Favorite Winter Meals

[MsNelly99]

Hi. What's your favorite Winter meal? Mine is old fashion hot Texas chili with crumbled saltines on top.

[Kimmie]

French Onion Soup...with a glass of wine. That's winter comfort!

[Mezzaluna]

Homemade vegetable beef soup with barley, crusty bread and a mug of tea. For the taste of my childhood, the soup must also have big chunks of beef chuck, rutabagas, tomatoes and plenty of onion.

[Nicko]

Slow roasted chicken with fresh thyme and garlic tucked under the skin with braised cabbage and fried polenta with spinach and pancetta.

[Afra]

Tasty, delicious home-made beef stew which I enjoy making myself, eating with slices of good-tasting bread, which, if I keep it up, helps me to ward off the common colds we catch during the cold season. Yum! hehe

[CalicoSkies]

Midwestern beef and noodles.

Browned and simmered beef stew cubes, then shredded. The pot broth is used to cook egg noodles. You throw in the beef when the noodles are cooked then spoon the mess over homemade mashed potatoes and just to be good, you spoon a green veggie on your plate. This is old-time farm food. This meal always reminds me of my Grandma who still at 88yrs old makes her own noodles.

Also excellent with stewed chicken

[Afra]

Hey, Calico, do you have a recipe for "stewed" chicken? You mentioned that in your post and it sounds delicious! Thanks so much in advance!

[CalicoSkies]

Stewed chicken to my family means taking a cut-up chicken, plus a few added breasts (we all like the white meat) and placing in a large pot to simmer on top the stove for about 1.5hrs. I cover the chicken with water, add a quartered onion, coarsely chopped parsley, celery and carrot, thyme, salt and pepper. When the chicken is done, I remove all the meat from the bone and coarsely chop. I strain the broth and cook my egg noodles in that. Add the chicken back to the pot when your noodles are almost finished. I have made homemade noodles on occasion, but I also like the frozen Reames egg noodles very much.

[Baldylocks]

Mac and cheese. Mom used milk and American cheese. I use half and half and extra sharp cheddar. But I top it with Italian flavored bread crumbs like she did...

[MsNelly99]

Originally posted by Kimmie
French Onion Soup...with a glass of wine. That's winter comfort!

Kimmie, I'd appreciate your recipe for the Onion soup. Sounds great. Thanks.

[Kimmie]

1/4 cup butter
4 onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken or beef broth
1/4 cup dry white wine or
2 tablespoons dry sherry
4 slices crusty white bread
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
5 ounces Gruyère or Emmenthal cheese, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until lightly browned. Stir in the flour and continue to cook until the flour turns a sandy color.

2. Pour in the broth and wine or sherry and bring to a boil, stirring. Season, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Brush the bread slices extra virgin olive oil. Lightly toast the bread, then rub the garlic clove over the top.

4. Ladle the soup in four ovenproof bowls. Place one bread slice in each bowl. Divide the cheese evenly on top of the bread and soup.

Place the bowls of soup on top of a cookie sheet, and heat under the broiler until the cheese is bubbling.

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My tip: To give the soup a good color, make sure the onions are sufficiently browned before you add the broth.

Note: I much prefer the sherry to the white wine. As for the broth, if you happen to have veal stock on hand, use it for this recipe. But if you use veal stock, use white wine. But that's just me.

[chrose]

I would answer using all the dishes previously mentioned. I might also add for me a Cassoulet, any type, Tolouse, etc. Also a BIG pot of true slow cooked Boston Baked Beans Gotta have it!

[MsNelly99]

Thanks for the recipe.

[nancya]

Beef Stew, Chicken and Noodles, Chili, French Onion Soup, Mac-n-Cheese, et cetera.

All are wonderful winter meals.

Hungry, I am.

BTW, Kimmie...I have a recipe for French Onion soup that caramelizes the onions by slow cooking in a crock pot [in chicken broth of all things] for a whole day. Makes oh, so lovely soup. Otherwise, recipe is basically the same as yours.

What to cook first, what to cook first????

[Kimmie]

You're welcome Nelly.

I know what you mean Nancya. I also cook mine very slowly for a long time.