Recipe Mutiny steals recipes from food blogs and recipe sites. Then we publish them. With credit (Naturally).
Friday, March 1, 2019
21 Easy, Cozy Soups & Stews You’d Never Guess Came Out of the Slow Cooker
These 21 beautiful slow cooker soups and stews make cooking with a plug-in appliance taste super sophisticated—which is a good thing, because when spoon weather rolls around (and then sticks around for a long time), we have to satisfy the craving again and again. Tomato soup is great and all, especially when paired with a perfect grilled cheese sandwich, but even that gets old after a while. Enter: the Crock-Pot. It’s convenient for sure, but just because you toss a bunch of ingredients together, press “cook,” and head to work doesn’t mean you’ll have a meal to be proud of at the end of the day. A little finesse is still a good idea, and so we present these fantastic and easy slow cooker soups to get you through the last stretch of winter.
They’re great one-pot, make-ahead meals that are even better the next day…and the next…and the next, if you still have some left over. So this idea works equally well for weeknight dinners, when you have a time crunch, and on weekends, when all you want to do is hibernate and scroll through Netflix or watch “Harry Potter” again. We understand. We recommend you get cooking—or rather, let your Crock-Pot do most of the cooking for you.
1. Chinese Brisket and Turnip Stew
Chowhound
This classic Chinese dish flavors beef brisket with ginger, star anise, garlic, and chu hou, a paste made of soybeans. You can use steamed rice or rice noodles along with a good broth, which is best if you have your own, but it will still be good if you get store-bought broth. With this stew comes the low-and-slow beauty of making tough meat tender in a slow cooker. Get our Chinese Brisket and Turnip Stew recipe.
2. Ethiopian-Spiced Chicken Stew
Eating Well
This staple in Ethiopian cooking is a heady mix that usually includes garlic, fenugreek, allspice, red pepper, ginger, chiles, coriander, cinnamon, and black pepper. If you can’t find it, use a mixture of 4 tablespoons garam masala, 1 tablespoon hot paprika, 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek and 1 teaspoon salt in this recipe. Get the Ethiopian-Spiced Chicken Stew recipe.
3. Slow Cooker Root Vegetable Stew
Chowhound
This stew is wonderful for so many reasons. Let’s count the ways. One, it utilizes the root vegetables available locally in the winter season (well, for those in the Northern hemisphere). Two, the spices—saffron, cayenne, ginger, cinnamon—are so pungent, they make parsnips and potatoes exciting. And three, those spices are medicine for your immune system, a great thing during cold and flu season. Get our Slow Cooker Root Vegetable Stew recipe.
4. Sweet Potato, Chicken, & Quinoa Soup
Chelsea’s Messy Apron
Chelsea has it going on with this healthy, rich, filling, sweet, spicy, and savory soup. Plus, you’ll be a part of the ancient grain game, by using quinoa, a nice change from rice or pasta. Get the Sweet Potato, Chicken, & Quinoa Soup recipe.
5. Moroccan Lentil Soup
This Gal Cooks
Leave out the chicken, and you still have a hearty, protein-filled soup spiced with curry, Sriracha, and cinnamon. With this soup, you really can toss it in a pot and leave it to cook for eight to 10 hours while you work. Get the Moroccan Lentil Soup recipe.
6. Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Chowhound
The dry red wine, Dijon mustard, and cremini mushrooms deepen the earthy, savory essence of this class wintertime stew. Get our Slow Cooker Beef Stew recipe.
7. Indian Cauliflower and Potato Soup (Aloo Gobi)
Better Homes and Gardens
Creamy and smooth, this Aloo Gobi recipe even re-purposes your leftover mashed potatoes. It’s a soup after our own hearts (located in the belly, of course). Get the Indian Cauliflower and Potato Soup (Aloo Gobi) recipe.
8. Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup
Chowhound
What could be easier? You load diced butternut squash, a bell pepper, sliced carrots, and an onion in the Crock Pot, add vegetable broth, maple syrup, and a pinch of cumin, and let it simmer away for four hours. Purée it with an immersion bender (or tip it in the blender), and you’re left with something smooth, rich, and long-simmered, perfect for sprinkling with our Spicy Oven-Roasted Chickpeas. Get our Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup recipe.
