It’s no surprise that this month has been nothing, but an icebox outside. However, this icebox-like weather shouldn’t put a crimp in your food plans. If anything, this freezing month and weather means it’s the perfect time to embrace and enjoy hot, hearty, and comforting foods.

I’ve compiled a list of warm, mouth-watering deliciousness you can bask in during these subzero temperatures at least until spring is finally in the air. All of these foods make for a great idea on any cold day or night.

Chicken pot pie is a true, classical, and harmonious comfort food. This is the chicken pot pie I made in my Culinary 2 class last semester. It’s a completely different version of the chicken pot pie you may be used to seeing. I really enjoyed this version of the chicken pot pie because it was based from my own creativity, but also because it’s a feel-good dish!

Hot Pot is definitely one of my favorite style of cooking and eating. If you don’t know what hot pot is, it’s really simple because all it is really is a simmering metal pot of stock and ingredients are placed into the pot and cooked at the table. Typical hot pot dishes include thinly sliced meats, leafy vegetables, mushrooms, dumplings, seafood, and much more. The cooked food is usually eaten with a dipping sauce. Hot pot is commonly eaten in the winter during dinner time.

I love hot pot because it’s considered to be healthier, it’s a feel-good dish and style of cooking, and versatile. Hot pot is especially more fun when your doing it with family or friends.

Pho is a classical Vietnamese noodle soup and specialty of a number of restaurants. It consists of  an amazing broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat. It’s primarily served with either beef or chicken. It can be garnished with lime, bean sprouts, cilantro, and cinnamon basil. The broth is heaven! It’s full of beef and herb-like aromas and absolutely Vietnamese comfort food.

Every once in a while, I crave for Cuban cuisine and I usually would order a hearty beef stew with rice and beans. I love it when the beef stew are big and juicy and the sauce is drenched over the rice and beans which makes it more exciting and enjoyable! There’s nothing like staying warm with a warm and tasty dish!

If you haven’t noticed by now the popularity of ramen is booming! The truth is ramen has always been around, but after it’s booming that’s when I really developed a love and excitement for ramen. It’s become a comfort food and a food that many have learned to appreciate and admire because not only is it delicious and savory, but ramen is a process and layers of different flavors and textures.

Another food that is perfect for a chilly winter day is a bowl of creamy, velvety grits. I’ve had grits 2-3 times in the past two or three years and not only will it fill you up, but it’s real a pleasure to eat. There’s no real taste to grits like oatmeal unless you add in your own flavoring, foods, and garnishments. Wouldn’t you want to have a hot bowl of creamy goodness in front of your face right now?

These are soup dumplings also known as xiao long bao. They are traditionally filled with pork and a solid meat aspic. When you take your first few bites into the xiao long bao, a savory pork soup will explode in your mouth. Xiao long bao is best consumed when hot.

I hope you’ve found this list of foods to be helpful especially with the days we have left of this frigid weather. If you haven’t tried any of these yet, I think you should at least it give a shot at least once and see if you may enjoy it.

What kinds of foods do you enjoy in the cold weather?