Comfort In A Bowl

Comfort In A Bowl – A Hodgepodge Recipe

I have felt a little under the weather this week, so for lunch I really needed some comfort food. I have eaten way too much junk food lately and felt my body needed a hearty bowl of soup.

I opened my freezer door and browsed through my frozen vegetables. I started with a chicken breast, carrots, bay leaf, salt, pepper and water in a stock pot. What’s more comforting than Chicken soup? A chicken soup containing one’s favorite comfort foods. I love okra and tomatoes, so I added those to the pot. I sprinkled in a few of my favorite seasonings, like thyme, basil, and Tony Chachere’s seasoning.

I adore cornbread dressing, so when I ran across a trinity mix of chopped celery, bell pepper and onions in the freezer, I knew I had to add them to the pot. I also sprinkled in a little sage.  While those were coming to a boil on the stove. I whipped up some corn bread Johnny cakes to cook on the griddle to go with my soup.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese and corn on the cob are a few more of my favorite foods. Once the soup came to a boil, I threw in the elbow macaroni and corn and continued to boil for ten minutes to cook the macaroni. I continued to season the soup to taste, adding more salt and water if needed. Once the macaroni was al dente, I ladled the soup into my favorite bowl, topped it with grated cheese, and grabbed a few Johnny cakes on the side of my bowl. All I can say is “Wow!” why didn’t I come up with this sooner?

Here is my recipe for “Comfort In A Bowl”

4 oz. chicken breast
1 cup elbow macaroni
¼ cup diced can tomatoes
¼ cup chopped okra
¼ cup sliced carrots
¼ cup corn
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped bell pepper
1 tablespoon chopped celery
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s seasonings
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon of thyme
½ teaspoon of basil
1 bay leaf
Cheese for topping

I hope this encourages you to try your own Comfort In A Bowl recipe. Feel free to share some in the comments.