Favorite comfort food . . .

[fortworthgal]

For “special occasion” comfort food—i.e. when I have more time or I’ve had a major emotional blow—either homemade shepherd’s pie (best recipe I ever found was in an old Victoria magazine) or tater tot hotdish. The latter is so Midwestern that I blush to admit that once a winter I just have to make a batch, and that batch must contain hamburger and frozen green beans with loads of fried onions both on top and in the mixture. The top must be crispy to contrast with the mushy interior as well.

I also realized that I must truly be an assimilated Easterner since I automatically typed “casserole” instead of the Midwestern “hotdish” of my youth and had to change the term for accuracy.

Ok, as a self-proclaimed casserole addict, I need the recipe for this. It sounds like the ultimate "comfort food!"

 

[Steve]

Dark chocolate M&Ms are my friends. Best ones I have right now come to think of it...

 

[Willi_Goat]

Usually some sort of dark chocolate. I usually keep a bar or two on hand. I have a 70% cocoa Belgian and a Toblerone waiting to be devoured right now.

 

[Haversack]

When I was quite young, comfort food was bacon and scrambled eggs cooked in butter. (Associated with late Sunday night dinners after a weekend with grandparents)
When I was a bit older, comfort food was chicken pot pie with buttered toast. (Associated with rainy day lunches and returning home tired from camping.)
When I am sick, both then and now, comfort food is Campbell's Scotch Broth with buttered toast on the side.
Since I first moved away on my own these many years ago, comfort food has been lamb curry, rice, and Major Grey's Chutney. Warm, sweet, spicey, and with that unctuous, rosy feeling that lamb fat brings.

Haversack.

 

[TwoToneDeuce]

Comfort foods:

Mai Tais
Zombies
Hot sausages
Fried potatoes
Chips and salsa

If I am sick-chicken noodle soup and a cheese sandwich.

-D

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Empanadas al horno. The world's most perfect handheld food.


.

 

[pigeon toe]

ooh, i just thought of two more!

im absolutely addicted to the fried chicken and waffles from roscoes (a chain in LA). i could eat that stuff until i puke!

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Roscoe's, eh? I'll have to check it out!

 

[Tomasso]

Not Exactly Zagatlike Copy But....................

im absolutely addicted to the fried chicken and waffles from roscoes (a chain in LA). i could eat that stuff until i puke!

 

[mysterygal]

I can't believe I forgot my third favorite comfort food :eusa_doh: ; grilled cheese sandwhich, even as a kid, I couldn't get enough of them. What I love to do now it put some ham and tomatoe in the middle (if it's been a really bad day)

 

[Tomasso]

I can't believe I forgot my third favorite comfort food :eusa_doh: ; grilled cheese sandwhich,

With a sliced sweet gherkin pickle in the middle:eusa_clap

 

[Marc Chevalier]

And peanut butter.


Just kidding!

.

 

[Lincsong]

Just give me an all you can eat buffett and I am in comfort.

 

[magneto]

Re: grilled cheese sandwich

With a sliced sweet gherkin pickle in the middle:eusa_clap

Of course... and don't forget the bowl of Campbell's Tomato soup on the side!
(Geez, I remember when it used to be around 19 cents a can...what happened? )

 

[imoldfashioned]

Ok, as a self-proclaimed casserole addict, I need the recipe for this. It sounds like the ultimate "comfort food!"

Hi FortWorthGal--

You didn't specify which recipe you wanted so I'll give you both.

The Shepherd's Pie is unusual but really good. It is from the Winter 87/88 issue of Victoria Magazine. I've served it at several holiday dinner parties to high praise.

1.5 pounds lean beef cut into 1 inch cubes
1.5 pounds lean veal cut into 1 inch cubes
.5 pounds lean lamb cut into 1 inch cubes
.5 cup ap flour
Salt and pepper to taste
.25 cup butter
1.5 cup chopped onions
2 minced garlic cloves
6 cups beef stock (I use "better than bullion" a paste that can be found in the bullion section of the store)
1 cup red wine
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried thyme
Roux (melt .5 cup butter, stir in .5 cup ap flour till blended, stir constantly for about 10 minutes until mixture has a honeycomb consistency and is a deep brown)
6 cups hot mashed potatoes (made as you would the side dish; butter, salt & pepper--I usually put a little bit of sour cream in mine as well)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Lightly dredge meats in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. In a 6 quart dutch oven (aka "big pot") saute meat half at a time in butter.

Add onions and garlic to all the meat, cook 15 minutes.

Add stock, wine, paste, W. sauce and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours or until meat is tender.

Stir in roux. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly.

Preheat oven to 375. If you used an oven safe pot spoon the mashed potatoes on top of stew. If your pot is not oven safe, put stew into large Corningware baking dish then spoon potatoes on top of stew. In either case, gently spread potatoes to cover stew, sprinkle with cheese and bake for 10 minutes or so (until the cheese has melted and the potatoes are a tad crispy on top).

Victoria says this yields 6 servings but I don't know who they're cooking for, I think it makes quite a few more servings than that! I usually make it for friends and savor the leftovers.

TaterTot hotdish, however, usually feeds me alone (for several days).

1 pound lean ground beef
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
3/4 cup milk
Salt and pepper
1 package frozen cut green beans (do not used canned!)
1 can French Fried Onions (Original, not cheddar or any of the other new fangled flavors they have)
1 package TaterTots

Fry the beef and drain well.

In a bowl combine the soup and the milk--whisk until smooth. To the soup add beans, 1/2 can of onions, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add beef to the soup mixture and mix well again.

Layer the bottom of a "pammed" Corningware dish with TaterTots (a few will not fit, just pile them on top of the other TaterTots). Pour soup mixture over the TaterTots and sprinkle the rest of the onions on top, pushing them slightly into the soup mixture so they don't burn.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Best made when you're home alone and you can eat it while curled up in front of the TV watching a good 30's movie like "Holiday" or "Stand In".

Hope you enjoy them both--they are a nice change from the salads and healthy stuff I eat for most of the year!

 

[Citizen Ed]

I'm getting close to tipping 300 lbs. on the scale so obviously anything within close proximity of my mouth is comfort food.

 

[RedPop4]

Yellow cake batter.

Oreos dunked in cold whole milk.

Peanut butter sandwich on the freshest of white bread.

 

[DanielJones]

My Girlfriends home made chicken noodle soup on a cold rainy day. Now that's comfort.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[fortworthgal]

ooh, i just thought of two more!

im absolutely addicted to the fried chicken and waffles from roscoes (a chain in LA).

I loooooooove chicken and waffles. I make it about once a month! Honestly it is a wonder I don't weigh 400 lbs. lol

 

[Big Man]

Jim Beam