17 Comfort Foods For Deep Winter

1. Mac and cheese

Oh, sweet, wonderful mac and cheese. If you were an American or Canadian kid, chances are you’ve gobbled down your fair share of macaroni noodles smothered in a cheese sauce. If you have since matured into an adult, you’ve also probably eaten a decent amount, too. As a university student, it was often my choice for stereotypically bad college food when I was deep into a research paper.

Now, you could simply go down to your grocery store, buy a box of whatever brand you prefer, and cook it up. In our brave new world, you can even use a microwave to get mac and cheese into your mouth even faster.

However, there’s a lot to be said about making it on your own. It can be nearly as simple as a boxed meal, or you can get real fancy. Think bechamel sauces with fancy cheeses. Consider crunch panko breadcrumb tops. Or – wait for it – truffle oil, my friends, truffle oil.

Recipe: Creamy macaroni and cheese (New York Times); Truffled Mac and Cheese (Williams Sonoma)

Healthier variation: Use cauliflower. No, seriously. Our friend from the Brassicaceae family can produce a similar creamy texture with seriously reduced carbs and calories. Check out this recipe for cauliflower mac and cheese from Michelle Obama herself.