Make Yourself Comfortable
Comfort foods are my favorite foods to cook for my family this time of year. I love to welcome my family home with savory aromas coming from a warm oven. These types of recipes are also a great opportunity to get the kids involved in preparation. Give them a vegetable peeler, hand them potatoes, carrots or sweet potatoes, and catch up on some old-fashioned family communication while you prepare dinner together. They’ll love to help chop, stir and set the table while spending time with you in the kitchen.
Cabbage Casserole
1 medium head cabbage, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup chopped, cooked bacon
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cook cabbage in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Drain in colander.
Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Place cabbage in dish and top with chopped bacon.
In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir until smooth and bubbly. Slowly add milk to saucepan, stirring constantly until sauce is smooth and thick. Season sauce with salt, pepper and dill weed.
Pour sauce over cabbage, and then sprinkle with cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 clove chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt (I prefer sea salt when roasting)
1 teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place potatoes on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle remaining ingredients over potatoes and toss to coat evenly.
Bake in oven for 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
Pork Loin With Baked Apples
3-pound boneless pork loin roast
1 cup bottled Italian salad dressing
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon dried rosemary leaves
4-6 apples, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup brown sugar
Pour half the salad dressing into the bottom of a roasting pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Place roast in pan on top of dressing and spread mustard all over roast; then pour remaining dressing over roast. Let roast sit at room temperature for 15 to 45 minutes to marinate.
Sprinkle roast with rosemary leaves and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and top with apples, basting with pan drippings.
Return to oven and bake approximately 1 hour longer, until roast reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
Baste apples with pan drippings and let roast rest on counter for 15 minutes before slicing.
Beef Stew Pot Pie
1 pound boneless sirloin steak cut into cubes (sirloin provides ultimate tenderness; stew meat can be used, but often it can be tough)
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons oil
1 clove chopped garlic
1 14-ounce can beef broth
1/4 cup red wine
1-2 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 cup carrots, cut into chunks
3 potatoes, cut into cubes
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 cup celery, cut into chunks
1/3 cup cornstarch (if needed)
1 cup frozen peas
Dried parsley
2 ready-made 9-inch piecrusts
Place flour in bowl and combine with pepper. Add meat cubes to bowl and toss to coat evenly.
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat; add garlic and meat and brown evenly. Reduce heat to medium and add beef broth, wine, bay leaves and all vegetables except peas. Stir, letting vegetables and meat boil gently for 20 to 30 minutes until meat and vegetables are tender.
Add water if needed to make a thick soup-like consistency. If broth seems too thin, mix equivalent amounts of cornstarch and cold water and add to pot to thicken.
Stir in peas and parsley and remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch pie plate with 1 piecrust. Spoon in filling and top with other piecrust; pinch edges of crust to seal and cut vents in top of crust.
Bake for 45 minutes until browned and bubbly.
Sara Fougere is a professional caterer and may be reached at 573-999-1654 or by e-mail at fougere@centurytel.net.