Comfort Food in Chicago: Winter Recipes

01.22.2021 |

When it’s freezing cold outside, there’s nothing quite as comforting as a warm and hearty meal. We’ve rounded up a few easy recipes that you can create at home in your luxury kitchen at Aqua at Lakeshore East. We’ve also included a list of nearby grocery stores where you can find ingredients! Read on for some tasty winter comfort food recipes! 

 

Instant Pot Root Beer Pulled Pork

The root beer in this recipe takes this pulled pork to the next level! The soda softens the meat whether or not you use a full sugar root beer or diet. The carbonation does most of the work! That being said, this recipe does taste better with the full-sugar soda. If you go for the diet root beer to make this diabetic/keto-friendly then we recommend slightly increasing the spices used. See the full recipe on Tasty. 

Ingredients:

ROOT BEER PULLED PORK

  • 2 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 3 lb pork shoulder, cut into 6–8 equal pieces
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • ½ medium yellow onion, minced (about 1 cup - 150 G)
  • 1 can root beer
  • 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
  • ½ cup barbecue sauce

 

Creamy Lemon Butter Chicken Pasta

This hearty dish is packed full of flavor! Brought to you by Tasty, this recipe is for 2 servings but it can be easily multiplied to serve more people. Buttery garlic and onion with a lemon zest creates the base for the cream sauce, with a kick of spice from chili flakes. It tastes amazing with the chicken and some parmesan sprinkled on top. See the full recipe here!

Ingredients:

  • 2 chicken breasts, diced
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ½ red onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 1 teaspoon chili flake
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ cup double cream
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 ½ cups fresh egg pasta
  • 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

 

Green Mac ‘n’ Cheese 

The mac ‘n’ cheese from your childhood is elevated with this healthy twist on a comfort food favorite. This is another great recipe from Tasty. You start by combining spinach and parsley with milk in a food processor as the sauce base. It tastes amazing, and is an easy way to fit some nutritious leafy greens into your day! You can use whatever cheese you like, but this recipe recommends a classic cheddar mix. The flavors are all tied together with spices like garlic, onion, and paprika. This recipe is for twelve servings so you can eat some now and save the rest for later! You can view the full recipe here. 

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups fresh spinach, packed
  • ½ cup fresh parsley
  • 2 ½ cups milk, divided
  • 5 qt water
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 lb elbow macaroni
  • ¼ cup butter
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 lb white cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup mozzarella cheese

 

You can pick up ingredients for all of these recipes nearby at Bockwinkel’s, Mariano’s, Target, and Whole Foods.

If you try any of these recipes, take a photo and share it with us on social media! We’d love to see your take on them. See you next week for more food and fun in Chicago!