9. Pork Ramen
Eva Kolenko
“Here is a simplified, yet still delicious, [ramen] that boasts plenty of succulent braised pork,” writes cookbook author Kim Laidlaw. “Serve the soup with your favorite ramen embellishments. I like to top my bowl with a soft-boiled egg and some baby spinach.” Get Kim Laidlaw’s Slow Cooker Pork Ramen recipe.
10. Chicken Soup
Chowhound
Throw a whole chicken in the Crock Pot with a few aromatic herbs and veggies. Let it simmer away until the chicken falls apart in a rich, concentrated broth. Shred the meat and add it back to the slow cooker, then stir in cooked egg noodles, or steamed white or wild rice. Done. Get our Slow Cooker Chicken Soup recipe.
11. Split Pea Soup
Chowhound
When split peas break down into a thick, creamy soup, it’s pretty much the best thing about cooking, a patient transformation of raw ingredients. Use a slow cooker, and the transformation is slower and arguably more dramatic. Here. Green split peas cook with carrot, celery, onion, and a smoked ham bone to yield an epically comforting soup. Get our Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup recipe.
12. Slow Cooker Chicken and Corn Congee recipe
The Red Gingham
Congee (rice porridge) is a Chinese breakfast favorite. Here, thanks to pulled chicken and kernels of sweet corn, it becomes a complete meal. Top it with chopped scallions, Sriracha, and a drizzle of sesame oil for pizazz. Get the Slow Cooker Chicken and Corn Congee recipe.
13. Crab and Corn Chowder
Taste and Tell Blog
With this Crock Pot version of crab and corn chowder, you can re-create sunnier days at the shore with little more than your slow cooker insert. To beef it up, go crazy with more mix-ins, like diced potatoes, red bell pepper, and even bacon. Get the Crab and Corn Chowder recipe.
14. Shio Ramen with Chili Oil
The Stay at Home Chef
Enjoy ramen the not-so-instant way by simmering up a batch of slow-cooked shio broth. Not only will you wind up with a full-bodied broth, you’ll have found a way to make the most of your leftover chicken bones. Get the Shio Ramen with Chili Oil recipe.
15. Sopa de Ajo
girlichef
Sopa de ajo, or garlic soup, is a peasant-style potage that hails from Spain’s Castile-León region. Its intoxicating aroma is sure to warm your kitchen and ward off all signs of cold or flu. We recommend throwing pieces of stale bread in the slow cooker for extra oomph. Get the Sopa de Ajo recipe.
16. Beef Pho
Steamy Kitchen
Yes, good Vietnamese noodle soup can be coaxed out of a slow cooker. Don’t skip toasting the spices and browning the aromatics—they’re essential to the synthesis of a complex beef broth, and you’ll be enjoying rice noodles in a delicate beef broth for days to come. Get the Beef Pho recipe.
17. Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Healthy Seasonal Recipes
Use this versatile recipe to make chicken and sausage gumbo with okra and tomatoes from the farmers’ market in season, or canned tomatoes and frozen okra when the weather turns cold. If it’s Mardi Gras, all the better! (Try our Slow Cooker Shrimp Gumbo recipe too.) Get the Chicken and Sausage Gumbo recipe.
18. Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup
Little Spice Jar
Have the foresight to prep tom kha gai, or Thai chicken and coconut soup, and you won’t have to worry about what restaurant to call for takeout. Get the Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup recipe.
19. Farro and Cannellini Bean Soup
Pinch and Swirl
Ancient grains and slow cookers aren’t often seen together, but this recipe for farro and cannellini bean soup proves they can conjoin to create a soup that’s healthy and substantive. Get the Farro and Cannellini Bean Soup recipe.
20. Birria
Nibbles & Feasts
The Spanish word birria means rubbish, but this Jalisco-style stew is anything but, thanks to the addition of guajillo chiles, cumin, and Mexican oregano. The recipe calls for lamb but would work just as well with beef or, if you can get your hands on one, goat. Get the Birria recipe.
21. Slow Cooker Matzo Ball Soup
Gimme Some Oven via Tablespoon
Don’t tell your bubbie that your new go-to soup tastes just as good as hers yet requires a fraction of the effort. Who knew? Get the Slow Cooker Matzo Ball Soup recipe.
Looking for more slow cooker saviors? Check out these easy Crock-Pot pasta recipes, see how to make apple butter in your slow cooker, and get Crock-Pot drink recipes to keep you warm and cozy.
