Our Favorite Winter Weather Comfort Foods

When the weather outside is frightful enough to keep you indoors, it’s the perfect time to spend the morning or afternoon in the kitchen. Our favorite winter comfort foods are nourishing, warming, and delicious. Even better, you can enjoy some quality time with your loved ones preparing one — or all — of these dishes for lunch or dinner.

Beef Stew

There’s nothing quite like a bowl of beef stew and freshly baked bread to warm you up on a cold winter afternoon. Our favorite recipe keeps it simple: 3 pounds of beef cut into cubes; 1 pound each of onions, white potatoes, and carrots; six cloves of garlic; two bay leaves; tomato paste; and some salt and pepper are all you need. For more complex recipes, having a bar prep sink is handy, so you and your cooking partner can work at the same time in your own spaces.

Season the beef, and brown it in a stock pot. Add the vegetables, tomato paste, and a couple of cups of water, along with more salt and pepper. Cook in the oven (at 350) until the meat is tender. As the potatoes cook, they release starch that thickens the broth and gives it a velvety texture. Serve with some freshly baked bread or cooked noodles to round out the meal.

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken pot pie is comfort food for the whole family — tender chicken and savory vegetables in a velvety sauce under a flaky pie crust. It’s also a great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken and veggies. (Bring them directly from the refrigerator to the sink, and you can rinse the storage containers with the side sprayer to make clean-up easier.) You’ll need about 3 cups of shredded chicken, 1/2 cup each of your favorite root vegetables (onion, carrots, celery, or leeks), 3 cups of chicken broth, and 1/4 cup of cream.

Start by sautéing the vegetables in butter until the onions are translucent. Add the shredded chicken and stir. Pour in chicken broth and add salt, pepper, and other seasonings. Add the cream and let the mixture simmer until it starts to thicken. Pour the mixture into a baking dish, and cover it with pie crust dough. (Use a pre-made pie crust or make your own.) Bake at 375 until the crust is golden brown.

Lasagna

Lasagna is more than comfort food. Preparing a tray of the classic pasta casserole can be an interactive experience. Grab your favorite cooking partner and set up two prep stations in the kitchen. Use a pot filler faucet to fill a tall pot with water for the pasta, and gather the rest of the ingredients while you wait: lasagna pasta, your favorite tomato sauce, zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, spinach, ricotta, and shredded mozzarella cheese. For a meaty version, choose a meat-based tomato sauce made from scratch or store-bought.

Season the pasta water generously with salt, and bring it to a boil. Slide the lasagna noodles into the boiling water, and let it cook until they are al dente. While the pasta cooks, wash and slice the vegetables. Place a layer of noodles on the bottom of a large cake pan or casserole dish. Top it with ricotta, sauce, and sliced vegetables. Repeat until you have three or four layers in the pan. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake at 375 until the cheese browns.

Potato and Cheddar Cheese Soup

A bowl of rich, creamy potato soup with golden cheddar cheese quickly warms you up on a cold, gray afternoon. Start by peeling and dicing 3 pounds of potatoes — try peeling and rinsing them over a stainless steel sink grid to make the job easier. Place them in 4 cups of boiling water generously seasoned with salt, and let them cook until a fork easily slides through the potato chunks.

While the potatoes cook, chop one large onion and 1/4 pound of bacon. Sautee the onions and bacon together in a frying pan until the bacon crisps. Puree the soft potatoes in a food processor, or mash them thoroughly with a potato masher until they are smooth. Pour the pureed potatoes into the soup pot, and slowly add 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until blended. Top the soup with homemade bacon bits, chopped scallions, or sour cream.

Turkey Chili

Cold weather and chili go together like cake and ice cream. It’s warm, filling, and versatile. Make a big batch to freeze and use to top nachos or hot dogs, mix with macaroni and cheese, or add flavor to a cheese dip. This version switches classic ground beef with ground turkey to cut the saturated fat content. A wide kitchen sink, like the Arcticstone 36-inch apron-front farmhouse sink, is the perfect place to prep and serve the chili. You’ll have plenty of room to clean the vegetables and can use the sink to catch any chili that falls as you fill serving bowls.

Start by browning 2 pounds of ground turkey in the bottom of a large stock pot. Add 2 cups of chopped onions, 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic, one chopped bell pepper, and one chopped jalapeno pepper, along with your favorite chili seasonings. Try 2 to 3 teaspoons each of chili powder, ground cumin, and oregano. Add 3 cups of diced tomatoes and two cans of red kidney beans after the turkey is completely cooked and the vegetables are translucent. Serve and top with tortilla chips, sour cream, scallions, and shredded cheese.

Give Yourself the Kitchen of Your Dreams

Cooking at home is more enjoyable when you have an attractive and well-appointed space. At Kingston Brass, you can find an array of kitchen sinks, faucets, fixtures, and accessories that make the room functional and fun to be in. Products come in a variety of materials and finishes, including stainless steel, cast iron, and stone for sinks and polished chrome, brushed nickel, antique brass, matte black, and oil-rubbed bronze for fixtures. Explore the inventory to see what’s available, and place an order today.