I first came across "Aunt Cleo's Chicken Pie" while digging through my fiancé's tattered purple recipe folder, filled to the brim with handwritten index cards that his mother, Tina, had originally sent with him to college. We were only in the beginning phases of dating when I rummaged through the file, but I figured out pretty early that he was a sucker for his mom's home cooking. More

Cooking for my family during a holiday visit to Seattle, I came up with this chowder as a light yet comforting weeknight dinner to give us a break from the rich holiday meals we had been eating. The broth skips the usual milk or cream and is instead thickened by pureeing cooked potatoes and aromatics into a creamy, flavorful base studded with chunks of mild white fish and soft vegetables. Warm, satisfying and not too heavy, this dairy-free soup is the perfect meal for a chilly January evening. More

I've been doing a lot of cooking this week, and it's been really nice. When my marriage ended a year ago, I was suddenly thrown back into cooking by myself again, and at first I was lost at sea. I had forgotten everything I'd known -- the touch and the feel of cooking -- that I'd had ten years earlier when I was single. More

It's a new year, and we're all back to the races — school, work, the daily routine. So, what's for lunch? Lunch has become important again, now that leisurely holiday brunches and Christmas cookies are behind us. Are you freshly resolved to pack a homemade lunch every day? Are you trying to eat more vegetables and whole grains? Let us help you. More

In my small Alabama hometown, a restaurant lives and dies by its chicken salad recipe. Heaven help the one that decides not to include the Southern staple on its menu. For the local "ladies who lunch" crowd, it is practically a food group, and it should not to be taken lightly. More

In my recent pantry reorganization, I found a bag of wheat berries I'd been meaning to use. A simple salad with some winter citrus and salty feta seemed like a good idea, and it all turned out very tasty. Light yet satisfying, this makes a perfect lunch or dinner side salad this time of year. More

I spent three days of my holiday break on a quest to make the perfect French onion soup, beginning from scratch with the beef stock. And while it was incredible, it is not very often that I have the time or energy to really put that much effort into dinner. I decided there must be an easier way, and as it turns out, there is! Basically, I seem to prefer my soup in sandwich-form.

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I am a born-and-bred Southerner who surely spent at least one past life in Italy. I am deeply devoted to both Southern and Italian cuisines and am convinced they have the same soul. More

It is easy to see why cooks love breakfast casseroles. They can be made ahead. They are hearty and satisfying. They handily serve a group. It's the name that trips us up. People are leery of casseroles, which is why I prefer to call this, my signature crowd-pleasing brunch bake, a savory bread pudding.

A casserole by any other name is swell to eat. More

Warning: There are zero salads in this bunch of recipes. If salads are your comfort food of choice, then my apologies. These recipes provide the kind of comfort that comes with plenty of cheese, an extra splash of cream, and some crispy edges. Not that they are all overly-indulgent...just most of them. Ahem. Enjoy! More