Comfort Food Deliciousness - Perfect for Any Occasion!

Especially when the seasons in Wisconsin change, and the weather turns colder, my taste buds seem to want comfort food.  I know my mother's stew recipe by heart, and when I make my grandmother's chicken and dumpling soup it is a welcomed and sentimental journey down memory lane. Food can do that, right!?  

Sometimes, though, I do like to try new recipes, especially comfort foods in winter. We have two delicious recipes straight from our Innkeepers kitchens that you should experiment with and perhaps then add to your own recipe book. Who knows, it may become a sentimental comfort food memory of someone special to you. 

When you add wine and several delicious herbs and spices to a hearty beef stew recipe, you know you have the makings of something delicious. Don't forget to bake a crusty loaf of bread to dip into the gravy! The second recipe of Chicken Alfredo Soup is creamy delicious, and I like that it also has 4 vegetables in it, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and garlic. Yes, garlic is technically a vegetable. Serve it with garlic bread and a tiramisu dessert. Enjoy!

 

Hearty Beef Stew

Recipe from The Buckingham Inn, Madison:

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut in 1-inch pieces
Flour, salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
Dash each of Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce
1 cup beef bouillon
½ cup dry red wine
1 large can tomatoes, quartered
2 large garlic cloves, smashed
12 peppercorns
3 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
¼ cup chopped parsley
2-3 carrots, pared and sliced diagonally
4 medium red potatoes, quartered (or a mix of quartered potatoes and sliced parsnips)
4 ounces mushroom pieces (optional)
1 cup frozen green peas, defrosted
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Dredge stew meat in flour, salt and pepper. Film a frying pan with olive oil and brown the meat over moderately high heat. Transfer pieces of meat as they are browned to a casserole or baking dish. Skim all but a spoonful of fat out of the frying pan or add fresh oil if needed. Add sliced onions to frying pan, stirring and tossing for 3-4 minutes to brown lightly. Scrape the browned onions out over the beef in the casserole dish. Sprinkle beef and onions with Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce. Pour bouillon into frying pan, scraping up any coagulated juices and pour into casserole dish.

Add to casserole dish the wine, tomatoes, garlic, peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, and carrots. Cover and simmer 3-4 hours in 325-degree oven (or stovetop if desired and casserole dish is flameproof) until meat is tender. 30-45 minutes before serving, cook potatoes until almost tender and add to stew. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the mushrooms, green peas, salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken Alfredo Soup

Recipe by Fountain Chateau B&B, Hustler:

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ lb. chicken breast cooked, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp black pepper
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
½ heavy cream,
1 tsp. crushed chili flakes
8 oz cauliflower florets, steamed and chopped
8 oz broccoli florets, steamed and chopped
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Flour and broth to make a rue
2 cups spinach, chopped

Directions:
In a large pot over medium high heat melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir as it cooks until almost cooked through (about 3- min).

Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT spinach and stir well.   

Make rue with flour and broth of desired thickness. Add to the soup and cover and allow to cook on low for 10 mins stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and stir in the spinach.

You can find more delicious recipes on our recipes page!

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