Learning about new recipes is one of the best things ever for a foodie, and it’s even better in the winter, when we can really take the time to cook! This week, Cromaine staff shared some recipes that made it into their personal cookbooks recently. From Swedish pot roast to a variety of soups, pasta dishes, and desserts, Cromaine has you covered if you’re looking for some new recipes to liven up your kitchen this winter!
Main Dishes
- Super Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Before I found this recipe from Budget Bytes, I’d never tried making my own broccoli cheddar soup. This recipe came together quicker than I expected and was SO tasty! The cayenne pepper and smoked paprika really livened it up with extra flavor, but the recipe is very true to your favorite broccoli cheddar recipe. Highly recommend!
-Recommended by Shelby - Swedish Pot Roast
This Swedish pot roast was a favorite dish of my husband's mother who passed away many years ago, so it's a really nice dish for the whole family to enjoy.
-Recommended by Amelia - Kale and Lentil Salad
It tastes great on day one and it tastes great on day five, it's a home dinner and a work lunch, it's a side salad and it's a main course, it's filling and it's vegetarian--It's the Just-Keeps-Getting-Better Kale and Lentil salad from Bon Appétit. While the payout is great for its rather common ingredients, more importantly it is fun to make. I enjoy recipes that take a little elbow grease. Keeps me engaged, makes me feel like I'm cooking. And it comes together in 40 minutes!
-Recommended by Mason - The Best Ever Garlic Parmesan Pasta
I am not joking when I say that this one-pot garlic parmesan recipe changed my life. I make it almost every time I have guests, and it's seriously the BEST recipe for those of us who equally love garlic and pasta. PLEASE give it a try-- it's so easy to make, and you can add chicken/shrimp/soy meat substitute to it to add a little more protein to it.
-Recommended by Shelby - Lasagna Soup
This lasagna soup is a winter favorite around my house.
-Recommended by Erin
- Creamy White Chicken Chili
I just made this chicken chili recipe and it was DELICIOUS! We really liked it. The flavors really come from sautéing the two kinds of peppers for a while. We did de-seed the peppers and it was still spicy but not over the top. Also, this would be good as a vegetarian recipe with veggie broth (I love the Better Than Bouillon jars you can get at any local supermarket), and skipping the chicken and adding another can of beans. I might try that next time-- my husband and I eat a lot of plant-based meals and with so much flavor coming from the seasonings and peppers I think it would be fabulous!
-Recommended by Amy - Air Fryer Honey Garlic Air-Fried Pork Chops
I really love this air-fried pork chop recipe and use it all the time!
-Recommended by Erik - Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
Here's a great recipe for Chicken Biryani. You can marinate the chicken overnight for extra flavor. Yum!
-Recommended by Wendy - Garlic Butter Turkey Meatballs (With Lemon Zucchini Noodles)
These meatballs go great with roasted broccoli, roasted or mashed potatoes, or just some plain ol' whole wheat noodles. Or use the noodles in the recipe!
-Recommended by Pam
Drinks
- Wassail!
Wassail is a warm mulled beverage that uses beer, wine, or hard cider. After learning about it during our December installment of Ale Together Now, I tried making a Wassail recipe from A Spicy Perspective and it was a wonderful wintertime treat! It's sweet, fruity, and filled with comforting winter spices. It's a great recipe for the winter solstice or other winter celebrations.
-Recommended by Shelby
Desserts
- Low-Sugar Date Brownies
This date brownie recipe was a recent trial that actually turns out better than expected!
-Recommended by Erin - Perfect Pumpkin Cake
I slightly modified this recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction, changing up the spice ratios and adding whipped cream to the frosting (which I used as a filling because I made a layer cake)-- but this recipe is incredible! It has wonderful flavor (not too sweet!), and stays nice and soft. I added it to my personal cookbook after serving it at Thanksgiving on a whim and everyone loved it!
Craving more cooking resources from Cromaine? Find tons of cookbooks on the online Catalog to reserve today! We also have online resources to keep your kitchen lively: Universal Class is a free learning resource for Cromaine Library cardholders that features a variety of food and cooking classes, including pie and bread baking, cake decorating, Italian cooking, Tex Mex cooking, and Spanish cooking. Kanopy is also available for free with a Cromaine Library card, and features movies centered around cuisine as well as films from the Great Courses, which explores topics from beer brewing to bread baking, wine tasting, spices, and more! Magazines are also available in the Library and online via Overdrive, including titles like Cooking Light and Better Homes and Gardens. Keep things fresh with these fun resources, and let us know which recipes you try this winter!
Happy cooking! (: