5 Easy Winter Meals

Winter is a time for comfort foods, quality time on the couch, and these 5 easy winter meals. Warm your home and your belly and go from the kitchen to the couch in no time with these delicious dishes.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups cheese (cheddar is preferable, but you can choose)
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• 3 tbsp. breadcrumbs
• 1 tspn. olive oil

1. Heat the milk in a large saucepan (do not boil).  Whisk in the flour until smooth, being careful to not let the milk burn.
2. Remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in cheese, cottage cheese, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cook elbow macaroni until slightly underdone (about 5 minutes).  Add macaroni to cheese sauce and pour into a greased baking pan.
4. Combine breadcrumbs with olive oil to make the topping.  Bake at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Chili

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. sirloin beef cubes
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 large onions
• 2 bell peppers (any color)
• 2 jalapeño peppers
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. oregano
• 12 oz. beer
• 2 cups beef stock
• 4 cups crushed tomatoes
• 2 cans each kidney and black beans (4 total)
• Shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips (for serving)

1. Coat the meat with 1 tablespoon and brown in a large pot with oil.  Remove the meat from the pot.
2. Chop the onions, peppers and garlic.  Sauté in the pot until softened. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt and pepper (to taste) to vegetables.
3. Add meat back to the pot.  Cover with beer, stock and crushed tomatoes. Simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Drain beans of excess liquid and add to pot.  Simmer for 20 more minutes and serve with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 lbs. roasting cut of meat
• 2 small cans cream of mushroom soup
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 bag baby carrots
• 1 tsp. each oregano, basil, thyme, salt and pepper

1. Spoon 1 can cream of mushroom soup into the bottom of a slow cooker.  Place the meat in the slow cooker.
2. Chop the onion, celery and garlic.  Add to the slow cooker, along with the bag of baby carrots and spices.
3. Cover the roast with another can cream of mushroom soup.  Set slow cooker on low and cook for 8 hours (cook on high heat 4 hours).

Meatloaf

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• ½ lb. each ground pork and veal
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (soaked in ¼ cup milk)
• 1½ cups ketchup
• 1 ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup mustard

1. Combine the ground beef, pork and veal in a large bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients (Use only ½ cup ketchup. The rest is for the glaze).
2. Mix well with your hands.  Form into a loaf and place on a foiled lined baking sheet.
3. Create a glaze for the meatloaf.  Combine the remaining 1 cup ketchup with brown sugar and mustard; mix well.  Pour over the meatloaf.
4. Bake at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes.

Pulled pork sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 3 lb. cubed pork
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• ¼ cup vinegar
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt

1. Combine sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, chili powder and salt in a large bowl.  Place the pork in a slow cooker.
2. Pour the ingredients over the pork.  Place slow cooker on low heat for 8 hours. 
3. To serve, shred with a fork and place on crusty Kaiser rolls.