Related video: Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo
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The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with Saffron
Ounce by ounce, saffron is one of the world’s most expensive foods, if not the most expensive food. The riotous yellow, heady spice found primarily in Mediterranean, North African, and Middle Eastern dishes can run anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 per pound. (By comparison, highly prized Japanese Wagyu runs only in the low $100s per pound, and even the most luxurious Osetra caviar tops out around the $2,000 per pound mark.) Fortunately, a very little goes a very long way, and mere fractions of grams of saffron can infuse a variety of dishes from the every-day to the all-day with its vivid, flavorful character. It will seem to stick out in an expensive way in your local spice aisle, but low double digits for a bit of saffron seem a small price to pay for the kind of luxury and nuance it imparts. Here’s everything you may need to know about incorporating cooking with saffron, and with it the occasional night in Tunisia, into your home-cooking habitude.
What is Saffron?
The “threads” or strands of saffron are actually the stamen of a flower—crocus sativus—that thrives in the hot climates listed above. It’s not rarity of the flowers themselves that makes saffron so expensive, small geographical range notwithstanding, but their brief calendar window for blooming, low yield, and human labor cost needed for harvesting their fragile reproductive bits. (We’re talking painstaking work with tweezers here, not magical stamen extracting machines.) The crocus sativus stamen are then dried and packaged, and should look like fine crimson, petal-like trumpets with a delicate yellow tendril attached.
Luis Davilla/Getty Images
What Does Saffron Taste Like?
In the manner of some of the world’s most complex food products—Chartreuse, truffles, etc.— saffron’s precise flavor is difficult to describe. It tastes like saffron, which nothing else tastes like, which is why it’s awesome. It is at once, smoky, heady, and bright. Floral, but in a musty way. Earthy, but sweet. In spite of all this complexity, however, saffron plays remarkably well with a wide variety of other foods, from rice and pasta, to vegetables, to meat, and even dessert. Says Azita Mehran, Persian cook and author of the blog Turmeric & Saffron: “In Persian cuisine, saffron is used in both savory and sweet dishes such as in most polow (rice) dishes, tahdig (crispy bottom layer of rice), and many khoresh (stew) dishes, grilled chicken, sholeh zard (saffron rice pudding), as well as in saffron sherbet or saffron tea.” That it bears a biological similarity to vanilla—shout out to the stamen—makes it function in a similar way; it doesn’t need to take center stage, but helps to amplify the complex qualities of every other ingredient it touches. Not to mention that deep, cacophonous color. Talk about a flavor megaphone. Not since Alice’s Wonderland “Eat Me” cakes has food had such an obvious invitation.
Turmeric & Saffron
Where Can I Buy Saffron?
The good news is, you probably don’t have to look too hard for saffron no matter where you live, but note that real, high quality saffron is going to require a little coin. If you find something that seems like a great deal, back away. This will not afford you the saffron conversion experience you are seeking. Even conventional supermarket brands should run between $15 to $20 for a fraction, as in hundredths, of an ounce. (And you thought that much for a half a pound of pine nuts was a lot.) Better yet, try well-reputed spice markets or online retailers where you can have knowledge of the pedigree of the saffron you are purchasing. Iranian saffron is highly sought-after, and of the highest quality, but harder to come by. Spanish and Afghan are more readily available, and still very high quality. Advises Mehran: “When purchasing saffron you should look for a dark red color, subtle floral smell and a slightly sweet taste and never buy ground saffron.” Ground “saffron” is a bit of a conman: likely a hodgepodge including turmeric and smoked paprika. (Which is hardly a terrible idea for a spice blend, it just ain’t saffron.)
Zaffrus Super-Premium Saffron Threads, 3 grams for $22.99 on Amazon
Highest grade Iranian saffron to have you seeing gold.
How Should I Use Saffron?
A better question is, how shouldn’t you use saffron? As mentioned, saffron isn’t picky about its dance partners, and has the deft skill of a master to make everyone around it look good. Good entry points for saffron cookery are rice-based, homey, and comforting: Persian Rice, Risotto Milanese, or a Spanish Paella Mixta. Mehran offers the following procedure for getting the most out of saffron for cooking: “The best way to use saffron is to take a tiny pinch (of the strands) and grind it into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Transfer the powdered saffron into a small bowl, add 2-3 tablespoons of hot water (or hot liquid such as broth or stock), give it a gentle stir, cover and let it bloom for at least five minutes to bring out the color and aroma before adding it to your dish.” Toasting the saffron powder in olive oil on low heat will also help infuse it throughout whatever savory food you are preparing.
