Winter Recipes

When the season turns to winter, and the temperature drops, all look for ways to keep themselves cozy. Building a fire and drinking hot chocolate are the two most popular in my home. Soups are also a big hit, and I’ve found that consuming something warm beats any jacket or blanket. A few of my personal favorite winter food items include pizza, pasta, and soup. Thus, I have put together a few simple recipes that most could make right after school as a snack or even prepare for dinner. I understand that soups come in cans now-a-days, already made, and you can have pizza delivered. But for those of you that don’t find that good enough, and/or have an adventurous side in the kitchen, this article is for you. Also note that these are great ways to surprise you parents, and potentially lead them to think that you made everything from scratch.

Up first is a Corn Chowder Soup, with none of that weak, liquid, chicken broth stuff. It has a thick, fulfilling base, with potatoes, bacon, and cheese. The recipe serves 2, and takes only 10 minutes to prepare. I added chicken to mine, along with going heavy on the bacon, making a tasteful difference. Also good served with warm 7-grain bread, or oyster crackers.

Ingredients:

4 slices of Oscar Meyer Ready to Serve Bacon

1 10 ¾ – ounce can of Cream of Potato soup

1 cup of low-fat or whole milk

1 11-ounce can of Corn Niblets

Shredded Cheese

Directions:

Heat the bacon for 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave

Pour the cream of potato soup into a pot, adding in the milk and corn.

Break up the bacon into small pieces, and stir in.

Heat for 5 minutes or until the soup reaches a simmer.

One of my favorite foods in the world, in general, is pizza, but even more so in the winter months. I love Papa John’s, but your money goes a lot further when you make your own. The recipe for this 12” pizza is simple and straightforward, takes about a third of the time to bake as it would to be delivered, and at half the cost. I recommend using store-bought Boboli pizza crusts, and pizza sauces.

Ingredients:

1 12” Pizza Crust

1 5-oz. package of Pizza Sauce

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

2 cups of Italian 3-cheese blend, shredded

2 oz. of pepperonis, sliced *(optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F

Bake time: 10-12 minutes

In a small bowl, combine olive oil and Italian seasoning.

Brush the oil and herb mixture around the outer edge of the crust.

Spread pizza sauce onto crust, leaving a 1″ border around the crust. Arrange the cheese and pepperoni on top of the sauce, and bake for 10 – 12 minutes until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown.

Pastas are typically easy, cheap, and fulfilling, so here is a great recipe for the age long spaghetti and meatball dish. It serves 4, and takes only 20 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients:

12 ounces of spaghetti noodles

3 cups of marinara sauce

16 Meatballs, cooked

Directions:

Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the marinara sauce in a large skillet over medium for 2-3 minutes.

Add meatballs to sauce, and serve over pasta.