7 Cold Weather Comfort Foods to Enjoy

When the weather is cold, nothing makes you feel warm and cozy as eating comfort foods. Whether its chicken noodle soup the way your mother made it or a classic grilled cheese, these foods warm your heart as well as your body.

Cooking can also heat up your kitchen and fill your home with mouth-watering aromas. Why wait? Check out these nine recipes for cold weather comfort foods and get cooking!

Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food according to The Chunky Chef. There are so many varieties of this easy main course or side dish. This easy recipe can be made with almost any cheese for the creamy source. Just boil macaroni or any pasta shape – you can use a whole wheat or veggie pasta to make it healthier – add the creamy cheese  sauce and bake. You can even make it ahead and bake later.

Slow Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are always a family favorite. This recipe from Eating Well is super simple to make because you can put it in your slow cooker and let it cook all day. All you need are potatoes, shallots, fresh garlic, buttermilk and butter. You can make it vegan by using nondairy substitutes. For a healthier switch try mashed cauliflower instead.

Vegan Chili

Chili is an ideal comfort food for the cold weather months. It’s perfect to serve for a crowd and the leftovers taste even better the next day, according to Cookie + Kate, because this recipe will even satisfy carnivores You can use canned or fresh beans and tomatoes, cooked with onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup is one of the best comfort foods especially if you are under the weather. There’s a good reason why it is called liquid penicillin. This recipe from TODAY is chock full of hearty ingredients including chicken breasts, onions, carrots, and egg noodles. Leave it cooking on the stove and it will warm up your kitchen and fill your home with a pleasing aroma.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Snow days are perfect for comfort days. According to The Food Network, a grilled cheese sandwich is the ideal comfort food. All you need is white bread, butter, and your favorite cheese like cheddar or Swiss. Cook in a skillet until brown and flip it over to cook the other side. Pair your sandwich with a tomato or winter squash soup and enjoy.

Crockpot Vegan Butternut Squash Soup

This is the perfect comfort food for a busy family because it only takes 30 minutes to prepare and then just let it cook in your crockpot. This easy recipe from The Spruce Eats only has three steps and not a lot of ingredients. You will need butternut squash, apples, vegetable stock, coconut milk and seasonings.

Pies are fantastic comfort food because they bring back warm memories of holidays with family and friends.  This recipe from Real Simple will fit the bill. You will need crisp apples like granny smith and golden delicious but almost any apple will work for baking. You can make your own pie crust or save time by buying readymade. This recipe calls for butter, but you can use margarine to make it vegan.