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Cozy Cooking: 4 Recipes to Warm Up Your Winter

Posted: December 5, 2023

Some of Hopkins Dining’s top chefs have pulled together some of their favorite winter recipes for you to try and master over Winter Break. Whether you are taking a break from a busy time home or need something to do, check out these four recipes to try!

Chicken and Black Bean Casserole with Rice

Chef Joe Bollinger, Executive Sous Chef, Peabody

 

How to Cook:

  1. Pre-cook rice and chicken breast (great way to use leftover cooked rice and leftover cooked chicken)
  2. Sautee peppers and onions in oil for 5 min.
  3. Add cumin and chili powder to sautéed onions and peppers.
  4. Add salsa and tomato sauce.
  5. Combine rest of ingredients except for ½ of cheddar cheese.
  6. Pour into greased casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 40 min. until bubbly and hot.
  7. Good served with cornbread, biscuits or over tortilla chips. Can also serve with sour cream and green onions.

 

 

 

 

Pork Belly Bahn Mi Sliders

Chef Pedro Duarte, Catering Executive Chef

 

 

How to Cook:

  1. Make sure area is clean and sanitary.
  2. Make French roll in 400 degree oven for 4 min.
  3. Sear pork belly on flat top.
  4. Cut bread length wise and spread with aioli on both sides.
  5. Portion pork belly, carrots, diakon then jalapeno onions.
  6. Top with cilantro
  7. Cut diagonally, pick and plate.

 

 

Eggplant Stack

Chef Nick Wood, Executive Sous Chef

How to Cook:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut eggplant into six equal pieces (pieces may be wider as you get to the narrower end of the eggplant). Lay eggplant onto baking sheet lined with paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Set aside 30 min. Don’t skip this step, it makes the eggplant less bitter and soggy.
  2. Place flour, eggs, and Italian breadcrumbs in three separate bowls. Season flour and eggs with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
  3. Coat the eggplant slices, one at a time, in the flour then egg then breadcrumbs. Place on wire rack on top of baking sheet. Repeat with all slices.

  4. Heat vegetable oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Fry eggplant slices in batches, cooking for 3-5 min. per side. Place back on wire rack when done.

  5. Make the sauce: Heat olive oil over medium heat in large sauté pan. Add onion and seasonings, cook 3-4 min. until softened (do not let onions burn). Add garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in tomatoes and cook for another 10 min., stirring occasionally.

  6. Reduce heat to low and stir in cream. Taste and season as necessary.

  7. Top each eggplant slice with enough sauce to cover but not drown and a slice of fresh mozzarella. Place in oven and bake for 20-30 min. or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

  8. To plate: place a layer of sauce on the plate, followed by three pieces of eggplant stacked on top of one another. Garnish with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.

 

Roasted Turkey

Chef Hamilton Goss, Director of Culinary Innovation

 

How to Cook:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. In a roasting pan appropriate for turkey size, place half od the carrots, celery, onions, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary and oranges into bottom of pan for an even surface to place turkey onto. Make sure pieces are large enough to keep turkey from direct pan contact
  3. Place turkey on top of vegetable mixture.
  4. Add remaining vegetables to the interior of the turkey and secure (truss) the legs together (this will ensure that moisture & flavor is surrounding the turkey inside & out!).
  5. Rub the oil onto the turkey in even coverage.
  6. Mix seasonings together & rub evenly onto turkey.
  7. Place prepared roasting pan with turkey breakfast facing upward with legs points to the rear wall of oven (this will ensure that the area of the oven with the highest heat has the most contact with the dark meat, which requires a higher internal temperature).
  8. 30 Minutes – Cook turkey.
  9. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F & cook for additional 3 1/3 hours or until an internal temp of 165 degrees F in the breast & 180 degrees F in the leg quarter.
  10. Remove from heat & baste with melted butter.
  11. Allow to rust at room temp. for approx. 30 minutes before carving.
  12. Use vegetables & drippings from pan to finish turkey/ chicken stock for homemade gravy.

 

Try out one (or all) of the recipes above and to take part in Hopkins Dining’s Winter Break Challenge. When making a recipe above, take photos and tag our social media @HopkinsDining for a chance to win a Hopkins Dining swag bag filled with awesome prizes and to be featured in our spring The Dining Digest.