The Comfort Foodie

Over at Rockin’ the Bourgeoisie, I said that after my work was done today, I was going to try a chocolate cake that some guaranteed to be a life-changer. So, am I changed? Have I luxuriated in the lap of decadent ambrosiatic gobsmackery? Is heaven really chocolate brown instead of white? HAVE I BEEN CHANGED?

In a word? No. In another word? Meh. I wasn’t really that impressed. The flavor was slightly “off” for my taste, but then again, I’m far more partial to milky-sweet chocolate flavor than bittersweet. If you like a dark, slightly bitter cocoa-y flavored cake (and many do), this one may be for you. If I were to make it again — which I might — I’d add a bit more sugar, substitute coffee for the boiling water, and put a huge leaky tablespoon of vanilla in the batter.

This recipe is only one ingredient off from Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake. Wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that Scharffen Berger Chocolates (author of the recipe) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hershey Company. Hmm. And the frosting? It just didn’t sound good to me, so I used my tried-and-true chocolate cream cheese instead, although I included the original frosting recipe below. Again, my $.02: don’t get out the pen and paper to write home. I can name three brands of chocolate cake mix — and let’s face it: countless professional bakeries use mixes — that taste infinitely better than this, honestly. But who knows — your family may rave. If you try it, do let me know what you thought!

Whisk all dry ingredients, then run them through the stand mixer.

After adding wet ingredients, the batter will be very thin.

Cool the layers, put them together, and frost. I always pipe my frostings on layer cakes -- much easier to control.

Not life changing, but still tasty!

Bottom line: The more I bake chocolate- and vanilla-based cakes from scratch, the more I appreciate mixes. B00M.

That Chocolate Cake

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To Make the Cake
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper, then butter and flour the parchment and the sides of the pans.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, mixing on low speed. Mix in the eggs, oil, and milk.

Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the water. The batter will be soupy.

Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then turn the layers out onto the rack and cool completely.

When the cakes have cooled, check the frosting. It should have the consistency of mayonnaise. If it is still too thin, allow it to cool longer.

To Make the Frosting
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and cream and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer for 6 minutes. Add the chocolate and butter and stir until melted. Pour into a bowl and stir in the vanilla.

To Frost the Cake
Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread the frosting with a hot palette knife or icing spatula to give the frosting a beautiful shine. Run the knife under hot tap water and dry with a towel. Spread about 3/4 cup of the frosting over the top of the first layer. Top with the second layer. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake, heating the knife again as necessary.

You know how you occasionally go out in the mornings when company stays over to get a box of donuts from the bakery, or maybe make some gooey cinnamon rolls in your kitchen? Well, don’t do that next time. Do this instead.

Cinnamony, caramelly warm goodness

When I first read this recipe, courtesy of our friend Leann, I thought, “Wow, that really sounds super-sweet; almost cloyingly sweet.” Well let me tell you it is sweet, but in all the right ways. Obviously not a breakfast to be eaten every day (what on this site is?), but for a special occasion, do not — I repeat, do not — go to the bakery for goodies. Raves about your brilliance in the kitchen are as close as everything you already have on hand. That, and it makes your whole house smell like Christmas cookies.

Leann, as with everyone I know who was raised on a farm, learned to cook from her mother, who first learned from her mother-in-law. She told me:

My dad would suggest things that he liked to eat, and then my mother would find out from his mother how to fix them. Because of this, I tend to cook like my grandmother – who is the best cook I know!

Start with a simple caramel cookup - butter, brown sugar, and a bit of light Karo.

Arrange bread slices in a baking dish, and pour on the traditional French toast egg-milk-vanilla-cinnamon mixture.

Have your 2-and-a-half-year-old grandson sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on the bread slices. If you don't have one, you can borrow mine. He's awesome, and such a helper.

Bake it for 30 minutes, let it cool a bit, then watch it disappear. I'd estimate it will serve 6-10 hungry people, as a basic serving is a 'sandwich' cut in half.

I’m not kidding: this stuff is incredible. Next time, I’m going to dice up some Granny Smith apple to spread over the caramel top (it’s served gooey side up) after it comes out of the oven, to give the sweet, warm and soft a little tart, cold and crispy competition. Either way, it’s your next fancy breakfast treat.

