A Collection of Ten of My Best Comfort Food Recipes To Warm and Relax You

It's that time of year...cold, wet weather demanding comfort food recipes to warm and relax you.

To satisfy your comfort food cravings, I've collected ten of my best soothing recipes that will wrap you with warm hugs and delicious nostalgia...


Tender, Fall-Apart Herbed Chicken and Long-Grain White Rice Casserole with A Homemade Mushroom Sauce

Beef Carbonnade ~ Also Known As Beer Beef Stew

Called beef carbonnade, beer beef stew or Flemish beer stew, this mouthwatering casserole is an ideal savory and comforting dish to enjoy with the onset of autumn.

Because this delectable stew is so easy to prepare, it makes a perfect weeknight meal.  You can cook and refrigerate it a day ahead.  Or, you can make in advance and freeze it...then just reheat and prepare any sides right before you serve it.

You'll find this delicious carbonnade is certain to please all...family or guests!

                             It's That Time Of Year, So Pull Up A Seat...

                                    For A Hearty and Satisfying Meal!

Delightfully Seasoned Beef Taco Pie with Pepper Jack Cheese ~ My Happy Pie!

Packed with flavor, this family-pleasing dish is easy to make; but definitely not mundane!  I love the delightful and surprising bite of cinnamon along with the beef.  The pepper jack cheese and the chili powder offer just the right amount of heat, and the cheese adds just enough salt...no need for additional salt and pepper.

Though the pepper jack cheese does not offer over-powering heat to this delicious taco pie, you can substitute Cheddar cheese for those with more sensitive palates.  For a little additional flavor, I chose to use canned diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano.  This scrumptious casserole makes a wonderful weeknight meal or take-along dish, and it freezes well.

A fun and comforting pie, it makes me so happy...I just can't seem to get enough of it!

                                              Family Night Fun...

                                            With My Happy Pie!

Tender, Fall-Apart Herbed Chicken and Long-Grain White Rice Casserole With A Homemade Mushroom Sauce

Your family will beat a path home for this tender, fall-apart chicken casserole!  Inspired by one of my favorite retro cookbooks, it's one of those dishes my family always loved...I need to visit those cookbooks more often.

Not only is this satisfying casserole perfect for weeknight meals, the uncomplicated homemade sauce qualifies it as an excellent dish for impressive, cozy entertaining.  In addition, you'll find it makes a wonderful take-along dish that's sure to please all.

If you have a heavy schedule (as most of us do), this flavorful casserole is ideal for preparing ahead and freezing.

                                               Welcome Home...

                                            Mama Loves You!

Comforting Beef Casserole with Homestyle Egg Noodles and Colby-Jack Cheese

With the hustle and bustle of all the holidays, coupled with the cold weather, you want an easy, hearty warm dish to prepare for dinner.   You're kinda over the turkey (at least for the moment) and ready for a little beef...

Between all the holiday fare, you and your family will love this uncomplicated and comforting, cheesy beef casserole made with homestyle egg noodles! 

                                             Nice To Come Home To...

                       And So Easy...Give It To The Teenagers To Prepare!                                         

Pineapple Casserole with Triple Cheddar Cheese

If you want a little different side for Turkey Day this year that still seems "Thanksgivinish", this is such a super easy and super good dish!  More like a dessert, Southerners generally serve pineapple casserole as a side dish, much like a sweet potato casserole is served.  It also makes an awesome take-along dish!

I've tried other pineapple casseroles, but they were swimming in butter and the cheese didn't melt.  My recipe calls for half the butter typically used in a pineapple casserole.  I used finely shredded triple Cheddar cheese for a better melt and flavor variation than the plain shredded Cheddar that is generally used in this casserole.

I also experimented with using fresh pineapple; however, the canned pineapple just works better in this recipe.

This pineapple casserole is great warm or cold.  I've had it for breakfast...speaking of which, it would be fabulous for brunch!  And you know me...I also like it with whipped cream!

