ResHall Recipes: comfort food for stressed out students

By ES HETHCOX

Even though it is officially spring, the temperatures are still low. It’s about a month from finals, and Mary Washington students are in need of some comfort food.

Here is a list of some foods that will not only prepare you for your walk across campus, but will also bring you some comfort if you are feeling stressed about assignments.

Macaroni and Cheese: Macaroni and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food. This simple yet delicious recipe only requires 30 minutes of your time—and will also provide you with some savory leftovers. Biology major Ella Danso loves making Macaroni and Cheese during the cold winter months. “When I’m stressed Macaroni and Cheese not only fills up my stomach, but also fills up my soul as well.” Danso said. “It sounds weird, but the intake of calories really comforts me.”

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) box elbow macaroni

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt ground black pepper to taste

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, eight minutes. Drain.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; stir in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth, about five minutes. Slowly pour milk into butter-flour mixture while continuously stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbling, about five minutes. Add Cheddar cheese to milk mixture and stir until cheese is melted, two to four minutes.

Fold macaroni into cheese sauce until coated.

Apple Cobbler: When the cold weather is becoming unbearable, sometimes what you need is some mouthwatering apple cobbler. Political science major Khayla McGowan enjoys the comforts that this classic recipe brings her. “It reminds me of my family’s hometown, Houston, Texas.” McGowan said. “My great grandmother used to make apple pies all the time and after she died, my grandmother and grandfather started making cobblers, because they could use a bigger baking pan than a pie pan. Whenever the holidays rolled around and we were in town, they would have two cobblers waiting for us. Whenever I feel down, I make a cobbler and call my grandparents and they cheer me up. And most of the time, they made a cobbler of their own as well.”

Ingredients:

3 large granny smith apples, peeled and sliced

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 large egg

1⁄2 cup butter, melted

Directions:

Put apples in the bottom of a lightly greased 8×8 inch baking dish.

Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and egg until it looks like coarse cornmeal.

Sprinkle topping over the apples.

Pour melted butter over the entire dish.

Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

Grilled Cheese: Everyone knows the basics of grilled cheese, but sometimes this traditional comfort food can be spiced up. Next time you go a grocery store, grab a different kind of cheese then American. Make a classic recipe new!

Ingredients:

4 slices white bread

3 tablespoons butter, divided

2 slices Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat skillet over medium heat. Generously butter one side of a slice of bread. Place bread butter-side-down onto skillet bottom and add one slice of cheese. Butter a second slice of bread on one side and place butter-side-up on top of sandwich. Grill until lightly browned and flip over; continue grilling until cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining two slices of bread, butter and slice of cheese. 

Hopefully these quick recipes will provide you some comfort during this last cold front. Keep these recipes in mind as you wait for spring weather to make an appearance.