Overnight Caramel French Toast

Thanks to Leann — North Fairfield, Ohio

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What? Oh yes, my dears. Vroča čokolada (VRO-cha chok-o-LAH-da). European hot chocolate — in this case, from Slovenia. You simply haven’t lived till you’ve tried it.

Velvet. Chocolate velvet.

Our dear friends Kay and Bob have lived in Slovenia for half of each year since 2005, reconnecting with Bob’s Slovene and Croat family and enjoying the vibrant culture of a country that is both old (originally settled in the 6th century) and new, having declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.

A popular beverage at Slovenian coffee bars in the wintertime, vroča čokolada bears very little resemblance to American hot cocoa. Having drunk many a cup in her time in Nova Gorica (pronounced Gor-EET-za) and in the cafés of nearby northeastern Italy, where it’s called cioccolata calda, Kay sought to retain the basic notes of the recipe while slightly softening the traditional bitterness of the chocolate flavor. What she came up with is pure ambrosia, and you must try it tonight.

The main stars of the show: 100% cacao chocolate, whole milk and heavy cream.

Whisk cocoa and sugar with some of the milk.

Chopping the chocolate in slivers speeds the melt factor.

Add to cocoa and milk mixture; stir, stir, melt.

Remove a few tablespoons of the hot mixture and whisk it with the cornstarch.

Stir until you have a thick, luscious chocolate ocean of decadent yummy.

Bliss.

It disappeared within minutes. Dang.

For many people, one cup is enough. I’m not many people. I may have to have it again before the weekend’s out. Okusne!

Vroča čokolada for two

Thanks to Kay — West Salem, Ohio/Nova Gorica, Slovenia

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1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 ounce 100% cacao unsweetened chocolate, chopped

Whisk together cocoa and sugar in small saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk and stir over low heat until well blended.

Add remaining milk and whisk continuously. Mix in chopped chocolate; stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is hot.

Remove a few tablespoons of the chocolate mixture to a small bowl. Whisk in cornstarch until blended, and set aside.

Add the heavy cream to the saucepan; heat, but do not boil. When blended, add cornstarch mixture and whisk until chocolate thickens.

Serve immediately, “neat” or topped with whipped cream.

And how. I dare you to eat more than one good-sized piece at a time.

Why? Because firstly, this cake uses no eggs. No eggs=decreased fluff. Decreased fluff=denser cake. Next, add the intense chocolate flavor, cinnamon and chips, and you have a delicious — but challenging to the uninitiated chocolate palate — blast of cocoa madness. Rock on.

Death by chocolate? Pshh. What a wayda go.

Why I Like This Cake

• Its texture makes it easy to frost and decorate. It fights back a bit, unlike more fragile, eggy cakes, which can tear apart and crumb all over.
• The modifications I made resulted in a Texas Sheet Cake-like flavor: one of my favorites.
• The coffee adds a surprisingly awesome chocolate bite.
• One piece goes a long way. Harder to OD on it.

It’s simple to throw together. Just make sure you do the little things that make life easier later.

Always, *always* sift your dry ingredients.

There's a reason cake mixes look like this out of the box. Sifting is crucial.

You don’t even need an electric mixer for this recipe. Everything can be hand-mixed in two bowls: one for dry, one for wet. If you’re baking layers (I used two 6-inch pans), just loosen them from the sides after baking, and turn them out onto racks. There was plenty of batter for a 6-inch layer cake and four 4-inch cakelets. (I used soufflé dishes, similar to these.)

The recipe made one 6-inch layer cake, and four cakelets. Where's the fourth cakelet? The Thriller and I plead the Fifth.

All cutesied up for Valentines Day.

Rich, Eggless Chocolate Cake

Adapted from CakeCentral.com – Print this recipe

Ingredients

First Bowl
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

SIFT all ingredients, then whisk together to mix well. Set aside.

