Laurel Reufner
By this point in winter, our ancestors were relying pretty much on what stores they’d put back months earlier, all while looking for signs of the coming spring thaw. This menu tries to draw on that. It’s time for some warm comfort food.
Cheesy Bacon and Potato Soup
It’s a little embarrassing how easy this soup is, but it’s so danged tasty that I had to share. The good news is that this dish is very easy to make vegetarian—just leave out the bacon. Or maybe substitute in some of the bacon bits you have left over from Yule.
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 45–60 minutes
Servings: 8
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, sliced
3 tablespoons garlic
16 cups potatoes, cubed
3 carrots, shredded
64 ounces of vegetable broth
½ cup bacon, chopped or crumbled
2 cups baby bella mushrooms, chopped
2 cups low fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Greek yogurt
½ cup fresh chives, chopped
Get out your largest pot. Add the butter to the pot and heat to let it melt before adding in the onions and garlic. Stir them once or twice while they brown. While that’s going on, wash the potatoes and chop them into cubes that are at least ½" big. After 4 or 5 minutes, start adding in the potatoes as you chop them up. Add the carrots and vegetable broth to the pot along with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and allow to cook for half an hour or so, stirring every so often.
About 15 minutes before you want to serve, stir in the bacon, mushrooms, cheese, yogurt, and chives. Let the cheese melt. Top with the chives to serve.
Homemade Crackers
Yep, crackers are super easy to make at home. And you can top them with all kinds of fun stuff! I kept these simple so they wouldn’t compete with the wonderful flavors of the soup.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 50 crackers
¾ cup flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons light olive oil
½ cup water
Desired toppings: ½ tablespoon sesame seeds and a sprinkling of salt.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, and salt. Add the oil and water, stirring until you have a soft and sticky dough. If there’s a lot of loose flour left unincorporated into the dough, add a little more water, a bit at a time, until you can get it all mixed together.
Now you want to break the dough into halves and set one off to the side. On a lightly floured surface, shape the other half of the dough into a square shape and then begin rolling it out. You’ll need to be very patient with this part, as you need the dough to be about ⅛" thick. Keep checking every so often to make sure it’s not sticking to your surface. Also, dusting your rolling pin with flour will help. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Brush the dough’s top surface with water and then sprinkle on half of your toppings. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut your dough into crackers that are about 1"× 2".
Transfer them to a floured baking sheet with a metal spatula and bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 450 degrees F. You’ll want to keep an eye on them and pull them out as the edges start to brown. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and repeat all over again with the remaining dough. Makes about 50 crackers.
Sweet Potato Tarts
The credit for this dish goes entirely to my eldest daughter, Rowan. This has got to be one of the most amazing, tastiest things you can do with sweet potatoes.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Servings: 2 dozen
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
½ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
Pinch salt
Pie crusts for a double crust pie
Put the butter in a medium-sized saucepan and allow to melt on a medium heat. Add the sweet potatoes and the remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine it all. Continue to stir often while the ingredients heat up. This will take about 5 minutes if the sweet potatoes are already warm. If they aren’t, wait until they warm up in the pan and then let it cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, carefully roll out your crusts on a lightly floured surface and cut out 3" circles. (I used a drinking glass that was about 3¼" across.) Tuck your circles down into the wells of a muffin tin. They won’t come completely up the sides, but that’s okay. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Carefully fill the pie crusts with the sweet potato mixture. It will take about 2–2½ tablespoons if you use 3" circles of crust. Bake in a 375 degrees F oven for about 25 minutes or until the tarts are heated completely through and the crust edges are browned.
These tarts are pretty good as is, but I also think they’re tasty served with some whipped cream on top and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Makes about 2 dozen.
Scrumptious Hot Chocolate
Finish off your warm and tasty meal with one of the above tarts—or two!—and a cup of this decadent hot chocolate.
Prep time: less than 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6
6 cups milk*
½ cup sugar
½ cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Mini marshmallows or whipped cream—maybe what’s left from serving the tarts?
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine about 1 cup of the milk, sugar, cocoa powder, sugar, and spices and bring just to a boil over a medium heat. Stir in the rest of the milk and let it heat through, stirring constantly. You do not want it to come to a boil again or you may scald the milk.
Serve with marshmallows or whipped cream, maybe sprinkled with a little cinnamon or nutmeg on top—or maybe a sprinkle or two of chocolate. Makes about 6 servings.
*I use boring 1 percent or skim milk here at the house since I’m lactose intolerant. If you don’t have to worry about such things, and you don’t mind the extra calories, go for the whole milk for your cocoa.