Cooking Up Comfort

Posted November 15, 2011

THESE ARE THE RECIPES that are full of memories, nostalgia, tradition, and just plain ol’ good flavor.  With the cold weather bearing down, there is nothing like whipping up a familiar and favorite comfort food recipe.  Whether it is a family recipe passed down through generations, your favorite childhood dish that you will never be too old to enjoy, or just a traditional dish with a secret ingredient, these are the foods that we can always count on to taste just right and make us feel good.

Tammy Cagle – Georgia
LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP

Ingredients:
4 lg. baking potatoes (about 4 cups cubed)
1-cup butter (2 sticks)
1-cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
7 cups milk
1-cup sour cream
4 thinly sliced green onions
12 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Scrub potatoes, pat dry & cover with foil.
Bake for 75 minutes at 350 degrees or until tender; cool completely.
(Another option is to use leftover potatoes from another meal)
Peel and cube potatoes.
In a large pot, melt the butter, stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth.
Use a whisk to make sure any lumps from the flour are smoothed out.
Gradually add milk (2 cups at a time). Bring to a boil; cook and stir for a couple minutes or until thickened.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cubed potatoes, cheese, and bacon. Heat until warm. 
Mix in sour cream. Can also garnish with bacon, cheese, and green onions. 
Yield 8 servings.
 

Tim Boles - Alabama
MACARONI AND CHEESE
 
Ingredients:
½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp ground red pepper
¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups milk
2 (10 oz) blocks sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
1 (10 oz) block extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (16 oz) package elbow macaroni, cooked

Directions:
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Gradually whisk in flour until smooth; cook, whisking constantly for 2 minutes.
Stir in salt, black pepper, red pepper, and granulated garlic.
Gradually whisk in half-and-half and milk; cook, whisking constantly for 8-10 minutes or until thickened.
Stir in half of sharp cheddar cheese.
Stir in extra sharp cheddar cheese until smooth. 
Remove from heat.
Combine pasta and cheese mixture and pour into a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
Sprinkle with remaining sharp cheddar cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (bake additional 15 minutes for crusty top).
 
 

John Babb – Louisiana
CHILI

Ingredients:
2 pounds 90% or higher ground beef (chili grind style or chipped cube steak)
4 tbsp canola oil
½ fresh bell pepper, diced (or 2 tbsp dried bell pepper)
2 onions, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic (or 4 cloves garlic pressed/minced)
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1-2 cans ranch style baked beans
3 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp chipotle pepper powder (or regular chili powder)
4 regular tomatoes, diced (or 2 lg cans diced/stewed tomatoes)
2 tbsp ground black pepper
½ thoroughly gutted jalapeno (or 2 tsp ground red pepper)
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp finely grated semi-sweet chocolate (or 3 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips)
 
Directions:
In large pot, cook beef in 2 tbsp canola oil.
When done, remove from pot into dish to drain over paper towels.
In same pot, sauté at medium-high the onion, garlic, and bell pepper in 2 tbsp oil until onion just starts to caramelize. (If using dried bell pepper add to sauté mixture now).
Add chicken stock and simmer five minutes.
Add tomatoes, spices, and chocolate and simmer another 5 minutes.
Add cooked beef, ranch style beans and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
(For thicker chili, you can mash or puree half of the beans).
For maximum flavor, allow ingredients to soak and cool by refrigerating overnight and reheat to eat.

Melinda Harper – Mississippi
MOMMA’S MEATBALLS

Ingredients:
4 eggs beaten
1-cup water
2 lbs ground beef
2 cups fine Italian bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove minced garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
 
Directions:
Mix eggs and water together.
Add breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and garlic to egg mixture and let stand for 5 minutes.
Combine ground beef and grated cheese to bread mixture and mix thoroughly.
Shape into balls.
Place on broiling pan. (Line bottom of broil pan with foil to catch drippings).
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes on each side.
Don’t add sauce until you serve so the meatballs don’t soak up all the sauce.
 
 
Geri Hardy – Louisiana
CHICKEN CRESCENT ROLLS 

Ingredients:
4 or 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can evaporated milk
1 ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
 
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
In a 9 x 13 in casserole dish, combine cream of chicken soup with evaporated milk; set aside.
Separate crescent rolls; fill each with shredded chicken and a pinch of cheese.
Place in casserole dish, turning over to coat.
Sprinkle any remaining chicken and cheddar cheese around the rolls.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until bubbly and rolls are brown and cooked through.
Serve immediately.
 
 
Margaret Flick – Tennessee
SOUTHERN STYLE KALE
 
Ingredients:
2 bunches of Kale
3 cubes each Beef & Chicken bouillon
½ lb of bacon, diced in to large pieces
1 medium onion, diced into large pieces
½ tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Add all ingredients to stock pot and fill ¾ with water.
Bring to boil and let simmer for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until tender.
 

 
Myles Jones - Alabama
PEACH & PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE 

Ingredients:
1 can of crushed pineapple
1 can of peach pie filling
1 box of yellow bread cake mix
Squeeze butter or margarine
 
Directions:
Pour entire can of crushed pineapple in an 8 x 13 cake pan.
Pour the entire can of peach pie filling evenly on top of the pineapple.
Pour the powder yellow cake mix evenly on top of the pie filing to make a crust like layer.
Squeeze even 1-inch lines of butter over the mix to create a buttery crust.
Cook using the heat/time as instructed on the cake mix box.
Try serving with some vanilla ice cream on top!
 
 
Jennifer Johnson - Florida
KEY LIME MOUSSE PIE

Ingredients:
1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust 
6 tbsp fresh key limejuice
(If you can’t find key limes, you can use bottled key lime juice)
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 ½ cups heavy cream
10 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate, chopped
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup of sugar
1 ½ tbsp lime zest
White chocolate and sliced limes for garnish if desired
 
Directions:
In a medium saucepan over low-med heat, add lime juice. 
Whisk gelatin and ½ cup of heavy cream and bring to a simmer. 
Remove the pan from heat. 
Add chopped white chocolate and stir until chocolate has melted.  Cool completely.
Using an electric mixer, blend cream cheese, lime zest and 1 cup of sugar until smooth. 
Slowly beat in the cooled white chocolate mixture into the cream cheese mixture.
Using clean, dry beaters beat the remaining 2 cups of heavy cream until it forms soft peaks. 
Fold it into the filling mixture and pour into the piecrust.  Cover and freeze overnight.
Remove from freezer 1 hour before serving.
When ready to serve, slice pie and garnish as desired.  

 
Pam O’Gwynn - Alabama
GRANNA’S MISSISSIPPI MUD

Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
½ cup cocoa
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 sticks butter
1 ½ cup all purpose flour
1-½ cup walnuts
1 pkg small marshmallows
 
Icing:
½ cup butter (1 stick)
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1/3-cup milk
1/3-cup cocoa
1 (1lb) box confectioner’s sugar
 
Directions:
Melt butter and cocoa in double boiler and pour into bowl.
Add eggs, sugar, flour and salt and mix well by hand.
Add walnuts and vanilla.
Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 inch pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Remove from oven and cover cake with small marshmallows.
Place back in oven fro marshmallows to melt (about 5-10 minutes).
Remove and let cool.
Make icing by melting butter and cocoa together on stove. 
Add rest of ingredients and mix well.
Spread over cake (it will spread better if cake is still warm).
Let cake stand for 5-6 hours before eating.
 
 

The recipes featured have not been tested by seethegood.com.

Everyone has a story.