Second Bowl

1/2 cup applesauce *
1/4 cup oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon instant coffee
2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons white vinegar

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips, set aside

In second bowl, combine the applesauce, oil and vanilla. Dissolve the coffee into the hot water, and pour into bowl. Add the vinegar and mix until batter is bubbly. Fold in chocolate chips and pour immediately into prepared pan (one 9 x 13 or two 8-inch round cake pans) and bake about 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Can be served hot with ice cream, or cooled on racks and frosted.**

* Original recipe called for 3/4 cup oil. I thought that was extreme, so I substituted the applesauce. There is absolutely no difference in taste, and it saved the recipe 939 calories and over 100 grams of fat.
** Recipe for the chocolate buttercream icing used in this recipe can be found here.

Period. End of story. Finis. Yes, that’s a pretty bold statement, and should some disagree, that’s OK. More for us.

I'd eat that. I'd shower in it. I'd wear it as a hat.

Let’s face it: there are ways to make mac & cheese more “healthy” by cutting down on the amount and type of cheese used, and switching out the macaroni product for something not white-flour based. I get that, I do. But to me, skimping on mac & cheese is like wearing a raincoat in the shower — you just don’t get the full effect, and the effect you do get is rather unsatisfying. Get me?

My point (and I do have one) is that macaroni & cheese is a dish that one shouldn’t try to streamline or reinvent. Think of remaking The Wizard of Oz or It’s a Wonderful Life or Gone With the Wind. Bad, bad idea. Watching those movies once in a while is a fantastic treat for me, but I wouldn’t want to cheapen their charm by watching them every day, or even once a week. There are some things that simply mustn’t be monkeyed with.

And so it goes with mac & cheese: it’s a once-in-a-while treat that should be cooked with joy and great abandon — and by “joy and great abandon,” I mean VELVEETA – but eaten infrequently, to ensure its ongoing appeal (not to mention your continued robust health).

I know, I know — get to the recipe already. Here we go.

I don’t care for dry, overbaked macaroni & cheese, so I’m telling you that this recipe will yield the creamiest, cheesiest, yummiest, lick-the-spooniest mac attack ever, or your money back. You won’t even want to cook anything else to go with it, and it’ll be a good long time before you reach for the blue box of what my mother and grandmother called “Kraft Dinner.”

Best part: this is a no-bake recipe (unless you want to melt cheddar on top). Boil, melt, mix, eat, swoon. Boom.

Start with the Big V. I usually slice it, then run the knife down the middle of the slices. Or you could cube it (I'm far too lazy for that).

Get a good roux going by mixing melted butter with flour. Whisk out all the lumps.

Gradually add Half & Half and Velveeta to the roux over medium low heat. Stir in a pinch of white pepper and mix, mix, melt. Bellissima.

Pour the liquid gold over prepared mac.

At this point, you have two choices: 1) add a cup of shredded cheddar and bake it till it’s melty, or 2) get out the forks and dig in. I’ve done it both ways. But if you want that “Kraft” consistency and mouth feel, skip the cheddar and go commando.

And dinner is served.

No-Bake Macaroni & Cheese

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12 ounces macaroni
1/2 stick butter
1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 cups (1 pint) Half & Half
12 ounces Velveeta (a little over 1/3 of a large brick)
Generous pinch white pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar (optional)

• If using cheddar, preheat oven to 350.
• Prepare macaroni according to package.
• Melt butter in a large saucepan.
• Whisk the flour in, to make a light roux.
• Slowly whisk in the Half & Half, and allow mixture to heat up.
• Add the Velveeta, stirring constantly until melted.
• Drain the macaroni and pour into baking dish.
• Pour melted cheese over macaroni and stir to mix.
• Sprinkle with cheddar and bake until bubbly, or skip cheddar and serve immediately.

I think I’m on a lemon kick. Somebody stop me.

Sweet-yet-tart lemony cookies can only be bested by sweet-yet-tart lemony shortbread cookies. Out of this world. My husband (aka the staff taste-ologist), who does not care that much for lemon things, gave a solid thumbs-up. Muster: passed.

We grew up eating Lorna Doone shortbread cookies. I could polish off a whole pack of them by myself (still could, which is why I rarely buy them). I saw a picture of these on foodgawker.com and thought, “Hmm…time for some leminiscing.” Heh.

