When Syracuse gets hit with freezing snow and rain, the stomach aches for something warm and filling — stick-to-your-ribs kind of food. Here are some recipes that are sure to satisfy.

Creamy, homemade mac and cheese

My personal recipe for a baked macaroni and cheese with a creamy sauce.

– 1 box of pasta (a rotini or traditional elbows works well)

– 2 tablespoons butter

– 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

– 2 cloves garlic, minced

– 2 tablespoons flour

– 1 pint heavy cream

– 1 block extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (approximately 3 cups)

– Salt and pepper to taste

– Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Cook pasta in salted water until slightly undercooked. Put into a brownie pan that is 13 by 9 by 2 inches. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Put in onions and garlic, sweating them until the onions are tender. Mix flour into the pot, making sure not to get any lumps. Here’s that roux again.

After the roux cooks for a minute or two, pour in the heavy cream slowly while you stir. When the cream comes to a boil, take off the heat and melt in cheese little by little until you get a thick sauce.

Pour sauce over the pasta and crumble bacon on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the sides get toasted.

 

French onion soup

Get ready to cry a bit. It takes more than a few onions to make this delicious soup.

– 1 1/2 sticks butter

– 7 large onions, red or white, sliced

– 2 cloves garlic, minced

– 8 cups beef or vegetable stock (depending on your personal eating habits)

– 1 bay leaf

– 1/2 teaspoon thyme, dried

– Salt and pepper to taste

– Bread, toasted

– Sliced provolone or Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees or broil. Melt butter in a large pot. Cook onions down for a long while, about 30 to 40 minutes. Add garlic after onions have softened. Add stock, bay leaf and thyme, and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Pour soup into oven-safe bowls, top with a piece of bread and a slice of cheese. Set bowls on a sheet tray and pop into the oven until cheese melts, about three to five minutes.

 

Strawberry upside-down cheesecake

A decadent dessert for Valentine’s Day or whenever you want a cheesecake. For me, that’s just about every day.

– 2 cups frozen strawberries, thawed

– 2 packages cream cheese, brought to room temperature

– 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon white sugar

– 2 eggs

– 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

– 1 prepared pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place strawberries in a bowl, mix in tablespoon of sugar. Pour mixture into pie crust. Cream the cream cheese and half-cup of sugar until thoroughly combined. Add eggs one at a time, and then add vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Pour into pie crust and put in the oven. Let cake bake for 30 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. (Stick a toothpick in the center and pull out. If it’s clean, take the cake out of the oven. If not, leave in for a few more minutes.) Let the cake set until it’s completely cooled. Cut and serve.

 

— Compiled by Sara Tracey, asst. copy editor, smtracey@syr.edu

Published on February 7, 2011 at 12:00 pm