Favorite Comfort Foods and Why

This is difficult for me because there are a lot of comfort foods that evoke a lot of memories for me. Some from my mom, some from my aunts that were the real cooks in the family and even some from my mother-in-law.

I had more of a bridge playing grandmother than your "normal" grandmother and I had a working mother who raised me alone and I have always called her a good quick cook. So most of my comfort food was either quick or since there were only two of us we ate at one of my aunts houses on Sunday. 

from my mom...

Pot Roast in the pressure cooker: My mom made this often (because it was quick) and it was usually Sunday dinner. Although my mom tended to make mashed potatoes even when there were only two of us, now that there are only two of us in my house I HATE to dirty pans so I have a tendency to put small potatoes in my pressure cooker. Everyone has their favorite pot roast so I didn't feel I needed a recipe.

Hot Dogs with Bacon
This is unhealthy I know but my mom used to cut those cheap hotdogs halfway, stuff them with cheese and wrap a slice of bacon around them and broil them til the bacon was crisp. Wow. I loved them. Am sure you need no recipe.








Cooked spinach:
Although we now eat very little meat here in the Allen house, spinach was the only real green veggie

I liked as a kid. I bet we had this dish once a week.

Serves 4 as a side; 2 for dinner

1 tablespoon bacon grease ot 2T beef broth

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

1 garlic clove, chopped

Salt and ground black pepper

1 t sugar

Big bunch of fresh spinach washed and drained (back then we sometimes used canned…maybe 2 or 3 cans. (remember spinach cooks down quickly so I always use more)

Red wine vinegar on the table. I use balsamic now.

Homemade cornbread (optional)

In a large saute pan, melt bacon grease over medium heat (I now use broth for this). Add the onion and garlic and stir to cook until the onions are very soft. Add a little salt and pepper. Add the spinach and stir, flipping it around as you would a stir fry. Sprinkle the tsp of sugar over spinach and stir. 

Turn off burner, stir, cover with lid and let sit 5 minutes. Serve with cornbread on the side or put the spinach on top the cornbread as you would soup.

Sprinkle with a few drops of vinegar on top.

Did you or do you still have a favorite comfort food?