Kid-friendly Recipes for Winter 2012

Kids and adults alike love comfort food in winter. Follow these ideas for quick meals you can make at home, and on a budget.

Everyone loves comfort food, especially in the cold and snowy months of winter. When it gets colder outside, we all crave something that will stick to our bones and keep us warm. When we think of comfort food, we often think of recipes that are expensive and difficult to make, which can lead us to want to order pizza every night, just for something gooey and warm. Next time you think you might want to hit the speed-dial for the pizza delivery guy, however, try these great recipes that will stick to your bones and that the whole family will love.

Alfredo Sauce with Bowtie Pasta and Veggies

Alfredo sauce is surprisingly easy to make, and won’t drain your wallet, either. Start by boiling water and making your favorite pasta according to the instructions. Bowtie pasta is great with this sauce because it holds the sauce well, and it’s bite-sized for the kids to eat easily, but you can use whatever pasta you want. While that is going, melt half of a stick of butter over medium heat, then add one cup of heavy cream. Simmer it together for a few minutes, and then add a cup and half of parmesan cheese and garlic to taste. Whisk it together, and then add some dried parsley to taste. Spoon it over the pasta and add whatever veggies you have available.

Baked Mac and Cheese "Cupcakes"

Baked mac and cheese is always a winter favorite. It fills you up and tastes really, really good. To make baked mac and cheese a little more kid friendly (and portion friendly!) just take your favorite recipe and, instead of baking it in a casserole dish, bake it in muffin tins. You can even go a step further and add a crust by crushing your favorite, cheesy crackers and mixing them with butter and cheddar cheese. Press the crust into the muffin tins, bake it for five minutes to get it crispy, then prepare your baked mac and cheese and spoon it on top of the crusts. Then, bake the mac and cheese and enjoy.

Beer Chicken

Beer chicken is delicious, and non-alcoholic, believe it or not. The alcohol cooks off while the chicken is cooking, and what’s left just serves to make the chicken really moist and tender. Take four chicken breasts, bones removed and skin on. Coat them in flour and brown them in a pan with a little olive oil. Then, put the pieces of chicken in the slow cooker and add half a cup of beer in it. Cook it on high for about three or four hours and, voila, you have delicious chicken. Serve it with asparagus or broccoli and wild rice for a true winter meal.

Ravioli Casserole

Ravioli casserole is truly like the lazy man’s lasagna. If you’ve ever tried to make lasagna before, you know it is very difficult and time-consuming. By using ravioli instead of layering cheese, meat, and noodles, you can take the prep time down to about half. Use whatever kind of ravioli you choose, and whatever kind of sauce you choose, as well as whatever kind of cheese goes with your ravioli. Make the ravioli according to the instructions on the package. Then, make your sauce. Spoon one-third of the sauce on the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch pan, then layer half of the ravioli on top of the sauce. Follow this with half of the remaining sauce and top that with cheese. Then, layer the remaining ravioli, sauce, and cheese - in that order - on the top. Bake it in the oven for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees, or until the cheese on top is bubbly and golden brown.