r you need a pick-me-up after a rough day or you want to celebrate a good one, you might find yourself rummaging around the kitchen for some good ole’ fashioned comfort food. For many of us, comfort foods are simple in nature and often times remind us of pleasant childhood times. Some people might associate good childhood memories with apple pie and ice cream, eggs and bacon arranged in the shape of a smiley face, or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. If you aren’t sure which comfort food YOU are in the mood for, I encourage you to read through the following recipes of popular comfort food favorites.

Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:
4 cups of cooked, cut green beans
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 1/3 cup of French fried onions
1/2 cup of milk
1 tsp of soy sauce
a bit of black pepper

Directions:
In a large casserole dish, mix together the green beans, milk, cream of mushroom soup, soy sauce, pepper, and 2/3 cup of the French fried onions. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F (or until it starts to bubble). Remove from the oven and stir the beans well. Sprinkle the remaining French fried onions on top and put back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes or until the onions start to brown.

Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
1/2 lb of Velveeta cheese
2 1/2 cups of uncooked macaroni noodles
3 tbsp of butter
1 qt of milk

Directions:
Melt the butter and pour into a baking dish with the macaroni noodles. Stir well until the butter coats all of the noodles. Cut the Velveeta cheese into chunks and add to the milk and macaroni mixture. Bake for about a half an hour at 325 degrees F.

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:
4 cups of boneless, skinless chicken chunks
2 1/2 cups of chicken broth (add more if you like yours very soupy)
1 cup of sliced carrots
1 1/2 cups of chopped potatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf (optional, but nice!)

Directions:
In a large stew pot, simmer the chicken in the broth with salt and pepper on a low heat for about thirty minutes. Add the bay leaf, chopped carrots, and potatoes and increase to medium heat. Cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes have softened. Make sure not to overcook as the potatoes will turn mushy.

Dumplings:
1 cups of flour
2 tsp of butter
4 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt
3/4 cup of milk

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Slowly add in the milk and butter, then mix thoroughly. If you prefer, you can add a teaspoon or two of parsley flakes. Drop by the spoonful on top of the chicken and broth during the last 15 minutes of cooking and cover.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:
3 cups of uncooked oats
1 1/2 cups of raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1 cup of softened butter
2 eggs
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of vanilla

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat together the granulated and brown sugars with the butter until it turns creamy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. When this is well mixed, add the oats, raisins, and walnuts. Stir well, then drop by the spoonful onto un-greased cookie sheets. Bake for about 12 minutes at 350 degrees F. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet a few minutes before removing them to wire racks to cool completely.

By: Patrick Carpen

About the Author:

Kid’s Beds

de bread is one of the most delicious and comforting foods around. Walking into a kitchen teeming with the yeasty smell of warm bread is like receiving a warm hug from a dear friend; unless, of course, your oven is billowing black smoke and smells of charred food. It’s true that some types of bread do require a certain culinary finesse, however we’ve got a few recipes here that are virtually fool-proof—meaning even the most culinary-challenged can pull them off!

This first recipe is for Amish bread, which is essentially a sweet white bread. Slice it up for sandwiches or toast slathered with butter and preserves. YUM!

Ingredients
6 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tbsp. active dry yeast
2/3 c. white sugar
2 c. warm water
1/4 c. vegetable oil

To make: First, you need to activate the yeast. For this, you’ll want to get a large bowl and add the water and sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, add the yeast. Let this sit until the yeast takes on a foamy look. Next, add the oil and the salt to the yeast. Be careful not to stir too vigorously.

Mix in the flour one cup at a time. Set that aside and sprinkle a handful of flour on the (clean!) counter top. Transfer the dough from the bowl to the counter and begin to knead until the dough is smooth. If your dough is still very sticky, sprinkle flour into it as you knead until it becomes smooth.

Oil a large bowl and roll the dough just enough to give the dough a very light coat of oil. Put a damp tea towel over the bowl so the dough can rise (double in size). This usually takes about an hour.

Take the dough out and knead again for a few minutes. Split the dough into even halves and shape them into loaves. Place each loaf into a well-oiled bread pan and leave it to rise for about 30 minutes, or until the dough has risen about 1 inch above the top of the pan. Place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F and bake for about 30 minutes.

This next recipe we have is for a Jewish bread called Challah. It’s a very simple bread that is rolled into ropes and braided before baked. Challah will impress your friends and family in both the looks and the taste department—resulting in nods of approval and a boost to your pride!

Ingredients
7 1/2 c. bread flour
4 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
3/4 c. white sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 c. margarine (melted)
3 eggs (beaten) plus 1 egg (beaten)—keep separate

To make: In a bowl, add warm water, melted margarine, the 3 beaten eggs, and sugar. Mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, yeast, and salt. Slowly add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix together.

