Tag: comfort food

Aunt Gin’s Vegetable Soup

My husband’s great aunt, Virginia Folds, used to make this for him in a pressure cooker. I’ve tweaked it a bit so I can make it in a crock-pot. Yes, there is sugar in the soup. It was Aunt Gin’s “secret ingredient.” She put it in everything. It just wouldn’t be her soup without it!

Aunt Gin’s Vegetable Soup

1 lb. stew meat, or chicken breast cut into cubes
2 potatoes; chopped
32 oz. canned diced tomatoes
1 can corn, with juice
1 can green beans, with juice
1 onion, chopped
2 cups chopped cabbage*
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup celery
salt and pepper to taste

Combine in large crock-pot. Cook on low at least 8-10 hours. You can use home canned or store bought vegetables.
I have found it best to freeze leftovers after 24 hours or the onion flavor really starts to get strong. If that doesn’t bother you, you can store it for several days in the refrigerator and reheat as needed.
*I use bagged of coleslaw mix.

Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

There’s not much more appealing in the category of comfort food then a plate full of Mac and Cheese. This version is an easy stove-top variety with the added plus of having been tweaked to make it more waist friendly without losing any taste. The secret is the hot sauce and dry mustard.

Dress it up a bit for adults by serving it with a buttery, oaked Chardonnay. It makes an excellent side dish for grilled ham steaks or enjoy it as your main course.

Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

8 oz. elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons light butter
1 egg
6 ounces milk
1⁄2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
fresh black pepper, to taste
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
8 ounces 2% extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded or cubed

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to desired tenderness and drain.
Melt the butter in the pan on low. Return the pasta to the pot and toss to coat.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and dry mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese. Stir over low heat until cheese has melted and creamy.

Ham and Bean Soup with Corn Bread

Soup is true comfort food. Finding one that is flavorful and yet super easy to make it even more comforting. One of the reasons I really like this recipe is because it is also so healthy. You mash some of the beans to make the thick broth rather than adding flour, corn starch or cream.

Healthy, easy and delicious?? Comforting indeed!

Ham and Bean Soup

3 (15 oz) cans great northern beans (rinsed & drained)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups water
1 (15 oz) can carrots, undrained
8-12 oz cooked ham, cubed or diced
1⁄4 teaspoon white pepper

Rinse and drain beans. Mash approximately one can of beans in a slow cooker or large soup pot.
Place chopped onion in water and microwave until tender. (Or you can saute the onion in a bit of oil.) Add the water and cooked onions to the mashed beans and stir gently to combine. Add the remaining beans and rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Adding more water if necessary to cover all the ingredients. Heat on low 4-6 hours in a slow cooker or heat thoroughly on the stove.

We love cornbread, but a lot of recipes are either too dry or too high in fat for my liking. I played around with one of our favorite recipes to try and come up with a balance between the two. My family likes this version better than the full-fat one!

Low-Fat Cornbread

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup light butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups low-fat milk

Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix just until moistened. Batter will be lumpy.
Pour into a greased 8-inch square baking pan.
Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes or until light golden brown on top. Serve warm or cool.

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