If you can control nothing else in your life, the one thing we all still know about 2020 is that a cozy meal in your belly will make you feel at least fractionally better. Maybe it’s the calories, maybe it’s the nutrients, maybe it’s the security of being full in a world of chaos- whatever the reason, we all could use more comfort recipes, right?
We’ll save our food stories until the end and jump straight into our recipes, then if you’d like to read on and hear our tales of tidbits past, please do!
Salt N Peppas Roomie Chili
Ingredients:
1lb ground turkey
28 oz diced canned tomatoes (I've used both regular tomatoes and rotel...both work great)
28 oz pinto beans, drained
1 green pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp each: dried oregano, cumin, cayenne
Pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded Cheddar if you'd like.
Excellent with Saltine crackers or tortilla chips.
Directions:
Brown the turkey in a pot, breaking up meat into small pieces as It cooks.
Add garlic, onion, green pepper - stir and let cook 2-3 minutes.
Add spices and beans - stir one minute to distribute spices.
Add tomatoes.
Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 20-30 minutes.
Michael Symon’s Smokey Mac and Cheese:
Ingredients:
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound dry rigatoni
4 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 shakes of your favorite hot sauce, optional
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces Gouda, shredded
1 pound ham, diced
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated pecorino
1/2 cup sliced scallions, optional
Directions:
“Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente, then drain and set aside,
Set up your grill for indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the hot coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only to medium-high heat. Heat a deep 12-inch cast-iron skillet over direct heat.
Combine the cream, paprika, cayenne and hot sauce if using in the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and simmer until the cream mixture is reduced by half and thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the cream cheese and Gouda until fully melted. Stir in the ham and cooked pasta and continue to mix until fully combined.
Stir together the panko, pecorino and scallions if using in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the panko mixture evenly over the mac and cheese. Move the skillet to indirect heat, cover the grill and cook until golden brown and bubbly, about 5 minutes.”
Roasted Brussels Sprouts, as dictated by Tyler to Heidi, based on an Ina Garten recipe:
Ingredients:
1 bag/stalk of Brussels Sprouts
Salt (to taste, lots! Yum)
Pepper (to taste)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.
Cut off ends of sprouts, cut in half.
Add oil, salt, and pepper. Toss around on a baking sheet to ensure even coverage of each sprout.
Cook for 35-40 minutes, toss them around from time to time to ensure even cooking. Looks for crispy outsides- this is the best part.
Now onto our stories, because you decided to keep reading after all, didn’t you?
The founder, the creator, our Delectable Dish Diva Queen- Amber! Ambers Salt N Peppas Roomie Chili is the dish of her youthful independence dreams. When you have the best roommate on earth, you tend to do everything together- including coming up with bomb recipes and listening to sick beats while you do so (note Salt N Peppa)! Whether you have the best roomie too or you’re savoring this for yourself and prepping some in the freezer- we think you’ll find this recipe to be the healthy and cozy bowl you need to beat back the 2020 blues!
Heather's cozy recipe is for a Mac and Cheese with a kick! This lady had some serious taste bud style, we’ll keep her. Heather's coziest food memory is of making hand-spun ice cream from scratch with her grandparents. Every holiday they would be together and take the time to make this precious treat. Heather says that hands down it’s the best vanilla ice cream she’s ever tasted and that the act of sharing in this process made her feel loved. We hope you’ll love Heather's choice for a creamy spicy hug in a skillet, Mac N Cheese!
Heidi is the maniac that recommends a Brussels Sprout recipe (we don’t know which planet she came from either, we keep asking). When she started dating her bf he was making dinner one night with Brussels Sprouts as a side. Watching him cut those tiny cabbages and add them to a sheet pan, she knew right then that he had to be a serial killer...or an imposter trying to show off how healthy he was to a new girlfriend - we’re not sure which is worse. So when it came time to eat her meal, Heidi had her finger hovering the call 9-1-1 button that was confidently typed into her phone. 100% she was going to need that button, we mean, no one in their right mind makes Brussel Sprouts for enjoyment, right? And then...then the memory of those little soggy bitter cabbages she ate as a child were replaced by crispy, caramelly, salty Brussels Sprouts. In the moment after her first bite, she knew she was now a bonafide and unapologetic, roasted or raw, Brussel Sprout pusher - however, the serial killers can still keep the soggy ones!
Have a favorite cozy recipe to share? Send it to Amber at info@amberbudd.com and we will post it for others to enjoy this holiday season and beyond. XOXO