Winter is a time for warm comfort food, hot chocolate and toasty fires. If you are looking for a comforting meal, try one of the award winning recipes below from Taste of Home.
Cauliflower Soup: (Debbie Ohlhausen, Chilliwack, British Columbia)
1 medium head of cauliflower, broken into florets
1 medium carrot, shredded
¼ cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons chicken or vegetable bouillon cube
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ to 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)
Directions: In a dutch oven, combine the cauliflower, carrot, celery, water and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender (do not drain).
In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Stir in the cheese until melted. Add hot pepper sauce (if desired). Stir into the cauliflower mixture.
Zesty Horseradish Meatloaf: (Nancy Zimmerman, Cape May Court House, New Jersey)
4 slices of whole wheat bread, crumbled
¼ cup fat free milk
½ cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
½ cup ketchup
Directions: Soak bread in milk for 5 minutes. Drain and discard milk. Stir in nine ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.
Shape into a loaf in a 15x10x1 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Spread top with ketchup. Bake at 350 degrees until a thermometer inserted in the center reads 160 degrees, 45-55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
Quick Chicken and Dumplings: (Lakeya Astwood, Schenectady, New York)
6 individually frozen biscuits
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
3 cans (14 ½ ounces each) reduced sodium chicken broth
1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
½ teaspoon dried sage leaves
¼ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
¼ teaspoon pepper
Directions: Cut each biscuit into fourths; set aside. In a large saucepan, saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender. Stir in the chicken, broth, mushrooms, bouillon granules, parsley, sage, rosemary and pepper.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; add biscuits for dumplings. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a dumpling comes out clean (do not lift cover while simmering).
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