In times of stress we often look to comfort food to help us get through. Comfort food is food that soothes the psyche as it provides nourishment. It often is a food that we remember from our childhood. It can be a favorite dish that was made by Mom or Grandmother. It rarely is a gourmet dish. It is just plain solid home cooking. I have a salad that reminds me of my childhood that I make in times of stress.
In a reader's opinion poll by About.com, the following are the top 25 foods stated as comfort foods by respondents: apple pie, baked beans, banana pudding, beef stew, brisket pot roast, chicken and dumplings, chicken pot pie, chicken soup, chili, chocolate chip cookies, corn on the cob, fried chicken, gelatin, green bean casserole, hot dogs, ice cream, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, meatloaf, potato salad, pumpkin pie, shepherd’s pie, spaghetti, tomato soup, and tuna casserole.
I’ve noticed that a lot of my recipes come under the heading of comfort foods. I recently made a meatloaf. It has been a stressful couple of weeks and meatloaf just sounded good. Here are some of my comfort food recipes. Please feel free to add your own recipes or stories about food that you grew up with that you find comforting.
Crockpot Baked Beans
Recipe By :Michele Wilson
Serving Size : 12
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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2 pounds small white beans
1/2 cup brown sugar -- packed
2 large onions -- cut in chunks
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/4 cup maple syrup
6 ounces no salt added tomato paste
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon low sodium worcestershire sauce
12 ounces cherry cola
Soak beans in water overnight.
Drain beans. Add all ingredients to a crockpot and stir to coat beans. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until the beans are cooked through.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 347 Calories; 1g Fat (3.0% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 70g Carbohydrate; 20g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 83mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
Spicy Beef Stew in a Crockpot
Recipe By :Michele Wilson
Serving Size : 8
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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2 pounds beef stew meat, R-T-C -- cut in 1" pieces
4 medium potatoes -- cubed
4 medium carrots -- sliced
1 medium onion -- chopped
2 cloves garlic -- minced
21 1/2 ounces low sodium tomato soup, canned
2 cans water -- soup cans
1 cup Burgundy
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 tablespoon low sodium worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
Coat stew meat with flour, salt, paprika and pepper. Place in crockpot.
Place rest of the ingredients in the crockpot.
Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 341 Calories; 10g Fat (27.5% calories from fat); 32g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 74mg Cholesterol; 350mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe By :Michele Wilson
Serving Size : 8
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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12 ounces fat-free evaporated milk
16 ounces elbow macaroni
1 small sweet onion -- minced
2 cloves garlic -- minced
3 tablespoons butter -- divided
2 tablespoons low sodium worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 cups bread crumbs -- unseasoned
1 cup low sodium colby cheese -- shredded
1 cup monterey jack cheese -- shredded
4 cups low-sodium cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Heat oven to 350°F.
Cook macaroni in boiling water per directions. Drain. Put in 2 quart casserole.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in large saucepan. Add onion and garlic. Cook until softened.
Add milk, worcestershire sauce, nutmeg and mustard to saucepan. Add cheese one cup at a time and stir until melted.
Add cheese sauce to macaroni in casserole dish. Mix well.
Melt butter in small fry pan. Add bread crumbs and garlic powder and stir until bread is toasted. Sprinkle on top of macaroni and cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 740 Calories; 34g Fat (42.0% calories from fat); 35g Protein; 72g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 96mg Cholesterol; 483mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 5 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Tuna Casserole
Recipe By :Michele Wilson
Serving Size : 8
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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8 ounces macaroni, cooked, elbow
10 3/4 ounces reduced fat reduced sodium cream of mushroom soup
6 ounces canned tuna in water -- drained
1 cup peas, frozen
1 medium onion -- chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced
2 cups low sodium cheddar cheese
1/4 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1 tablespoon low sodium worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
Make macaroni according to instructions. Turn into a 1 1/2-quart casserole.
Put milk in a saucepan. Heat. Add cheese a little at a time and stir until it melts. Add worcestershire sauce and dijon mustard. Add soup and mix well.
Pour sauce over macaroni and mix well. Add peas, onion and garlic. Mix well.
Cover and bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 227 Calories; 10g Fat (42.1% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 38mg Cholesterol; 269mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Golden Cream of Tomato Soup
Recipe By :Michele Wilson
Serving Size : 8
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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1 small sweet onion -- diced
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1/2 cup carrot -- finely diced
1/2 cup celery -- finely diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
56 ounces low sodium tomatoes, canned -- drained and chopped
14 ounces fat-free chicken broth
6 ounces no salt added tomato paste
8 ounces no salt added tomato sauce
12 ounces fat-free evaporated milk
1 tablespoon low sodium worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cloves, ground
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 whole bay leaves
Melt butter with the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook until softened about 10 minutes.
Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook fifteen minutes stirring frequently.
Puree tomato mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Do in batches if necessary. Return to saucepan or Dutch oven.
In a spice grinder or with mortar and pestle grind marjoram, tarragon, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, paprika, and cloves until fine. Add to soup mixture along with Worcestershire sauce, chicken broth and bay leaves. Mix thoroughly.
