Comfort Food: Mac & Cheese, Creamy Salmon, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Apple Pie (Days 251-255)

Food is comforting.  For me, anyway.  Food stirs memories.  A good meal can relieve stress, momentarily, anyway.  When Randy comes home from work, I want him to immediately feel more relaxed when he enters the doors.  I like to have candles burning for a nice aroma, supper cooking, and a relatively clean house (as clean and organized as it can be with my two little ones running around still).  Even when I was working, I would get home before him and create this atmosphere.  And when he worked 3rd shift, he would always comment that he loved waking up to the smell of supper on the stove and the candles that created a coziness in our home.  I talked about this coziness I remember from my childhood and what I try to recreate in a recent post.  I feel the same way about food.  Food can be cozy and comforting just like my candles, music, and overall home decor.  Randy and I have been in need of some comfort food this week.  So here are a few things I cooked up for just that.

Velveeta Mac & Cheese (Day 253)
Ok, so there's baked mac & cheese--a favorite of my husband's, and Kraft Mac & Cheese, a favorite of my children's.  I've made them both.  But I grew up on Velveeta Mac & Cheese--every Sunday after church.  We would come home, and Dad would start making Velveeta Mac & Cheese for lunch.  I don't know how or when this tradition started, I don't ever remember it not existing.  Not only was there comfort in the warm, cheesy taste of the dish, but there was comfort in the consistency of the meal.  We always knew what to expect.  That's comforting.

2 cups or a little over 1/2 box of pasta (my dad used elbow macaroni, I used small shells)
1/2 lb (8 oz) Velveeta cheese
roughly 2-4 TB milk

Cook the pasta as directed.  While it's cooking, you can create a double-boiler over the hot water or you can use the microwave.  I like the double-boiler because the cheese melts evenly and stays smooth.  I just place a glass bowl over the cooking pasta and slice the 8 oz of cheese and add to the bowl.  Once the cheese starts melting, I pour in a little milk to help smooth it out.  Once the cheese is melted and the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta and add it to the bowl with cheese.  Toss to coat the pasta completely.  Mmmm... mac & cheese!

Ok, we did NOT have wine with this dish as a kid, but I think it's a nice touch as an adult!

Salmon with Poblano Peppers, and Creamed Corn (Day 254)
I make this salmon a lot--probably about 50% of the time I make salmon, it's this version.  The original recipe can be found here.  I served it with wild rice and snow peas.  Salmon may not have you thinking "comfort", but trust me--the creamy corn and poblano sauce is so luscious and creamy and the heat from the pepper just makes this meal warm you through and through.  It definitely belongs on the "comfort food" list! 

I paired this meal with a nice, fruity cocktail to complement the salmon and the pepper.  It was a nice contrast.  I mixed 1 part Triple Sec, 3 parts rum, and 4 parts orange juice.  I poured the mixture over ice and added a splash of grenadine.  Garnish with a Maraschino cherry.

Spaghetti & Meatballs (Day 255) -- is there anything more comforting than good ol' spaghetti and meatballs?  I think not.  Again, Randy proclaims this to be one of his "favorite meals."  Serving it with a salad and nice glass of red wine is certainly a comforting way to enjoy this classic dish!


I like to have Randy's drink ready for him when he gets home.  That way he can really start to unwind from work right away. ;)  It's idealistic to want to have dinner on the table already since I don't always know the exact moment he'll arrive.  Sometimes that happens, but usually not.  If I'm able, a nice appetizer--just bread, or cheese & crackers is something special that can be on the table waiting for him to enjoy with his drink.  Then we can talk about our days a little bit while supper finishes cooking.  Of course, you have to imagine this with 2 toddlers running around, asking for Daddy's attention, too.  And, being the wonderful father that he is, he's usually able to get in a few rounds of "Couch Monster" before dinner hits the table.  The night we had spaghetti and meatballs, I had a cheese and cracker appetizer waiting (featuring Trader Joe's caramelized onion cheddar cheese--yum!) and one of Randy's favorite drinks: rum & cokes.

This is NOT the appetizer that I had on the table on a weeknight.  But, I wanted to throw in a picture of the cheese platters I served at our Open House over the weekend (Days 252-253).  However, I forgot to take pictures that day!  So you'll have to enjoy my recreation of the setting I used for my kids' snacks on Monday.  For a fun idea, I used leftover ceramic tiles from our floor renovation as cheese platters.  Really cute idea, thanks HGTV! ;) 

THE BEST Apple Pie
In our house, apple pie is not just for Thanksgiving or any other holiday.  Once it's apple-picking season, it's apple pie season.  Imagine finishing off a plate of yummy spaghetti and meatballs and knowing that there's apple pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert.  Now THAT'S comforting--almost Heaven!  This recipe is truly the best.  There is added apple flavor in the crust and technique that helps the body of the pie stay firm.  It's amazing!  It takes a little extra wait-time, but it's worth it!   I've adapted it from an Alton Brown recipe I used years ago when I made my very first apple pie.

Crust
2 sticks of butter, cold, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 3/4 cups flour
2 TB sugar
1 tsp salt
6-7 TB apple cider

Filling
6-8 apples (depending on their size--6 large apples is usually good)
1/3 cup sugar
1 TB cinnamon
1/2 stick of butter, sliced

I start by making the crust.  Using a food processor is literally the easiest way to make a crust or dough.  The machine does the work for you and it will come out perfect every time!  Place the flour, butter, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the butter is the size of peas.  Slowly add the apple cider and continue pulsing until the dough starts to come together.  Use your hands to press the dough together into a nice, sticky ball while still in the processor.  If it's not sticking, you may need to add more cider.  Once you have a ball of dough, divide it in half.  Form 2 round discs of dough and wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Peel and chop the apples.  Place the apple pieces in a colander over a small saucepan.  Sprinkle them with 1/3 cup of sugar and toss.  Cover the apples with a towel and let sit for at least an hour or more.  The juices from the apples will drain into the sauce pan.  This process helps release the juices now and not when their in the pie--so you won't get a super soggy pie.  Plus, you will use the juices on the crust of the pie, also. :)

You can let the apples sit all morning and the dough can hang out in the fridge for as long as you need.  When you're ready to assemble and bake the pie, preheat the oven to 425* and remove the dough from the fridge.  Let it sit out a few minutes to help it come to room temp and make it easier to roll out.  Start with one disc, roll out the dough and place it in the bottom of a pie plate.  Add the apples and toss them with 1 TB of cinnamon.  Place the slices of butter over the apples.  Roll out your second disc and cover the apples with it. 

Trim off any extra dough hanging from the side.  Pinch the dough together around the edges of the pie.

You should have a little apple "juice" in the bottom of your saucepan.  Turn the stove on high and boil the juice to reduce them.  Keep an eye on this because it will happen fast.  When the juices are reduced by half, turn off the heat.  You should have a sticky "syrup" at this point, which you can pour over your pie and spread it out with a pastry brush. 

Use a sharp nice to prick the top of the pie. Cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil.  Bake on the very bottom rack of the oven for about 30 minutes (I place the pie plate on a baking sheet, also).  Then, remove the foil and place the pie on one of the top racks of the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.  When the pie is finished, let stand on a cooling rack for about an hour before serving.

Delish!  (This picture was taken BEFORE my son reached up high and dug a chunk out of the pie before his father got home. Tsk tsk!)  Most of the pie was still salvaged and it, of course, tasted great!