Comfort food gives comfort and joy, so it is good during the holidays or any time of the year! Wikipedia defines comfort food as “Food that provides a nostalgic or sentimental value often characterized by its high caloric nature, high carbohydrate content or simple preparation.”
I took an unscientific survey of foods that comfort, soothe, and relieve stress and anxiety. These are the results. The foods may be hot or cold, a main dish, dessert, or snack. Some were sweet. Some were salty. Some were smooth. Some were crunchy. No vegetables were included unless mixed with mayo or covered with melted cheese.
According to the people I asked these are COMFORT FOODS: ice cream, pudding, milk and cookies, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, bacon and eggs, pancakes, toasted cheese sandwiches, chocolate of any kind, pasta in any shape or form, meatloaf, and any kind of soup, with tomato and chicken noodle being the most popular. No wonder there is a book named Chicken Noodle Soup for the Soul.
Grandma Margie to Danielle and Jed was a great cook, among other things. She had about 12 menus that she rotated over my childhood. They were tried, true, and beloved. One of them included Campbell’s chicken noodle soup with buttered soda crackers. Imagine my surprise when my son came home from a visit at Grandma Margie’s house and said that she had served him and his cousin Danielle homemade chicken noodle soup! I interrogated him at length since I assumed she had used Campbell’s soup but thrown away the can and claimed it was homemade. I called my sister Julie and we verbally questioned the truth of this soup. I screwed up my courage and asked my mother if she had made homemade soup. She replied with a deep breath that she had been out of Campbell’s soup, but the kids wanted it. So she improvised using bullion cubes and wide egg noodles. Were her grandchildren complaining about her soup? She was proud and reassured when I explained that they had loved it. I guess that any food grandmas serve with love will be considered wonderful. Mothers are not so lucky! Here is a soup that is homemade in case you run out of Campbell’s.
Beef and Veggie Soup with Mozzarella
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with green peppers, celery, and onions, undrained
4 cups water
5 tps. beef bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella (4 oz.)
1. In a 4 quart Dutch oven cook beef and onion over medium high heat 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned. Drain.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients except cheese. Heat to boiling: reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until veggies are tender.
3. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons mozzarella in each of 8 soup bowls. Fill bowl with hot soup.