Foodie Friday: Give your comfort food a boost!

Comfort food meals to make at home

The snow has been falling and the days are getting shorter. Yes, winter has arrived in northern BC! These chilly evenings have me turning to soups, stews, and hearty comfort foods.

Comfort foods often get a bad rap when it comes to nutrition. We often think of comfort foods as being heavy, rich, and lacking in the vegetable department. But there isn't any good reason they have to be this way. Most classic comfort foods can be easily modified to boost their nutrition and still be warm and satisfying enough for even the coldest winter night.

Add some vegetables

Mac and cheese is probably one of my favourite comfort food meals to make at home. Not only is it an easy dish to make from scratch, but with only a few little tweaks, you can amp up the nutrition and taste:

• I always add some vegetables to my mac and cheese to make it a complete meal.
• It's easy enough to switch out regular macaroni for whole grain pasta to add some extra fibre to your meal.
• Using an old or aged cheddar allows you to use less cheese while keeping that cheesy flavour.

Some great vegetable choices include:

• dark leafy greens, like spinach or kale,
• frozen peas or corn,
• puréed butternut squash,
• sautéed mushrooms, or
• steamed cauliflower or broccoli.

Here, I've used baby kale in my favourite mac and cheese recipe because it has a more mild flavour than regular kale and it requires less prep. If baby kale isn't available, you can easily substitute chopped fresh, frozen, or canned kale instead.

Oh Kale Yeah! Mac and Cheese

Recipe from Evergreen Eats

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 3 cups whole grain pasta (such as macaroni, rotini, or penne)
• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded old cheddar (the older the better!)
• 1 tbsp grainy mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups of baby kale, packed
• 1/2 cup herb and garlic croutons, crushed

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Cook pasta per package directions, until al dente.
3. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, stir and cook for 1 minute, without browning.
4. Lower the heat, and gradually whisk in milk. Stir until bubbles form around the edges, and sauce thickens. Do not boil.
5. Stir in cheddar cheese, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm over low heat until pasta is cooked.
6. Drain pasta, and add it to the cheese sauce, along with the baby kale. Stir until combined and kale has wilted slightly. Transfer to baking dish, and top with crushed croutons.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until top is crispy and golden brown.

Notes:

• No croutons? No problem! You can use breadcrumbs, panko, or even crushed crackers or a few potato chips.
• As the cheese, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce are all salty, taste your sauce before adding any extra salt – you might find you don't need it!