When old man winter is knocking at your door, ’tis the season to enjoy hearty meals that provide sustenance to deal with howling winds.
Ooh, how folksy!
Winter calls for good old-fashioned comfort foods that take longer to prepare but are worth the effort to warm the cockles of your heart.
To that end, over here at BasketWorks, we present the five most popular winter foods to cozy up to.
1. Hearty Soup
Hearty soups like chicken noodle, split pea with ham, and beef barley are the go-to meals in the dead of winter.
I know, it’s been pretty mild so far in Chicagoland, but I’m sure I just jinxed it.
Soups are easy to prepare and are also great for lunch leftovers. You just toss everything in a pot or slow cooker and let it simmer until all the flavors infuse the broth. Enjoyed with chunks of crusty bread smothered in butter, a grilled cheese sandwich or crackers, soup is the quintessential winter food.
2. Comforting Macaroni & Cheese
Mac n’ cheese has reached legendary status as the ultimate comfort food.
It has gone from the recognizable blue box everyone keeps in their pantry to a gourmet-level meal with all kinds of clever ingredients that bring it to the next level. But deep down, we all crave the same good old-fashioned version mom always made.
When it comes to feeling like a warm hug, nothing does it better than mac ‘n cheese.
3. Luscious Pot Roast
Pot roast may be the mother of all comfort foods.
Slow-cooked meat, gravy, potatoes, and carrots. I mean, come on.
Pot roast is the ultimate winter meal and just as easy to prepare as soup if you have a slow cooker handy. After a hard day at work, nothing says welcome home more than a simmering chunk of tender beef.
4. Spicy Chili
126.95 million Americans can’t be wrong. Yes, that’s how many of us consumed chili in 2020. Is there anything they don’t track?
Chili is a versatile dish, and we’re going to focus on the spicy kind.
Whether you love it with plenty of beans or are all about the meat, spicy chili is packed with flavors. That combination of meat, beans, peppers, tomatoes, onions, and spices is a kick start to your taste buds, creating a warming sensation from tongue to tummy, ideal for a cold winter’s day.
5. Rib Sticking Stew
Speaking of versatility, there are hundreds of stews to choose from, like classic beef stew, French boeuf bourguignon, Irish lamb stew, and chicken stew topped with light and fluffy dumplings.
Another slow cooker-friendly meal, stew allows you to combine ingredients and let them simmer while you get on with your day. Always rich and flavorful, stew goes down easy when the weather is snowy, damp, or downright miserable.
🚨SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT🚨
Speaking of soup, it’s always nice to have a bowl when you’ve got a winter cold or bug. To that end, check out our Soup and Quackers Get Well Basket, a lighthearted pick-me-up with chicken soup mix, crackers, a stuffed animal duck, and more!
About BasketWorks
BasketWorks is a woman-owned gift basket company located in the north suburbs of Chicago (specifically Northbrook, IL) since 1997. We are proud to offer a variety of gifts and gift baskets appropriate for all occasions. Each of our packages is built to order, allowing for customization at no additional cost to our clients. Contact us today! Please subscribe to our blog post and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.