Falling for Cozy Meals

    Falling for Cozy Meals

    Jacqueline Gomes, RD, MBA

    As we begin to trade t-shirts for sweatshirts and feel the chill of cool Autumn mornings, you may start to crave cozy comfort meals to satisfy the chill.

    Comfort foods come in all shapes, sizes and flavors, for instance; some may find sweets like chocolate chip cookies to be comforting while someone else might prefer the heartiness of beef stew.

    While comfort foods are often perceived as higher fat or higher sugar alternatives to healthier dishes. But, with a few simple adjustments this may not always be the case!

    • Add in more veggies to bulk up the nutrition factor such as carrots, potatoes, squash and apples.
    • Swap out a higher fat ingredient like sour cream for low fat Greek yogurt.
    • Change the portion size. Enjoy your comfort food as is, simply reduce your portion size and enjoy.

    Who doesn’t love a quick shortcut? Enjoy this hearty chicken soup with potatoes and rotisserie chicken!

    Shortcut Chicken Soup

    chicken soup

    Prep: 10 minutes

    Cook: 30 minutes

    Makes: 8 Servings

    Ingredients:

    • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 Tablespoon butter
    • 3 to 4 carrots, sliced
    • 1 sweet onion, chopped
    • 3 medium russet potatoes cut into bite sized chunks
    • 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour or 1.5 Tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1 cup white wine* optional see note
    • 5 cups chicken stock
    • 1 teaspoon garlic
    • 1 teaspoon thyme
    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 Perdue Rotisserie chicken, skin removed and broken down
    • Handful fresh parsley, finely chopped

    Directions:

    1. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces, place onto a plate and set aside.
    2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil and butter over low-medium heat in a large pot. Add in carrots, onions and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, cook for about 5 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent.
    3. Add in flour and stir well. Add white wine (if using) to scrap up any bits from bottom of the pan. Now add in chicken stock, garlic, thyme and paprika. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
    4. Stir in chicken and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
    5. Stir in parsley just before serving.

    *Notes: If omitting white wine, simply add in an additional cup of chicken stock.