Thanks to Mezzetta for sponsoring today’s discussion. All opinions, recipe and photos are my own.
We have a recipe tradition at my mom’s house. Every year for at least the last 15 years, she makes this dish at Christmas time. It was made as a random side dish and it was loved so much, that my mom has made it every year since. I even have friends request the dish by name and she will even make it for them when they come to visit during the year.
This might be the ugliest dish I’ve shared with y’all to date.
It might not be pretty, but I can promise y’all that it’s delicious… and really, that’s all that matters. (Says the girl who was weirdly selective of cookies and every other food when she was a kid because I only wanted to eat pretty things. I know. Good thing I grew up and realized that beauty had nothing to do with taste, right?)
The cold weather has breached Chicago. It has breached me, actually, since my winter coat is currently being shipped from across the world. So it’s me and a pea coat against the elements. I have found, living most of my life in the Chicagoland area and especially because I was spoiled for the last two years, that a lot of it is mental. If I even think for a second that this is cold in November, I am done for. Winters last through March here and after the Christmas cheer, they are only more menacing. Also, have you heard about the bomb cyclone? It’s this year’s polar vortex, only it is supposed to be worse. I can’t think about it. Again, it’s mental.
One of my favorite things about colder temperatures is the advent of soup weather! Soups are high on my list of favorite meals to make–they’re so comforting, filling, and often extremely budget friendly. They’re an easy meal to make too, especially if you add some grilled bread or homemade rolls and a light salad.
