3 Fun Cooking Projects for When Cold Weather Has You Stuck Inside

The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting colder, and the trees have already lost most of their leaves—for many in America, winter has arrived. Cold weather got you stuck inside? Here are 3 fun cooking projects to help you warm both your body and soul this winter!

1. Chicken Pot Pie

Looking for a classic American comfort food to help you brave the winter? The chicken pot pie is as humble as it is filling—succulent chicken, potatoes, onions, carrots and whatever else you can find in the fridge baked into a scrumptious pie. Its versatility allows you to make magic out of leftovers, but if you’re not quite sure how to get started, here’s a recipe courtesy of Kevin at Closet Cooking that you can adapt and make your own.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup milk
• 1 pound cooked chicken, shredded or cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen corn
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 portions frozen pie crust dough, thawed
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp water

Steps

1. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat.
2. Add onions, celery, carrots or your veggie mix of choice and cook until tender for 10-15 minutes.
3. Mix flour and cook for a minute.
4. Mix in chicken stock and milk, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add chicken thyme, sherry, peas and corn.
6. Add salt and pepper, season to taste.
7. Line a deep pie plate with one of the pie crusts.
8. Pour the filling in and crimp the second pie crust on top.
9. Cut slits into the top of the pie.
10. Mix egg and water and brush the top of the pie crust.
11. Bake in an oven preheated to 400 °F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Kitchen Pro Tip:

Don’t forget to make sure your kitchen gear is up to par! You’ll want to make sure you have a saucepan that promotes even heating and cooking for the best pot pie filling ever! Our favorite? This 2 piece Chef’s Classic Set from Cuisinart.

2. Bread Bowl Soup

There’s nothing quite as heartwarming as a hearty French onion soup sipped from a bread bowl. Perfect for thicker soups like onion, potato or chowder, the best part of this dish is eating the soup drenched bread bowl after you’ve finished its contents. Here’s a recipe by Kerri Skrudland on how you make the bread bowls to house all your favorite soups.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• 1 egg white
• 2 (0.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 2 ½ cups warm water (110 °F)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 7 cups all-purpose flour

Steps

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition.
3. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
4. Punch dough down, and divide into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 4 inch round loaf. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; lightly brush the loaves with half of this egg wash.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.
7. To make bowls: Cut a 1/2 inch thick slice from top of each loaf; scoop out centers, leaving 3/4-inch-thick shells. Fill bread bowls with hot soup and serve immediately.

Kitchen Pro Tip:

You can never have too many good prep bowls, especially when it comes to recipes with multi-step processes like this one. Pick up this Cuisinart Stainless Steel 3 Prep Bowl Set (complete with lids!) and never be without that spare bowl when you’re in the middle of baking this winter!

Tomato Bisque

Tomato Bisque is one of those staple soups that’s easy to make and will warm you right up on a cold winter day. It goes especially well with sandwiches, like a nice grilled cheese with green apple slices. Here’s a recipe by Diana Rattray on making easy tomato bisque.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup chopped onions
• 1 large baking potato, peeled and diced, about 1 1/2 cups
• 4 chicken bouillon cubes or equivalent granules or chicken base
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried leaf basil
• 1.4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) tomatoes with juice
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste (1/4 cup)
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• minced parsley

Steps

1. Melt butter into a saucepan
2. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes on medium heat or until tender.
3. Add diced potatoes, bouillon, water, bay leaf, basil and pepper, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes with juices, tomato paste and sugar and stir well.
5. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Remove bay leaf and puree soup until smooth
7. Top with minced parsley before serving.

Kitchen Pro Tip:

A good sturdy stockpot is a must in any kitchen, especially before the winter fully arrives. Be ready to whip up any soup with this Farberware Covered Stockpot in stylishly speckled red.

What fun recipes would you suggest for other readers when they’re stuck inside from bad weather? Let us know in the comments below!