Inspire New Recipes for Winter 2018

Comfort food makes everything better. It heals you when you're sick, provides heat on cold winter nights, and it just makes you happy. Everyone has foods they crave, and I'm happy to share five recipes I repeatedly have been preparing this winter season. I would much rather stay home and cook these meals than venture outdoors, and I know I'm not the only one.

Take a chance with these comfort recipes. Share them with your friends, and you might even inspire them to try the recipes, as well.

1. Breakfast for Dinner 

My complete "breakfast for dinner" meal (photo/Kasy Long). 

My favorite comfort meal to prepare in the winter is "breakfast for dinner." In fact, I prefer having breakfast food for dinner than in the morning. Call me weird, but it's how I roll (no food pun intended, kind of).

I'm featuring french toast sticks, fried potatoes and scrambled eggs in this post. For the french toast sticks, I used the Pioneer Woman's recipe from her new cookbook, Come and Get It. Of course, I modified the recipe a bit, therefore I'm giving you my version of Ree Drummond's crunchy french toast sticks (sorry, Pioneer Woman).

French toast sticks (photo/Kasy Long).

To make french toast sticks, you will need:

• 12 slices of Texas toast (the serving size is for a family of four)
• Six large eggs
• 1/2 cup of half-and-half (I substituted milk)
• 1/2 cup of sugar (I omitted the sugar so the meal isn't so sweet, but you can add it if you prefer)
• One tablespoon of vanilla extract 
• One teaspoon of ground cinnamon 
• Maple syrup 

Cut the slices of Texas toast into three even strips each. Crack the eggs into a pie plate, large bowl, or whatever will work best from your kitchen. Add the half-and-half (or milk, like I used), the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Whisk lightly until everything is combined and set the plate aside. 

One by one, quickly dunk the bread strips into the egg mixture, turning them to coat evenly on both sides. On a skillet over medium heat, coat the pan with cooking spray and then place the bread strips on the pan. Flip the bread on both sides to cook the bread evenly. Remove when cooked and you have delicious French toast sticks! Don't forget to add the maple syrup for a finishing touch! 

Fried potatoes (photo/Kasy Long).

To make fried potatoes, you will need: 

• Four lbs. of potatoes (the serving size is for a family of four)
• 1/4 cup (roughly) of vegetable oil
• Salt 
• Pepper 

Peel and dice the potatoes (I suggest dicing the potatoes to speed up the cooking process). Coat a frying pan with the vegetable oil over high heat. When the oil gets hot, add the potatoes to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and stir the potatoes frequently to avoid sticking to the pan (and burning the potatoes). 

Keep stirring and cooking the potatoes until they're nice and tender (approximately 25 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste, and voila! You have warm, irresistible fried potatoes that will go perfectly with your French toast sticks. 

Scrambled eggs (photo/Kasy Long).

Finally, to make simple and quick scrambled eggs, you will only need four eggs (I don't add milk or butter. I keep things nice and easy). 

Crack the eggs and beat them in a medium bowl until they're blended. In a cooking pan over medium heat, coat the pan with cooking spray and then add the eggs. You'll hear a nice sizzle sound, which only means you're doing the right thing! As the eggs begin to set, gently pull the eggs across the pan with a cooking spatula, forming large soft curds. 

Continue cooking (pulling, lifting and folding eggs) until the eggs are thickened and no visible liquid egg remains. Your scramble eggs will complete your wonderful breakfast for dinner meal. 

2. Chicken Marsala 

My entire chicken marsala dinner (photo/Kasy Long).

I first had chicken marsala when I lived in Jamestown, New York during the summer of 2016 (remember that adventure?). I ordered it at a restaurant and it has provided me with delicious flavor ever since. Chicken marsala is one of those dishes that sounds super fancy and complicated, but it's actually not. Trust me, I'm not a professional chef. I'm still an amateur cook. So, if I'm able to successfully prepare this dish, you can, too.  

Believe me: this dish is worth it. Once again, I used a Pioneer Woman recipe from her Dinnertime cookbook. Pair the chicken marsala with mashed potatoes and you're ready for a delicious meal! 

To make chicken marsala, you will need: 

• Two boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
• Two tablespoons of olive oil
• Four tablespoons (1/2 stick) of butter
• 12 ounces of white button mushrooms, quartered
• One cup of Marsala wine (chicken broth, if you prefer)
• One cup of beef broth 
• One teaspoon of cornstarch
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream (I used milk) 

Carefully slice the chickens in half horizontally. Pull the two pieces apart to give you four thinner chicken cutlets total (to serve a family a four). Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, then coat the chicken with flour. 

Heat the olive oil and two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, turn on both sides multiple times, and cook until the chicken is brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken and set them aside. 