Now wait a minute, though. While they are delicious to eat, shortbread cookies do have some shortcomings in the prep department. Behold the caveats:

• You mustn’t pack down the flour. Keep it loose and level.
• If you’re using an electric mixer, you may use room temperature butter. If you are mixing by hand, you really need to use butter that is very soft (or your arms will fall off). Keep in mind that shortbread is a decidedly dry batter. The juice is the only liquid.
• For best results, bake your cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. No greasing or spraying, or you might get crispy, thin edges.
• Chilling the dough first is important. Don’t be tempted to skip this step.

The recipe I modified (from Country Momma Cooks) spiked my curiosity, because it used granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar, and included lemon pudding. Had to try it, just to see. What I got was a delicious cookie with a slightly different mouth feel. Shortbread made with confectioner’s sugar tends to go somewhat powdery when bitten, and these cookies fight back ever so gently. Which do I prefer? Powdery. But they are still lemon-licious. Give them a try — I’d be interested to hear what you thought.

Lemony Shortbread Cookies

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Directions:
Cream together butter, sugar, zest, juice, salt and dry pudding mix. Add flour, one cup at a time. Divide dough in half, and place each half on separate pieces of wax paper. Roll out each to about 1/4-inch thickness. Place both on a cookie sheet (wax paper and all), and freeze till good and firm, about 20-30 minutes.

What a great title. Makes you want to make it, doesn’t it? Put it in the oven or crock pot and go back to bed and read, or snooze, or both — knowing that when you come back 5 hours later, dinner will be ready. Talk about comfort.

This recipe comes from Mary Jane in Iowa: a state just as famous for its Midwestern home cooking as my native Illinois and childhood home state, Wisconsin. A descendant of Iowa farmers, she grew up enjoying her mother’s and grandmothers’ cooking in much the same way I did. Pot roast, meat loaf, chili — they all say “comfort” to her, although she has modified several of her old favorites to support a healthier lifestyle.

Regarding the Stay in Bed recipe — the flavor lies in the seasoned combination of fresh, lean beef and vegetables, cooked slowly against a tomato backdrop:

Mary Jane has served this meal many times over the last 35+ years. She says:

In the early 70s, when I was home recuperating from major surgery, a former high school friend, Joan, brought this stew to me.  It has been a mainstay in our family for years; I even serve it to guests on occasion.

Over the years, she has discovered that the stew tastes better when slow-roasted in the oven for 5 hours, as opposed to being cooked in a crock pot. (I had to make mine in the crock, as both the Thriller and I were out of town all day — but it was still fabulous.)

What we liked about it was the flavor the tomato soup base provided. Savory, savory, savory. As crock pot beef stew eaters for decades, it was a welcome change of taste for us. And the combination of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt and garlic powder was the perfect touch. We both had seconds — delicious, warm, hearty and comforting. Home run.

I plan to try it in the oven next time, to see what taste differences jump out at me. Here’s the recipe, so you can try it, too.

Stay in Bed Stew

Thanks to Mary Jane — Waterloo, Iowa

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1 lb. stew beef
1 can tomato soup and ½ soup can of water
3 or 4 carrots, cubed
2 or 3 medium potatoes, cubed
1 to 2 cups frozen peas
1 onion, cut up
1 to 2 teaspoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder and pepper to taste
(Fellow comfort foodie “BoomR” also adds a generous half-teaspoon of Schilling’s Mexican Seasoning)

Mix all of the above ingredients and place in a heavy covered pan.* Bake in a 275-degree oven for 5 hours. You may peek once to stir it.

This can be doubled; the amount of vegetables and seasoning can be suited to your taste after you have made it a time or two. The stew freezes well and can be reheated in the microwave.

* If using a crock pot, cook on low setting for 8 hours.

I avoided the dreaded springform pan for years. So much easier to make cream cheese pie, using a brick of Philly, some lemon juice, sugar and a store-bought Keebler crust. But the fluffy, sweet, tart goodness of real baked cheesecake is something no cook can afford to miss. And it’s easier than you might think.

