If you're anything like me, then you are always on the lookout for recipe inspiration! In my home, we keep things simple and follow a predictable weekly rhythm with plenty of room for interpretation! Here are some of our indulgent winter favorites:
Monday: Chicken and/or Pasta! Chicken + Gravy works fabulously in a dutch oven. We usually have this meal with some roasted broccoli or in-season root vegetables. Another Monday favorite is simple spaghetti (or raw zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash) with homemade pasta sauce and meatballs, and a roasted vegetable. This is our favorite simple meatball recipe.
Tuesday: Tacos! This weekly tradition goes back years for my family, and it's the kids' favorite night of the week. Our staples are black beans, brown rice, sauteed peppers, sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips, and salsa, and we switch up the type of meat every week. Sometimes it's ground beef (we are fans of the Penzeys taco seasoning), sometimes it's shredded chicken, and sometimes it's carnitas. I like to turn mine into a salad!
Wednesday: Soup (or leftovers). Our favorite winter soups are split pea with ham (we have Woodland Farms smoked hocks now!), chili, and the Pioneer Woman's Hamburger Soup. Regardless of what we have, cornbread is a must! We like both sweet and traditional recipes, so we alternate. Either way, baking it in cast iron is a must.
Thursday: Breakfast for dinner! Nothing super special here. Sometimes it's just fried eggs and bacon (both local!) and toast or roasted potatoes, and sometimes we bake biscuits. Our biscuit recipe is super simple:
450 grams of Self Rising Flour
100 grams cold butter
300mL buttermilk
Mix the flour and butter in a food processor (or with a fork), stir in the buttermilk with a wooden spoon, flatten to about an inch thick on a floured surface, and cut them out. Bake for 18-20 minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 350 degree oven. Devour them with jelly, butter, honey, or all three! This recipe makes about 12 3" biscuits.
Friday: Homemade Pizza! We've been making pizza for years, too, and this is one of those things that can involve everyone in the family. I usually start the dough about 3:30, but you can also make it 1-2 days ahead of time and just keep it in the fridge - just make sure to bring the dough to room temperature before you start constructing your pizza. This recipe says knead by hand, but I use my mixer for the whole thing and mix it just until it isn't sticky. I've got it down to a science! When you're ready to construct, get out all of your toppings and tools, and let the kids go to town on their own pizza.
Saturday: Leftovers or Takeout
Sunday: Roast, stew, or cottage pie! Fun fact: cottage pie uses beef, while shepherd's pie uses lamb. I remember that because shepherds shepherd sheep! Haha! Here's our favorite shepherd/cottage pie recipe - you can't go wrong with this, whether you use beef or lamb. We usually double the meat, however, because when we follow the recipe as written we end up with way more potatoes than meat. These leftovers are also delicious!
When we sit down to eat, we light a candle and say a simple verse, and then we dig in and talk about our day! I hope these ideas motivate you to try a few new things - they're comfort food at its finest, and perfect for these cold winter days. Happy Cooking!