In the same skillet, add the mushrooms and stir them around until they're golden brown, approximately for five to six minutes. Pour in the Marsala and beef broth and cook for two to three minutes, until the liquid reduces by half.

Whisk the cornstarch into the cream (or milk) in a small bowl. When the sauce is dark and rich, pour in the cream mixture. Let it bubble up and thicken for another minute, then turn off the heat. Stir in the remaining two tablespoons of butter for a finishing touch. 

To serve, place a piece of chicken on a bed of mashed potatoes, like I did, but you can also pair this dish with noodles. Spoon on some of the sauce. In addition, I added honey glazed carrots, corn and peas, making this the perfect meal for a cold winter evening. 

3. Baked Ziti 

Baked ziti (photo/Kasy Long).

Ah, pasta! Who can go wrong with warm pasta when your body is shivering on a cold day? Baked ziti has quickly become one of my favorite pasta dishes (and I'm a big fan of pasta). Once again, I used the Pioneer Woman's Dinnertime recipe for this dish, only adding my modifications. I love everything about this meal, and I promise you will, too. 

To make baked ziti (which serves a family of four with plenty of leftovers), you will need: 

• Two tablespoons of olive oil 
• One pound ground beef 
• One 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes 
• One jar of marinara sauce 
• Salt and pepper, to taste 
• One pound of ziti (or any short pasta, like mostaccioli), cooked until not quite al dente 
• One 15-ounce container of ricotta cheese 
• 1 1/2 pounds of mozzarella cheese, grated 
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• One large egg 

Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat and add the ground beef. Cook until the meat is totally browned. Add the tomatoes, marinara, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Simmer the sauce for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Place the pasta in a large bowl and ladle in three cups of the sauce mixture. Toss to coat the noodles and set it aside to cool. 

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the ricotta, two cups of the grated mozzarella, the Parmesan and egg. Stir until everything is well combined. Toss the cheese mixture in with the sauce-and-pasta mixture. 

Add half the pasta mixture to a large casserole dish or disposable foil pan. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top. Top with half of the remaining mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of pasta, sauce and mozzarella. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes and then you're good to go with this delicious pasta meal! 

4. Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower soup (photo/Kasy Long).

I tried this recipe for the first time when I was preparing for this blog post, and I am going to happily make it again! Cauliflower is a popular vegetable right now. We have cauliflower pizza crust, soup, fritters, rice, and more. 

I found this recipe in Nicole Gulotta's "Eat This Poem" cookbook (where Gulotta combines poetry and food, which is absolutely perfect). You'll want to try this recipe the next time you're craving soup. 

To make cauliflower soup, you will need: 

• Two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 
• One large cauliflower head, cut into florets 
• One medium potato, peeled and cubed 
• Four to five cups of vegetable stock 
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream (or milk, like I used) 
• Salt, to taste

Warm the oil in a large pot over low heat. Add the cauliflower and potato, and season with salt. Add the vegetable stock, just enough to cover the vegetables, then turn up the heat and bring it to a boil. Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the cauliflower begins to collapse. 

Remove from the heat. Now, this is where I had to be creative and change things up from Gulotta's recipe. Her recipe calls to puree the cauliflower and potatoes in batches in a blender. Well, I don't have a blender, so I used a potato masher. It worked wonderfully! So, sometimes you have to be creative in the kitchen. 

Return the soup to the pot and add the cream (or milk). I added more milk and even Parmesan cheese to lighten up the soup (I like creamy soup). Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with crackers (or croutons) and you're ready to be comforted by this delicious (and healthy!) meal. 

5. Hot Chocolate 

Hot chocolate (photo/Kasy Long).

I don't drink coffee, but I run on hot chocolate in the winter months. Hot chocolate is so easy to make, too. Feeling cold? Whip up some hot chocolate and snuggle into your blankets. You'll warm up before you know it. 

To make hot chocolate, you will need: 

• 1 1/2 cups of whole milk (or 2%, if you prefer)
• Two tablespoons of Dutch-process cocoa powder 
• Two tablespoons of cane sugar 
• Salt 

Add the milk, cocoa powder, cane sugar and salt to a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until well combined, cook and continue stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the cocoa is hot, but not scalded. Pour into mugs and top with marshmallows (if preferred). Place your hands around the warm mug and it's one of the best feelings in the world! 

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I know these recipes aren't new. I didn't invent them, but I have added my own modifications to the dishes. Try something new this winter season to be your next favorite comfort food. There's no better feeling than sitting down with a warm dish, sniffing the aroma, and the heat immediately warming your body and making you happy. The dishes included in this post will definitely create this effect this winter season. 

If you make any of these dishes, share your pictures with me through social media on Facebook (@kjlsdiary), Twitter (@kjlwriter) and Instagram (kasyjlong1950). I look foward to seeing your dishes! 

-KJL-