Like anything wonderful, it takes a bit of time, but that just contributes to the beauty. And the raves from the family, well…that just makes it all worthwhile. So, I say go for it.

Yep.

Graham cracker crumbs (I put them in a zippered bag and get out the rolling pin), sugar and melted butter = fantastic homemade crumb crust.

Don't skimp; use a real lemon. You don't need a zester -- a cheese grater works fine. Wash your lemon thoroughly, then zest off the good stuff: the yellow part.

Mix ingredients at medium speed. Avoid using the "high" setting, which can result in over-aerating.

Whisk by hand at the end of mixing, to make sure everything's blended just right.

Pour the creamy deliciousness into a 9-inch springform pan, into which you've pressed the graham cracker mixture. (I sprayed the sides with cooking spray as well.)

After smacking the pan on the counter top a few times to remove air bubbles, double wrap it with foil, and place it in a bain-marie (fancy name for water bath). This guards against cracking. My jelly roll pan filled halfway up with hot water worked perfectly.

When the (beautifully un-cracked) cake is almost done, take it out and cover it with the sour cream, sugar and vanilla mixture. Then finish up the baking time.

After cooling and gussying -- perfection.

Cheesecake

Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Cake
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
Zest of 1 lemon (about a half teaspoon)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs

Top Layer
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix crust ingredients and press into bottom of 9-inch springform pan (I sprayed the sides with cooking spray). Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven.

Beat cream cheese, 3/4 c. sugar, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla extract on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating on low speed, just until blended. Pour mixture over crust and bake 55-60 minutes, or until center is almost set.

Mix sour cream, 3 T. sugar and 1 t. vanilla extract. Using an offset spatula, carefully spread the mixture over the cake. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Run the spatula around the edge of the cake before cooling in order to separate the cake from the rim of the pan. This allows the cake to contract while it cools, without pulling away from the sides (which causes cracking).

Refrigerate cooled cake 5 hours or overnight. Remove outer rim and serve. Yields 12-16 servings.

Homemade Cherry Pie Filling

Don’t top the cheesecake masterpiece you just created with cherry filling dumped out of a can. Four ingredients and 15 minutes will make all the difference.

4 cups tart cherries, pitted
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Put cherries in a covered saucepan over medium heat, until they are hot and steamy and the juices are released, about 10-15 minutes. Stir often.

In a small bowl, whisk sugar and corn starch together, and add to cherries, mixing well. Add almond extract. Reduce heat, and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook and stir until mixture thickens. Serve warm or refrigerate for later. Yields about 6 servings.

Nutella: a dangerous substance in my house. In fact, I rarely buy it, because, well…you know.

But I passed it in the store the other day and thought, “Hmm. Cupcakes filled with Nutella…nice.” So I went back yesterday and grabbed some, made a yellow cake (I used a mix this time, but this is a great vanilla cake recipe), and got to work on the fun stuff.

I like my cupcakes a little on the high side, so I ended up with about 20.

The Cuisipro Cupcake Corer — awesome. The days of taking a paring knife to cut out an uneven opening for filling, occasionally cutting right through the bottom of the cupcake — over.

Filling the centers with the Nutella is extra-easy using a pastry bag with an infuser tip. Fast, and decidedly unmessy.

You know, it just dawned on me as I sit here writing this: my mother never made cupcakes. I can’t remember a single time. Now don’t get me wrong, Mother was a champeen dessert maker, but she never did the cupcake thing. Lots of cakes, tons of fruit pies, fudges and cookies — but never cupcakes. Maybe that explains why I thought, “Wow, filled cupcakes and two-tone frosting — how original!”, only to find out that 68,000 other food bloggers had thought of it long ago. Ha. Silly, silly me. But back to the deliciousness…

No mess here.

Nutella in every bite.

The final, fun touch is the icing. Put each flavor in a separate pastry bag and snip off the ends. Then place those two bags inside a larger (I used a 16-inch) pastry bag with the coupler inside, attach a large closed star tip, and away you go.

Peel it down and eat it with a spoon.

