, olive oil, sour cream, horseradish, heavy cream, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, sugar, and Dijon mustard.
- Refrigerate the tenderloin for 30 minutes. Then, tuck the thinnest part of the tenderloin under itself to give it even thickness and secure it with some kitchen twine. Tie the beef tightly, leaving three-inch spaces. Season the beef with salt and pepper.
- Grab a skillet, melt some butter, and add garlic and thyme sprigs to it. Cook until the garlic sizzles and gets fragrant without browning.
- Grab another pan, add olive oil, and swirl to coat the vessel completely.
- Add beef to the pan and cook it until it’s brown.
- Take the pan off the heat and coat the beef with the previously prepared garlic and butter mix.
- Place this pan in the oven and let it roast at 120 degrees Fahrenheit to get a rare steak and about 125 degrees for a medium-rare cook.
- Remove the meat from the oven and place it on a cutting board.
- Now, prepare the sauce by combining sour cream, heavy cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, horseradish, mustard, salt, sugar, chives, parsley, and pepper in a small bowl before stirring.
- Discard the twine and cut the meat. Top it off with garlic butter or juices in the pan.
- Serve the meat with the sauce.
5. Chicken and cornbread dumplings
One can never go wrong with a warm chicken meal on a winter night. For this recipe, one needs skinned, bone-in chicken breasts and thighs, creamed chicken soup, chicken broth, butter, parsley, thyme, milk, all-purpose flour, seasonings, self-rising yellow cornmeal, carrots, parsnips, celery, sweet onions, and baking powder.
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Place the chicken in a slow cooker with carrots, celery, and parsnips.
- In a separate vessel, whisk soup and broth until combined.
- Add the soup mixture to the cooker, cover it, and cook on high until the chicken can be shredded easily with a fork.
- Remove the chicken and let it cool for 10 minutes. Then, bone and shred it and add it back to the cooker. Cover this and cook until the mixture boils.
- Make the dumpling dough by whisking flour with cornmeal, baking powder, salt, milk, thyme, butter, and parsley.
- Drop a quarter cupfuls of dough into the simmering chicken mixture, leaving a quarter-inch space between the dumplings.
- Cover this mixture and cook on high power until the dumplings double in size and are ready to serve.