What is your favorite Americana Comfort dish?

[chefjohnpaul]

OK, here we go again.... I think we all are so into the cuisine that it's fun revealing the 'down home' side of ourselves.

What is your fav when it comes to the types of dishes you'd find in like the Joy of Cooking? You know, the lime Jell-O with the carrot shreds and Miracle Whip on top, the casseroles....
......Americana. The CIA Professional Chef (1972 series) is full of these recipes.

I like Swiss Steak (machine tenderized bottom round) braised fork tender and smothered in onions. I also like pork or veal cutlets, and chicken fried steak with country gravy. Lots of mashed potatoes, please! Oh, and finish it up with yellow cake with chocolate frosting and vanilla ice cream, YUM!

[Elsie]

I second the chicken fried steak with gravy. Also, mashed potatoes, meat loaf, and macaroni & cheese. Mmmmmmm. Oh, and chicken soup!

Elsie

[Suzanne]

If you limit the list to "American" I have to agree with mashed potatoes (french fries, too!) and oh yeah! mac & cheese. Just so long as they are well-seasoned. Bland is banned.

But when I want both comfort AND uplift, I go with soupy, SPICY Malaysian curried chicken over udon, that combines the softish-yet-chewy slithery noodles, and the excitement of heat. Love that dose of endorphins!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah plus AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGH! Either way, makes me feel a lot better.

[cape chef]

My Moms braised beef brisket with mashed potatoes and pan gravey.

I love all the crusty corners of mac& Cheese.

oatmeal cookies and fried chicken

[momoreg]

It's gotta be fried chicken.

Although N.E. Clam chowder runs a close second.

[chefjohnpaul]

Yes, let's not just limit it to Americana, every culture has it's comfort foods. I love blanquette of pork or veal and there is this screamin' Lebonese dish of lamb shanks stewed in lots of garlic and yogurt served over a pilaf of bulghar wheat.......pass the breath mints on this one!

[Kimmie]

Ha Ha Ha, what about a whole bunch of parsley, ChefJeanPaul!

I could go for Southern Fried Chicken, Mashed and Slaw...right now!

[Mezzaluna]

Cape Chef, the crust and corners of well-browned mac and cheese (made with sharp cheddar) are da bomb! Since this thread said to mention American foods, I'll have to leave out my all-time fave, matzo ball soup.

[SeattleDeb]

Macaroni and Cheese esp from Mrs Wilkes Boarding House in Savannah

[Suzanne]

I sense a consensus here: Mac & Cheese Rocks! Can we start sharing recipes, or at least what we each do to make it our own?

Since my household goes for spicy, I start by sweating chopped onions in the butter. Then I add dry mustard and cayenne along with the flour, and then a healthy slug each of Tabasco and Worcestershire, and some cream cheese, after it has thickened. Cheese is a combination of extra sharp cheddar (a constant) plus whatever else I have on hand, mixed into the bechamel off the heat. I save some of the shredded cheese for the top, of course, but always sprinkle a final layer of crushed Cheezits. Needless to say, I dare not make this too often. How do others make it?

[lynne]

Yep! Macaroni and cheese made from Amish cheddar -- for some reason it tastes the best when made in my Grandma's yellow Pyrex bowl.

My Aunt's sweet rolls -- an every Christmas thing -- since we're not going to PA this year, I guesdd I have to make them.....

REAL Italian sausage -- getting harder and harder to find -- just spicy enough -- in our family, it always gets served with the mac and cheese....

"Burger Bundles" one of those better homes and gardens recipes from the 70a\s that became a family favourite....

[shroomgirl]

meatloaf with gloppy red sauce, mashed potatoes and green beans....for lunch a meatlof sandwich on white bread with mayo and red sauce.

Pudding...I'm making banana today....love butterscotch and chocolate

Split pea soup with bits of ham....again on my stove as I type
I'm going to make yeast rolls to go with it....

[cape chef]

In an issue of Art Culinare they did a few pages about mac & Cheese, Although I don't think anyone would reconize these

Mac & cheese with Ozark ham
seared foie gras with porcini mac & cheese
Truffles ftuffed with mac & cheese (for those of us on a budget)
Clay baked wagon wheels with wild ripened muscoot (rattle snake)
sweet maine lobster mac & cheese.

What ever happened to kraft? although my girls prefere "annie shells"
cc

[chefboy2160]

I love a good beef stew with a buttermilk biscuit on a cold winters night.

[chefjohnpaul]

A big bowl of Chili Mac (Chili & Macaroni) baked with lots of
cheddar cheese and a slab of jalepeno cornbread.