I’m relatively new to cake decorating, so this is a work in progress. But I’m enjoying learning — and my husband is enjoying his new role as taste-tester and overall representative for the male persuasion. He said last night, after eating Cheryl’s casserole, “I like this food blog idea.” Of course you do, darlin’. I do too, I think.

Nutella-Filled Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

18-24 cupcakes, any flavor
1 small jar Nutella hazelnut spread
Vanilla and Nutella cream cheese frosting

Core out an opening in the center of cooled cupcakes. With an infuser or spoon, fill each channel with Nutella (You may want to put some Nutella in a small bowl and into the microwave for 10 seconds, to make it easier to work with. It has the consistency of peanut butter at its room temperature state.)

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting (from Good Life Eats)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
5 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
1 pound powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 cups), sifted
2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract (optional, but it won’t darken the color)

Cream the butter and cream cheese in the large mixing bowl of a stand mixture. Add the vanilla. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar as you continue to cream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat on high speed until fluffy and smooth, adding milk or additional sugar (if needed) to reach desired consistency.

Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting (from Good Life Eats)
6 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup Nutella
1 pound confectioners’ sugar (about 3 3/4 cups), sifted
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
black and brown food coloring, optional

Cream the butter and cream cheese in the large mixing bowl of a stand mixture. Add the nutella and vanilla and continue to cream. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar as you continue to cream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat on high speed until fluffy and smooth, adding milk or additional sugar (if needed) to reach desired consistency. For a darker brown add 1 drop brown and 1 drop black food coloring. 

By the way…

• “Softened” butter is not the same as “almost totally melted” butter. Different makeup altogether, and many recipes won’t work if it’s melted (i.e., “creaming” ingredients demands solid-but-soft butter). Plan ahead and set out those sticks. If you’re up against the wall, however, you can cut the stick in half lengthwise, put it between two sheets of waxed paper, and get out the rolling pin. Or use your cheese grater. You can also, as I read on some forum once, put it in a zippered plastic bag and “beat it to death” with a meat tenderizer. Hmm, sounds like fun…
• Always sift your confectioners’ sugar. Always. I have an old-fashioned sifter with the wind-up handle, probably from the 1950s. Works great, as does one of these jobs held over the bowl. Seriously, you’ll never have a single lumpy mixture if you sift first.

Or C4, as I like to call it. ‘Cause it’s dyn-o-mite.

According to Cheryl, “just about anything can be turned into casserole.” That’s because she knows the value of raiding the fridge and pantry and coming up with a tasty, filling meal that satisfies the comfort craving in everyone, while making great use of leftovers. Such is the case with C4. Creamy, cheesy, noodle-y and warm, this hits the spot, especially on a cold winter night.

The main ingredient is chicken. And it can be any kind of chicken: a whole fryer, boneless breast or thigh pieces, even leftover roasting chicken. All you need is about 3-4 cups of cubed meat, and you’re off to the races.

I seasoned and baked some chicken breast

Then come the noodles and vegetables. You can have as few or as many veggies as you like. I chose some frozen sweet peas, to keep it simple and colorful. After cooking the noodles, add the vegetables and mix.

The next step: wonderful Velveeta, mixed with milk and melted. Add the meat, then sprinkle with bacon pieces (either ready-made, or broken-up strips you’ve fried yourself). Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish and top it with the melty goodness. Pop it in the oven for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Result? A delicious, creamy one-dish meal. A salad and some biscuits add the finishing touch. And it looks as pretty as it tastes.

Now that's comfort, Jim. (Click for a larger view)

Cheryl’s Chicken Comfort Casserole

3-4 cups cooked chicken, cubed
4 cups fresh or frozen vegetables (I used sweet peas)
1 lb. Velveeta, cubed
Milk (about 1 cup)
1 large bag egg noodles
1 cup bacon pieces

While noodles cook, melt Velveeta with milk; stir until creamy. Drain noodles and pour into large bowl; stir in vegetables and chicken, and transfer to 9 x 13 casserole dish. Pour Velveeta mixture over the top and gently mix. Sprinkle with bacon.

Bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven, for about 25 minutes, or until steamy hot. Stir again and serve.