Heart Warming Favorites
Cozy season has arrived, which means it’s time to cook up some comfort food. During these chilly months, we know warming, hearty meals like pizzas, pastas, soups, and braises are kitchen staples, but can often be loaded with butter, cream, and heavy ingredients. We've put together a few of our favorite winter recipes to help warm your heart and tummy this February without the "heaviness."
Chili When It's Chilly - There's nothing more heart warming than the perfect bowl of homemade chili. Our recipe for Turkey Black Bean Chili is traditional in flavor -- think cumin, crushed tomatoes, onion and bell pepper -- but leveraging lean ground turkey instead of beef for a high-protein lunch or dinner. If you're looking for a vegetarian/vegan/Meatless Monday version, don't sleep on the Vegan Portobello Mushroom Chili. Portobellos, with their meaty texture and umami flavor, make for a hearty chili base. We added kidney and navy beans for protein and fiber, but any bean will work, so use whatever you like best!
Embrace the Beans & Legumes: FISD's Ana Forte, RD, LDN says, "My favorite 'heartwarming' food is lentils. A few of my favorite ways to enjoy them are in Lentil Soup, Dal Tadka, or Basic French Lentils." Try Mushroom Lentil "Meatballs" or Lentil Sloppy Joe Stuffed Sweet Potato if you're feeling really adventurous.
Don't Sleep on Breakfast: "I feel coziest with a bowl of oatmeal topped with blueberries and almond butter. It me reminds me of my winters in the Midwest,” says FISD's Danielle Beck. If you love oatmeal, here are 4 Ways to Celebrate National Oatmeal Month to give you some inspiration!
"My favorite “heart-warming” meals are weekend breakfast meals," says Nicole Tass, MS RD. "It’s a time during the week when my family isn’t in a hurry and we are able to really enjoy our time together. We enjoy using leftover ingredients from the week to create fun and different meals each time. Our favorites are different breakfast bowls such as sweet potato hash topped with an egg."
Embrace the Soup - "My mother’s chicken soup is a staple for holidays, cold winter weather. and has magic healing powers when I’m sick. It reminds me of home and family – and always makes me feel like someone is taking care of me when I eat it,” says Susan Cooper, MS, RDN, CDN, Director of Wellness with FISD.
While we love a Chicken Noodle Soup just as much as the rest, we challenge you to embrace Chicken, Quinoa, Vegetable Soup. Homemade soups can help control sodium levels compared to canned and store-bought soups. A simple twist on a classic swaps whole grain quinoa in place of noodles, and handfuls of kale help add a fresh green to the soup. The end result is, dare we say, heart warming.
"Cooler weather always meant it was soup season growing up, and tomato soup paired with a grilled cheese sandwich consistently made the menu rotation at home. Many years later, tomato soup remains a family favorite as I now get to share this meal with my own children," says FISD's Lisa Jackson, MS, RDN.
RD Chelsea Anderson agrees. "My favorite ‘heart-warming dish’ is grilled cheese and tomato soup. But what warms my heart most is when my little family sits around the table, eats it together, and chats about our day."
For the adventurous soup lover, try Potato Nori Soup. In addition to the functional food boost from seaweed, this recipe is vegan, gluten free, sugar free, and overall low in calories.
Add Veggies to Brighten Up Pasta - Never nix cheese and carbs, just focus on adding nutrients from plenty of vegetables. A Butternut Squash, Kale, Mushroom Lasagna takes a little bit of extra effort, but the flavor is absolutely worth it! If you're family is a fan of mac & cheese (and frankly, who isn't?) try this Revved Up Easy Cheesy Mac and Cheese (see recipe below).
And if you loved Revved Up recipes, add this FISD Revved Up Mixed Berry Oatmeal Bar to your repertoire for a fabulous dessert option!
Revved Up Macaroni & Cheese
Take a cue from the FLIK Independent School Dining team and rev up your recipes. Our Revved Up recipes aren't about "sneaking" in hidden vegetables; instead, it's about enhancing kid-friendly favorites with additional vegetables and never compromising on flavor or texture.
Ingredients
| 1 lb. elbow macaroni or pasta of choice |
| 1/4 c. butter |
| 1 1/2 tsp. minced shallot |
| 3/4 tsp. minced garlic |
| 1/4 c. all purpose flour |
| 1 qt. 2% milk |
| 3/4 c. carrot, grated |
| 1.2 c. cauliflower florets |
| 1/2 c. diced butternut squash |
| 1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard |
| 3/4 tsp. black pepper, ground |
| 1 1/8 tsp. kosher salt |
| 1 c. grated parmesan cheese, separated |
| 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese |
| 1 c. chopped spinach |
| 1/2 c. fresh parsley |
| 2 1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs |
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare elbow macaroni in boiling water until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, cool, and reserve.
- In a separate large sauce pan, melt butter. Add shallots and garlic, sauté until translucent.
- Add flour to make a roux, stirring, and cook over medium low heat for about 3-5 minutes. Do not allow flour to brown.
- Slowly whisk in milk to avoid any lumps and bring to a slow simmer.
- Add cauliflower, butternut squash, carrots, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper and continue to simmer for 10 minutes until thickened and vegetables are soft. Puree sauce with an immersion blender until completely smooth. Reduce heat to low.
- Add cheeses (parmesan, 1/2 c. cheddar cheese), stirring until fully melted. Remove from heat.
- Mix cooked elbow macaroni with cheese sauce.
- In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, cheddar cheese, parsley, spinach, and butter until well mixed.
- In a large, oven-safe pan, spread macaroni & cheese evenly throughout the pan. Top with breadcrumb mixture.
- Bake in 350F degree oven until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 135F degrees, about 20 minutes.
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