Heat soup until boiling and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add evaporated milk and mix thoroughly. Simmer for 15 minutes. Do not let soup go back to a boil. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 145 Calories; 4g Fat (20.3% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 23g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 5mg Cholesterol; 364mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 3 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Chicken and Green Onion Biscuits
Recipe By :Michele Wilson
Serving Size : 6
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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1 1/2 pounds chicken breast halves without skin
2 1/4 cups water
1 bay leaf
3 medium white potatoes -- peeled and cubed
1 medium onion -- chopped
1 large garlic clove -- minced
1 cup carrots -- sliced
1 cup peas, frozen
10 3/4 ounces reduced fat reduced sodium cream of mushroom soup
1/2 can lowfat evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons flour, all-purpose
1 teaspoon dried basil -- crushed
3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup flour, all-purpose
1 tablespoon green onions -- thinly sliced
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried basil -- crushed
1 dash salt
1/3 cup milk, 2% lowfat
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
Rinse chicken and pat dry. In a 4 quart Dutch oven combine chicken, water and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Drain; reserving chicken stock. Discard bay leaf. Cool chicken slightly; discard bones and cut up chicken into bite-size pieces.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook potatoes, carrots, garlic, and onion in a small amount of boiling water, about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain; keep warm.
For sauce, in medium saucepan stir together the soup, evaporated milk, flour, basil, poultry seasonings, salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of the reserved chicken stock, stirring until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
Gently stir together the cut-up chicken, drained vegetables, peas and sauce. Keep warm while preparing green onion biscuits.
Spoon chicken mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Drop biscuit topping onto mixture to form 8 small biscuits. Bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until biscuits are golden.
Green Onion Biscuits: In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, green onions, baking powder, sugar, basil, and salt. Stir together milk and oil. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture until just combined.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 341 Calories; 6g Fat (15.8% calories from fat); 29g Protein; 42g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 58mg Cholesterol; 630mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Chewy Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe By :Michele Wilson
Cookies : 60
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar -- packed
1/2 cup butter -- softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 whole eggs
1 cup peanut butter, chunky
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cream together the butter, shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, peanut butter, honey and vanilla extract. Mix until combined thoroughly.
Beat in flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well.
Beat in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Scoop by heaping teaspoonsful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes.
Immediately remove to wire rack to cool.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 126 Calories; 7g Fat (49.8% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 11mg Cholesterol; 78mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
Meatloaf With Oriental Sauce
Recipe By :Michele Wilson
Serving Size : 8
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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1 1/2 pounds ground beef, extra lean
1 cup Burgundy
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon low sodium Worcestershire sauce
3 slices bread -- torn into bite size
1 egg
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1 small onion -- chopped
1 4 ounce mushrooms, canned -- drained and sliced
2 tablespoons brown sugar -- packed
1/3 cup low sodium catsup
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Heat oven to 350°F.
Mix beef, wine, sage, thyme, salt, mustard, pepper, Worcestershire, bread, egg, garlic, onion and mushrooms. Spread mixture in loaf pan 8-1/2x4-1/2x2-1/2 or 9x5x2 inches.
In a small bowl mix brown sugar, catsup, ginger, garlic salt, soy sauce and 1 teaspoon mustard. Spoon sauce on top of meatloaf.
Bake 1 to 1-1/4 hours. Drain grease or remove from pan.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 290 Calories; 16g Fat (52.6% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 85mg Cholesterol; 599mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
Irish American Shepherd's Pie
Recipe By :Michele Wilson
Serving Size : 8
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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1 1/4 pounds ground beef, extra lean
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 ounces baby carrots -- diced
8 ounces mushrooms -- sliced
1 cup celery -- diced
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 small onion -- diced
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon low sodium worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup red wine -- or beef broth
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 pounds potatoes -- peeled and cubed
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1 cup low sodium cheddar cheese -- shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Add potatoes to boiling water. Cook 15 minutes or until tender. Drain. In a separate pan cook carrots in boiling water. Drain.
Mash potatoes with sour cream, cheddar cheese, salt and white pepper.
Add olive oil to large frying pan and heat. Cook beef, onions, mushrooms and garlic until no pink remains in beef and vegetables are softened.
Add carrots, peas, celery and corn. Cook until vegetables are softened.
Mix cornstarch and wine. Add to beef and vegetables. Add dijon mustard, seasoned salt, seasoned pepper and allspice. Mix well and cooked until gravy has thickened.
Put meat and vegetable mixture in a 2 quart casserole. Cover with mashed potatoes.
Bake uncovered at 325°F for 35 to 40 minutes.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 387 Calories; 20g Fat (46.1% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 66mg Cholesterol; 366mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Comfort Salad
Recipe By :Michele Wilson
Serving Size : 8
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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1 head iceberg lettuce -- torn
4 medium tomatoes -- seeded and quartered
4 eggs, hard-boiled -- diced
1/2 cup lowfat mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Tear lettuce into bite size pieces. Seed and quarter tomatoes. Dice hard boiled eggs.
Add all ingredients to a medium size bowl and mix thoroughly.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 100 Calories; 7g Fat (61.5% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 111mg Cholesterol; 241mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.