Let’s face it: homemade macaroni and cheese may be the reigning king of all the delicious comfort foods. Still, there are plenty of different ways to make this iconic dish and not all of them are made equal. Fortunately, we have an outstanding version of it for you today that’s sure to become a new family favorite. Here’s how you do it:

1 pound of dry pasta
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1/3 cup of flour
4 cups of whole milk
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of mustard powder
1 pound of extra sharp cheddar, grated
1 cup of grated parmesan
chopped bacon (optional)
caramelized onions (optional)
minced chives (optional)

1. Boil water in a pot and cook your pasta according to the instructions. Drain it and set the pasta to the side.
2. Put a pot over medium heat and melt butter until it turns foamy.
3. Add flour and stir it in for a minute. Slowly add milk, stirring continuously.
4. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika and mustard powder, stirring everything in.
5. Add cheese and stir until it’s fully incorporated. If it’s too thick, add half a cup more of milk.
6. Finally, add your cooked pasta, stir it all together and serve!

It’s hard to go wrong with a well-designed slow cooker recipe. Beyond that, it’s also hard to go wrong with a well-made chili in the winter—so this meal is a perfect combination of those two factors. While we all have our own preferences when it comes to chili, this dish has all the heartiness and flavor with a slightly leaner meat in the form of ground turkey. Even if you’ve never had it, it’s sure to be a hit with the whole family. Here’s how you make it:

1 pound of ground turkey
1 smoky sausage
1 red bell pepper
1 red onion
2 stalks of celery
3 cloves of garlic
1 cup of dry white wine
1/2 cup of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
2 tablespoons of butter
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 bundle of parsley
1-2 cups of water

1. Begin by adding your onions, minced garlic, bell pepper and butter to a pan. Cook the ingredients for a few minutes.
2. Add diced sausage and keep cooking until it turns brown.
3. Deglaze the pan with a little bit of wine and add turkey. Cook everything until there’s no pink left.
4. Add the cooked food in the pan to your slow cooker and add tomato paste, spices, wine, rosemary and water.
5. Close the slow cooker and set it to cook on high for four hours.
6. When it’s done, scoop it into bowls and serve with rice and parsley!

If you’re coming down with the cold or you just want a recipe that tastes like love and tenderness, it’s hard to beat a homemade chicken noodle soup. Although many of us may be used to going with the Campbell’s pre-made version, taking the extra time to make it from scratch definitely pays. Here’s how you make it:

1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 bone-in chicken breasts (with skin)
1 yellow onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 quarts of chicken broth
1 bay leaf
thyme sprigs
2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
8 ounces of egg noodles
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley

1. Heat your olive oil in a Dutch oven or stock pot over medium high.
2. Add your chicken with the skin down and cook for three to four minutes. Flip it over and cook for another two minutes.
3. When it’s browned, take the chicken out and add onions, carrots and celery, cooking everything for two minutes.
4. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and season everything with salt and pepper.
5. Pour in your brother, bay leaf and thyme and bring it all to a low boil.
6. Turn the heat down to low and skim off any foam that forms. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 25 minutes.
7. When it’s done, take the chicken out and throw the skin away. Shred it with a fork and add it back to the pot with the noodles.
8. Bring the pot to a boil again and cook the noodles until they’re done, approximately eight minutes.
9. Stir in the parsley and serve!

Potatoes are staple of so many different dishes because they’re such a hearty, cheap ingredient. Still, scalloped potatoes are one of the best ways to prepare them. While there are plenty of different ways to prepare this simple meal, the way the ingredients combine leads to a meal full of creamy and cheesy goodness. Here’s how you make it:

2 pounds of Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 cup of Spanish onion, sliced
1 1/4 cups of half-and-half
3 tablespoons of butter
1/2 clove of grated nutmeg
2 minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 tablespoons of thyme leaves, minced (plus extra)
3/4 cup of grated gruyere
1/2 cup of coarse breadcrumbs
1/4 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
ground pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease up a baking dish with butter.
2. Mix your potatoes, onion, half-and-half and butter in a sauce pot. Bring it to a simmer and cook everything for five minutes.
3. Strain the potatoes (they should not be fully cooked yet) and put the mix into another saucepan.
4. Whisk in your garlic, nutmeg and thyme as well. Bring it to a simmer and add cheese, salt and pepper, mixing everything together.
5. Layer your potatoes in the bottom of your baking dish and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add some gruyere, more potatoes and liquid until it’s all used.
6. Top the dish off with breadcrumbs and Parmigiano.
7. Bake the dish for about an hour so that the top caramelizes and the dish is bubbly.
8. Let it cool for 20 minutes and thyme before serving.