Sprinkle a handful of flour on a counter-top and knead the dough until smooth. Add a few sprinkles of flour here and there if the dough seems too sticky. Split the dough into equal halves. Take each half and split it into three equal pieces (so you have six smaller mounds of dough). Roll each mound into ropes about 3/4 inches thick (you can do this by rolling them between your hands “prayer” style).

Once all six ropes are equal in size and length, you’re going to braid them into two loaves. To do this, take three ropes and pinch them together at the top. Proceed to “braid” them, pinching them together at the bottom. Do the same for the three remaining ropes. If you can’t braid, just make two ropes per loaf and twist them together.

Grease a cookie sheet and transfer the loaves onto it. Brush them with the last beaten egg. Put them in a warm place to rise until they have doubled in size (about an hour or so). Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F for 20 - 30 minutes.

If you’re looking to fill the chilly autumn or winter mornings nursing a hunk of sweet bread and a steaming cup of coffee or tea, then we have just the recipe for you! Portuguese sweet bread is brilliant on its own or warmed with butter. You can even sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top for a spicy treat. But best of all: it’s easy to make!

Ingredients
6 c. all-purpose flour
2 pkg. active dry yeast
3/4 c. sugar plus 1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. warm water
1 c. lukewarm milk—scalded, then cooled
3 eggs plus 1 egg
1/2 c. butter—softened

To make: Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Once it has dissolved, add the milk, 3 eggs, butter, 3 cups of flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, and salt. Mix together, then stir in the remaining flour.

Take a handful of flour and sprinkle on the counter-top. Knead the dough until it is smooth (it should take on an elastic texture). Grease a bowl and place the dough inside, turning it over so the dough takes on a thin coating of grease. Cover with a wet tea towel and set in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (usually this is about 1 and a half to 2 hours).

Knead the dough for a minute or two, then divide it into equal halves. Shape each half into a loaf and place in a greased bread pan. Cover with a towel and let it rise for another hour. When the loaves have risen, beat the remaining egg and brush it over the loaves. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake the loaves for about 35 - 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

You should find that these breads are all fairly simple in preparation and will deliver a wonderful result that you can enjoy time and time again. To make things easier, double the recipe and freeze a few loaves for when company comes or to save as a snack when you feel peckish. Give these recipes a try and you never know—you may find that you have knack for bread-making after all!

By: Patrick Carpen

About the Author:

Malpractice Lawyers

Jim Bolding wrote:


If meatloaf is in your comfort food category then most likely you grew up with it. Comfort foods are like that. They bring back the memories of childhood and the great smells and tastes from Mom’s kitchen.

In all probability my Mom’s meatloaf recipe, that is comforting to me, is not the same as your Mom’s.

That’s what’s so great about meatloaf. There’s not a definitive recipe.

It’s a blank canvas. One of the most versatile meat entrees there is. It can be anything you want it to be.

It’s actually more of a food category than it is a food item. In the same manner that soup is a food category.

Meatloaf Basics

Great meatloaf should always be juicy but never greasy. It shouldn’t fall apart when sliced. It should not be bland but it should also not be so heavily seasoned that it looses its meatiness.

Even though there’s not a definitive recipe there are some basics to every meatloaf recipe.

Naturally it starts with meat. Most recipes call for ground beef but it doesn’t have to be all ground beef. You can use a combination of meats including veal, lamb, pork or sausages. The meat is a basic but still versatile.

In addition to the meat you will almost always have some type of binder such as eggs and a starch such as bread or cracker crumbs. Some recipes also include vegetables.

The crumbs help to bind along with the eggs and also serve as an extender for the meat. Vegetables are also an extender and will help to keep the meatloaf moist.

To add to the versatility you can use store bought flavored croutons for the crumbs. Just pulse them in the food processor. You can also buy flavored breadcrumbs.

Vegetable variations make meatloaf even more versatile. I know a lady that cleans her refrigerator of leftovers each week with meatloaf. Her meatloaf is never the same but always good.

You will also see meatloaf recipes that have a topping put on before baking. A favorite is bacon strips. Tomato products are also popular. My Mom used catsup.

Seasoning is a matter of taste. Use whatever you like. If there were anything basic I would say just salt and pepper. Beyond that let your taste buds be your guide.

Want a Mexican meatloaf? Try chili powder and cumin. Use ground tortilla chips as the starch and a taco sauce topper.

How about Italian? Then it’s oregano and basil. Garlic croutons or Italian breadcrumbs are good for the starch and of course a good Italian pasta sauce for the topper.

Do you want a meatloaf with an oriental slant? Add in a can of oriental style vegetables and use soy sauce to taste.

Do you see what I mean?

Of course you should still prepare the one that is comforting to you. But you can travel the world from your kitchen with meatloaf and all its variations.

Meatloaf truly is a versatile comfort food.



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