                                             Would You Like A Little...

                                          Whipped Cream with That?

Carrot "Souffle" Casserole ~ Adapted From The Famed Piccadilly Southern Cafeteria!

This "souffle" has been floating around my recipes-to-be-made file for a while.  Shame on me, because all this time we've been missing out of this fantastic dish!  It's an excellent imitation of a very popular side dish from the famed Piccadilly Southern cafeteria.  I think it's actually a little lighter than the restaurant's version; and, naturally, I've done my "spin" on it.

Delightfully sweet, it's similar to a sweet potato "souffle"...making it a wonderful addition to your holiday meals.  We all love our leftovers on Thanksgiving, and this is a good one for sneaking a little cold from the fridge.  (Don't tell anyone, but I love it, warm or cold, with a nice dollop of whipped cream...you know me and my cream toppings!)

                               Have Your Dessert Before Your Entree?...

                                               Why Not with It!                                    

Sweet Potato Casserole with Crunchy Nut Topping

I get calls this time every year for this fabulous recipe!  I tweaked it from a recipe I got years ago in catering school, and it makes a great take-along dish.

Just for the sake of being more "technically correct," I changed the name to Sweet Potato Casserole instead of Sweet Potato Souffle, as it was originally called.  It must be a "Southern thing":  the term "souffle" was often loosely used in school. 

                                                So Here We Are...

                                     Just In Time For Thanksgiving!

Freezes well - Thaw before adding the topping and cooking.

Serves 6-8

The Filling: 

• 2 c. mashed, cooked sweet potatoes*
• 3/4 stick (6 TB) salted butter
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. canned evaporated milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. mace
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Butter-flavored non-stick cooking spray (for the pan)

*Use about 1 and 3/4 lbs. sweet potatoes: wash and boil or bake whole, with the skin on, until fork tender; place in a bowl of cold water for about a minute, peel and mash - or use a 40 oz. can of yams in syrup (drain well).  I've used either, but my daughter and I have found the canned yams work equally as well as the fresh sweet potatoes.


In a heavy-duty mixer, combine the potatoes with the butter.  Add all the other ingredients and mix well.  Spray a shallow, approximate 9 x 1 1/2 (nine by one and one-half) inches round oven-to-table cookware dish with a butter- flavored cooking spray.  Spoon the mixture into the dish.

The Topping:

You can make a day or two ahead and keep in a container in the pantry, if you like.

• 3/4  c. crushed*  frosted corn flakes - about 1 1/2  (one and one-half ) cups whole flakes 
• 1/2 c. light brown sugar (firmly packed)
• 1/2 stick (4 TB) salted butter, melted
• 1/2 c. coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts 

*Tip:  Crush the corn flakes (not too fine) in the blender, or between two sheets of wax paper with a rolling pin.

Preheat the oven to 350º.
Combine with a fork the corn flakes, sugar and melted butter. Add the nuts and mix well. (My daughter and I traditionally sneak a couple of tablespoons to nibble - the cook's reward - yummy!)  Sprinkle the corn flake topping over the sweet potato mixture and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. Gobble Gobble!


What's That Got to do with This?

A sign of the times, or time?
While getting dressed one morning recently, I was "half" watching a rerun of an old "Lassie" TV show from the 1954 series.  "Gramps," played marvelously by George Cleveland, was sitting at the dining room table with his hand to his head, pondering (another) Lassie/Jeff dilemma. I thought he was on his cell phone, until I saw him get up to use the old wall crank phone!  That made me wake up!  

I hope you and yours enjoy a "Norman Rockwell" Thanksgiving like one you know "Gramps," Jeff and his mother, Ellen, would have had!