Casserole dishes are always so satisfying to make because all you have to do is throw things together, bake it and enjoy the leftovers for several days. For anyone who likes a good casserole, this chicken and rice dish is definitely a winner. Like all the other recipes we’ve covered so far, it’s incredibly easy to throw together and ends up tasting incredible. Here’s how you make it:

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1-2 chopped celery stalks
1 diced zucchini
3/4 teaspoon of salt
4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
1 pound of baby potatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
2 cups of fresh corn
1/4 cup of heavy cream
parsley leaves
1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups of cooked brown rice
4 cups of shredded cooked chicken
4 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 cups of breadcrumbs

1. Begin by heating oil in a stockpot over medium heat.
2. Stir in onions, celery, zucchini and half a teaspoon of salt. Cook everything, stirring it up until everything turns soft and translucent (for about 10 to 12 minutes).
3. Move the cooked veggies to a blender and add your broth, processing it all until it turns smooth.
4. Put the blended mixture back in your pot and bring it to a boil. Add potatoes and bell pepper, cooking for 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Add corn, and cream and cook until it all warms through. Taste it and add more salt as necessary.
6. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
7. Crush the potatoes in the pot, adding another cup of broth and your rice. Keep heating it on low until it warms through.
8. Take the pot off the heat and add your chicken and cheese.
9. Pour everything into a casserole dish and top it with breadcrumbs.
10. Bake the whole thing for 30 to 40 minutes. Let it cool and serve!

Although any soups can be just the thing to eat when it’s cold outside. this homemade New England clam chowder is something special. It’s particularly cold for much of the year around Boston and the surrounding area—and if they eat clam chowder, you know it’s effective. Here’s how you make it:

3 dozen little neck clams, scrubbed
2 cups of water
5 thick slices of bacon, chopped
2 Spanish onions, diced
1/2 cup of diced celery
2 cups of Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped
3 cups of heavy cream
2 bay leaves
4-5 sprigs of thyme
kosher salt
black pepper

1. Start by adding clams and water to a saucepan. Cover it and cook it over high heat for six minutes.
2. Take out any open clams with a slotted spoon and keep them in a bowl.
3. Keep cooking until all the clams open before taking the the pan off the heat. Keep the liquid in the pan.
4. Pour your liquid through a mesh sieve over a bowl to strain it.
5. Take the clams out of the shells.
6. Clean off your pan and put it over medium heat, adding in bacon. Cook until it turns brown and crispy.
7. Add your diced onion and celery, seasoning with salt and cooking for about five minutes. Keep stirring throughout.
8. Add potatoes and cook, stirring, for another five minutes.
9. Add heavy cream and simmer everything for 10 minutes.
10. Stir in the clam juice and add bay leaves and thyme.
11. Bring everything to a boil before turning the heat down and simmering for about 10 to 15 minutes.
12. Take the bay leaves and thyme out, stirring in the clams. Season everything with salt and pepper and serve!

If you’re looking for a recipe that comes packed full of virtually every ingredient you’d ever want to try, this simple shepherd’s pie is a delicious recipe to try out. Aside from all the vegetables, butter and meatiness, it also comes with a nice fluffy layer of potatoes on top. Here’s how you do it:

Pie:
2 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 turnips, peeled and quartered
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1/2 cup of whole milk
1/4 cup of grated parmesan
2 tablespoons of chopped chives
kosher salt
ground pepper
Filling:
4 strips of thick-cut bacon
2 pounds of ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 ounces of cremini mushrooms, chopped
2 teaspoons of fresh thyme
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 tablespoons of flour
1 3/4 cups of chicken broth
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
kosher salt
ground pepper

