Rainy day cooking turned into comfort cooking...
...and chicken thighs with beans and greens & bacon cheddar biscuits
This last weekend was hard for a lot of people. And still is. And will be for quite some time.
Here in Middle Tennessee we were doused with a bunch of rain, but for the most part, it didn’t cause severe problems. Long, rainy days have always been when I want to cook cozy food, even more so than the upcoming fall weather. I lean into a rainy forecast with ideas of comfort food swirling in my head and can’t wait to get in the kitchen.
Which is just what I did when this weekend started. I had a need for something I could curl up with on the couch, in a big, wide mouthed bowl balanced on my knees, so I created the Crispy Chicken Thighs with Beans and Greens recipe below. (More on that in a minute.)
As the weekend unfolded, we saw images of what hurricane Helene and the flooding left behind. Just to the east of us in Tennessee and Western North Carolina, and down in Florida. It seemed so close.
We saw news stories of communities now cut off from anything and everything as bridges were washed out, towns underwater, and people being rescued by helicopter from the roofs of buildings.
And eventually my wanting just to cook cozy food on a rainy day turned into a need to get in the kitchen, and away from the news and my phone, and feel like I had control over something…anything. My day of comfort food turned into a day of comfort cooking.
It’s not the first time cooking has been my therapy, and I’m sure it won’t be last. When it seems like the world is hard, cooking gives me a place to turn and a sense of getting something accomplished, even if it’s just feeding people I love.
For the Chicken Thighs with Beans and Greens (recipe below), I wanted a dish that was comforting, but that also felt nourishing and healthful. And I wanted different flavors and textures all in the same one-pot meal. I know that “beans and greens” might not be for everyone, and here I am letting my Southern roots show, but a bowl of beans, whether in a soup or a cassoulet, has always been a favorite.
For my day of comfort cooking, I browned and crisped bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs in a heavy skillet. Then, pancetta, onions, and garlic built a base of flavors for the cannellini beans and kale greens to braise alongside those chicken thighs nestled right back in. Finished in the oven, the chicken stayed perfecly crispy - just how I wanted it. Make sure to grab some bread to push around the bowl and sop up the leftover broth. May I suggest a slice of a rustic sourdough, a big piece of cornbread, or the Bacon Cheddar Biscuits that follow.
The Bacon Cheddar Biscuits (recipe also below) have light, fluffy middles, crunchy corners and edges, and lacy bits of cheese that melt out and crisp up. Oh, and they’re studded with bacon. This recipe makes 24 biscuits, which might seem like too many, but I just keep them in my freezer and bake off a few at a time. They’re great as part of a breakfast spread, or with a little square of scrambled egg for a breakfast sandwich, or dipped in your favorite soup. (I cut them as squares because I don’t like to be bothered with re-rolling and re-cutting scraps and the inevitable little bit that’s always left over. But if you want circles, cut circles!)
As always, I’ll see you back here next week. In the meantime, keep our neighbors to the east of us in your thoughts. Disaster recovery is a long, hard process. We’ll let the professionals do their jobs, and when they’re ready for volunteers, we’ll jump in.
MONDAY - Ground Beef Enchiladas and Rice
The Kiddo says these are his favorite enchiladas. (Although he tells his grandmother that her white chicken version is also his favorite - I think he’s playing us both…) These are cheesy and saucy, and will be perfect with a little cilantro-lime rice on the side.
TUESDAY - Sliced Steak and Potato Wedges and Something Green
I’ll do a big steak in the skillet (maybe with a flavored butter to finish), and slice it thin for serving. Homemade potato wedges roasted off in the oven for the side. And for our something green, if I have enough green beans left in the garden, great! If not, it’ll be wedge salads.
WEDNESDAY - Pesto Chicken Lasagna with Roasted Tomatoes
I’m experimenting here. I had this idea for a lasagna with a creamy pesto and chicken filling topped with roasted tomatoes. I can’t decide on a traditional pan of lasagna or doing it more like lasagna rolls. If it turns out, you’ll get the recipe! If it doesn’t, we’ll forget I ever mentioned it! (Actually no, we’ll try, try again until no one here wants to eat it ever again!)
THURSDAY - Ramen Bowls
Homemade ramen bowls are always fun, and we like being able to mix and match when topping them. And I like being able to poach the chicken and then make the ramen all in the same pot for easy clean up!
FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-up
SATURDAY - Dinner at YaYa’s (the in-laws!)
She found a slow cooker recipe for a creamy italian chicken pasta and wants to give it a try, so we’re in! If we like it, I’ll link it next time.
SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s
Dad will have just gotten home from his adventures, and to keep it easy I may suggest that we bring over a pizza and eat on the couch while watching football. Welcome back to America, indeed.
LUNCHES for this week -
I came across a picture in my phone of a niçoise salad (a composed tuna salad), and was reminded of how much I liked it. So once I finish the last of the sausage and tortellini soup from last week, I’ll switch over to tuna salads.
EXTRAS for this week
I think I’m going to test out some ideas for apple crisps. But, I’ll need to get some vanilla ice cream first!
Crispy Chicken Thighs with Beans and Greens
Makes 4-5 servings
· 4 – 5 bone-in, skin-on Chicken Thighs
· 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
· 4 ounces diced Pancetta
· 1 medium-large Onion, sliced
· 3 – 4 cloves Garlic, minced
· 6 cups (packed) Kale, roughly chopped
· 1 ½ - 2 cups Chicken Broth
· 2 cans (14 ounces each) Cannellini Beans, drained but not rinsed
· 1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
· Pinch Red Pepper Flakes (about 1/8 teaspoon)
· Kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· Ground Black Pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 and arrange a rack in the middle position.
On a plate, arrange the chicken thighs skin side up. Rub each thigh with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the thighs, skin side down, in a cold (as in, not preheated), large, deep, oven safe skillet, braiser, or dutch oven.
On the stovetop, set the pan over medium high heat and cook the thighs for about 15 minutes until the skin has browned and crisped. They should release fairly easily from the pan. If they do not easily release, cook another minute or so and try again. Flip the thighs and cook the other side for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium if needed to reduce splattering.
Remove the thighs back to the plate. (It’s ok, you will finish cooking them in the oven.)
Add the pancetta to the now empty pan, and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until cooked through and starting to brown. Stir in the sliced onion and continue cooking another 5 minutes until the onions have softened. (At this point, if desired, you can drain off or blot with paper towels some of the rendered fat in the pan.)
Add in the minced garlic, cook for just 30 seconds or so, then add in the chopped kale and a splash of the broth to deglaze the pan. Continue cooking another 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until kale has wilted. Stir in the remaining broth (if you want more “soupy” liquid, use a total of 2 cups of broth, for a thicker consistency, use a total of 1 ½ cups of broth), the beans, the vinegar, and the red pepper flakes. Stir to combine, then nestle the chicken thighs back in, making sure to leave the skin exposed so it can continue to crisp.
Carefully move the pan to the oven, and bake, uncovered for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, carefully taste a little of the broth and bean mixture to determine if you want to add more salt. Serve with crusty bread for soaking up that flavorful broth!
Bacon Cheddar Biscuits
Makes 24 biscuits
· 4 cups All-Purpose Flour
· 2 tablespoons Baking Powder
· 1 teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· 3 sticks cold Butter, cubed
· 4 large Eggs
· 1 cup Heavy Cream, plus 2 tablespoons for brushing on top
· 8oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese (yellow or white), shredded
· 1 cup chopped, cooked Bacon
In a large bowl, toss together the cheddar and bacon, set aside.
In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, combine flour, baking powder, and salt, pulsing a few times to mix. Add in cubed cold butter and pulse 12-15 times until the mixture looks mealy with just a few pieces of butter “pea sized”.
Combine the flour mixture with the cheese and bacon in the large bowl, and then move the mixture to the sides creating a well in the center.
In a measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and eggs. Pour the egg mixture into the well in the bowl and slowly stir, gradually adding more of the flour mixture. It will be thick and crumbly. Mix just until it clumps together when you press on it and no dry flour is visible.
Press the dough into a 9x13 pan (line with plastic wrap for easy removal!) and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Then, turn it out onto a large cutting board and, with a sharp knife, cut it into 24 squares (6x4). Place the squares on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush the tops with the extra 2 tablespoons of cream.
If baking now, divide the biscuits onto two pans. If freezing, they can all be on one pan and go right to the freezer. Or do some now and some later!
To bake – preheat the oven to 400 and arrange a rack in the upper third.
Bake the biscuits on a parchment lined pan for 15-17 minutes. If frozen, bake for 17-20 minutes.
That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!
(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)
All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!