Satisfying Spatzle Casserole With Swiss Cheese

I was inspired to make this classic German dish when I recently ran across the noodles in a specialty grocery store (ok, Aldi). This hearty casserole is good as a winter side dish to beef or poultry, or just served with a salad for lunch. We enjoyed it this week with corned beef brisket and red cabbage.  There are many versions of this side dish, here's mine: 
   
                                         The Perfect Take-Along Dish

Approximately 8 servings

Ingredients

• One 17.6 oz. bag spatzle (Swabian egg noodles)
• 1 TB plus 1 tsp. salt (divided)
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. nutmeg (divided)
  
• 1/4 c. plus 2 TB butter (divided)
• 2 c. chopped onions (frozen are fine)
• 8 oz. shredded Swiss cheese (divided)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil.  Add the noodles to the boiling water with a 1 TB of the salt.  Lightly boil for 12 minutes.  Drain in a colander.  
3. Place the noodles in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with 1 tsp. of the salt, pepper and 1/4 tsp. of the nutmeg and gently toss.
4. Melt 1/4 c. of the butter and add to the noodles.  Thoroughly, but gently, toss the butter with the noodles.
5. Saute the onions in the remaining 2 TB of  butter until slightly brown and translucent.
6. Gently mix the onions into the noodle mixture.
7. Spray a 8" x 12" glass baking dish* with a butter-flavored cooking spray.  Spread one-half of the noodle mixture into the dish and sprinkle one-half of the cheese on top.
8. Spread the remaining noodle mixture on top of the first layer and sprinkle the other half of the cheese on top of this.  Evenly sprinkle the remaining 1/8 tsp. of nutmeg on top of the cheese.
9. Bake approximately 25 minutes or until hot.  Serve warm.  Enjoy!

*Tip:  If you want to make one-half a recipe, use a one or one & one-half qt. baking dish.  This casserole also freezes well; just thaw before cooking.  

                             Baby It's Cold Outside - Let's Have Spatzle!

Printable Recipe
 

Fabulous Southern Yellow Squash Casserole

My brother asked me for a yellow squash recipe, so I said I'd just blog my favorite.  There are many varieties of summer squash, and they are harvested from early summer through fall.

The following recipe is my version of a recipe shared with me by my baby nurse.  Yes, I had a baby nurse for a couple of weeks after my first was born! I quoted Prissy from Gone with the Wind:  "I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no babies" (nor taking care of them). All right, I also had her after my second was born; apparently "givin' birth" affected my memory for taking care of a newborn.



Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• about 2 1/2 lbs (6 or 8 ea.) yellow summer squash
• 1/2 c. chopped onion (frozen is fine)
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 c. shredded Cheddar (or mixed Cheddar/Colby) cheese 
• 1 1/2 c. crushed butter or whole wheat crackers (divided*)

Directions

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees. Wash the squash, slice into about 1/2" slices and boil in water until tender (or until a fork is easily inserted). Drain the squash very well in a colander. Using a heavy-duty mixer with a large bowl, mix the squash and onion with the butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Add the eggs, cheese and 1/2 c. crackers*.

2.  Spray a shallow, approximate 9 x 1 1/2 (nine by one and one-half) inches round oven-to-table cookware dish with a butter-flavored cooking spray. Pour the squash mixture into the cookware.  Top with the remaining 1 c. crushed crackers* and bake approximately 35-40 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.  Enjoy!

What's That Got to do with This?

My Storage Cabinet:  It happens every time, never fails - After dinner with my daughter recently, I started to reach for the perfect container and lid to store a leftover in the fridge; and I found myself pulling everything out.  "As usual," some pieces just fell on me.  Well, "as usual," this was the last time this was going to happen to me!  I proceeded to reorganize the whole cabinet, "as usual."  This project took me at least 45 minutes! You see, I'm a confessed (somewhat neat) pack rat.

My daughter and her (neat) husband bought me a whole new set of containers hoping I would toss my cream cheese containers, jars, etc. However, you see,  I really do need all this to send things home with people. My rule is that if it doesn't fit in the cabinet, I don't keep it.  That cabinet sure is getting tight though.  Guess who shows up at Thanksgiving with all the containers for taking home leftovers?


Printable Recipe