1. Make your topping by putting the potatoes and turnips in a big pot, covered with cold water.
2. Add salt and bring everything to a boil, cooking it for 25 minutes. Drain the liquid and keep the pot.
3. Next, cook the bacon in a big skillet over medium heat, cooking for about 10 minutes.
4. Drain the fat out except for one tablespoon, adding beef into the skillet as well.
5. Cook the beef for about four minutes before adding onion, carrots and celery, stirring until they all soften.
6. Add your mushrooms, thyme and tomato paste, cooking and stirring for about three minutes.
7. Add your flour and stir, cooking for two minutes. Add broth, Worcestershire sauce, 3/4 teaspoon of salt and some pepper as well.
8. Cook everything for three more minutes and add in your parsley.
9. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
10. Mix your butter and milk in the pot and cook it together over medium heat until the butter melts.
11. Put the potatoes and turnips in the pot and mash everything together. Add parmesan, chives, salt and pepper.
12. Pour all the filling into a baking dish and add topping, spreading it around.
13. Bake the whole thing for 35 minutes. Let it cool for 15 minutes and serve.

Of all the soups in the world, French onion soup has to be my absolute favorite. The flavor is so rich, sweet and savory, all with caramelized onions, gooey cheese and a delicious hunk of bread on top. Fortunately, it’s actually pretty easy to make as well! Here’s how you do it:

1/2 cup of unsalted butter
4 sliced onions
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of thyme
1 cup of red wine
3 tablespoons of flour
2 quarts of beef broth
1 baguette, sliced
1/2 pound of grated gruyere
kosher salt
black pepper

1. Start by melting butter in pot over medium heat.
2. Add onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until the onions turn soft and caramelize, for about 25 minutes.
3. Add wine and bring everything to a boil, turning the heat down and simmering for five minutes until the wine evaporates.
4. Throw out the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Add flour and stir everything up.
5. Turn your heat down to medium low and cook it for 10 minutes.
6. Add in beef broth and bring it all up to a simmer, cooking it for 10 minutes. Season it with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Next, preheat your broiler. Put the baguette slices on a baking sheet and add gruyere on top.
8. Broil the bread for three to five minutes so that the cheese melts.
9. Scoop the soup into bowls and float the bread on top.

As we’ve said before, it’s hard to beat a hearty casserole when it comes to winter comfort foods. In that same vein is this hash brown casserole, a meal that comes with every delicious ingredient you would ever want. All you have to do is throw everything together and enjoy. Here’s how you make it:

1 package of frozen hash browns
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 pint of sour cream
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1 onion, diced
2-3 cups of Kellogg’s cornflakes, crushed
1/2 cup of melted butter

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a big mixing bowl, combine your soup and sour cream. Stir in cheese, diced onion and potatoes, mixing everything together. Scoop it all into a casserole dish.
3. Sprinkle cornflakes on top of the hash brown mix and pour melted butter on top of that.
4. Bake the casserole for 45 to 50 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Last but not least, this delicious taco lasagne recipe is another spicy and delicious dish that is sure to satisfy the whole family. If you like the taste of tacos but are looking to get it in a more substantial package, this recipe is so easy to throw together and will last you for a long time. Just make sure you bring your appetite! Here’s how you do it:

1 teaspoon of canola oil
1 pound of ground beef
2 tablespoons of chili powder
2 16-ounce jars of salsa
1 pound of no-boil lasagna noodles
2 16-ounce packages of skim mozzarella
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 diced tomato
1/2 cup of shredded cheddar
1/2 cup of crushed tortilla chips

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and move a rack into the middle of the oven.
2. Heat your oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add your ground beef and sprinkle it with chili powder and a teaspoon of salt.
3. Cook everything together, breaking up the meat with a spoon and stirring (for five to six minutes).
4. Stir in salsa and a cup of water, bringing it to a simmer. Reduce it for about four minutes before taking it off the heat and setting it aside.
5. Spread the meat sauce in the bottom of the baking dish, laying a third of the noodles on top, leaving a half inch around the edges of the dish.
6. Add more meat sauce and a third of the mozzarella on top. Make another layer of noodles and repeat until it’s all used up.
7. Make sure the top layer is sauce before topping with the rest of the mozzarella.
8. Cover the dish with foil and bake it for an hour. After that, take the foil off and cook for another 15 minutes.
9. Let the whole thing rest for 10 minutes before serving with sour cream, lettuce, tomato, cheddar and chips!