How Long Can I Keep Saffron?
As with any dried herb or spice, the shelf life for maximum flavor is relatively short, but you can extend it by keeping it in an airtight container, and “keep it in a cool and dry place away from sunlight,” advises Mehran. Given its expense, you’ll want to get the most out of it as you can.
Turmeric & Saffron
About That Saffron Dessert…
“Saffron ice cream might sound unusual but the taste is heavenly and is a must try! Traditional Persian bastani is an aromatic saffron and rosewater ice cream with bits of frozen cream topped with chopped pistachios.” Get Mehran’s recipe for Saffron Ice Cream, or try some other sweet preparations such as Saffron Pear Cake, or Saffron Panna Cotta with Bitter Honey.
All featured products are curated independently by our editors. When you buy something through our retail links, we may receive a commission. For more great hand-picked products, check out the Chowhound Shop.
Related Video: Which Spices Should You Buy in the Supermarket?
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These Grilled Peanut Butter Sandwich Combos Will Change Your Life
There’s no debate over peanut butter and jelly being one of the most beloved sandwich combinations of all time, but grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches take a lunchtime classic from familiar and delicious to knee-slapping, lip-smacking, “OMG”-inducing fantastic. Crunchy bread paired with a warm, gooey inside instantly elevates the basic PB&J to gourmet level status, while the addition of ingredients like almond butter, bacon, and even cheese (yes, you heard that correctly) will make all prior lunchbox creations pale in comparison. The possibilities, as with most culinary endeavors in life, are truly endless.
Check out three new flavor combinations that deserve a spot in your weekly rotation of go-to recipes. Apparently all you need is a tabletop grill, skillet, panini press, or George Foreman to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. We also recommend a tall glass of milk (or even a milkshake) to wash everything down.
The Traditional
Peanut butter, jelly, white bread: the culinary trifecta. It may sound simple, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Be sure to butter your slices to make things extra crunchy and check out our super easy Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich recipe.
The Sophisticated
Brie with almond butter and fig jam may be our newest obsession. Who knew that cheese could pair so well with a double layer of sweetness? Serve this at your next end-of-week cocktail party and your guests will feel classy AF.
Dalmatia Fig Spread, 8.5 ounces for $8.74 on Amazon
Sweet, deep fig flavor with a little crunch from the seeds. Slather this on everything.
The Upgraded S’Mores
Peanut butter and marshmallows are an absolute must, but the upgrade comes in the form of Nutella. (Because it’s time Hershey’s is shown who’s the s’mores boss.) You don’t even need a summer campfire!
The Fat Elvis
Peanut butter and banana get a decadent protein boost with the addition of salty and greasy bacon. Needless to say, The King would probably advise you to consume this sandwich in limited quantities.
Craving even more crunchy, gooey, upgraded-nostalgic goodness? See our Rules for Making the Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
All featured products are curated independently by our editors. When you buy something through our retail links, we may receive a commission. For more great hand-picked products, check out the Chowhound Shop.
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Mint Ricotta Stuffed Shells
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Thursday, February 28, 2019
The Best Salts to Stock Your Pantry and Make Your Food Shine
Salt is a transformative ingredient (if you’re in any doubt of that, see “Salt Fat Acid Heat”), but it isn’t just one monolithic substance. There are several different types of salt, and we don’t just mean kosher salt and sea salt. Technically, yes, all salts are primarily sodium chloride, but depending on where they’re harvested and how they’re treated, they offer a huge range of distinctive textures, colors, and flavors that makes them so fun to play with. Some can be used during cooking, but many are best highlighted as finishing salts, sprinkled over a dish just before serving.
For a long while, salt in general was vilified, much like eggs. But we’re glad to see it getting more respect, and even being celebrated (perhaps we owe a partial debt to Salt Bae too). Here, then, are some of our favorite kinds of salt, most of them naturally occurring, but with a few infused varieties included because like we said, they’re fun (and add tons of flavor to a dish)!
1. Fleur de Sel de Guérande, 8.8 ounces for $17.99 on Amazon
Amazon
Although you can find fleur de sel from southern France and Spain, some say that it originated in a town in the French province of Brittany called Guérande. This light and snowy sea salt is hand-harvested—and is, as a result, expensive—so it’s best used for finishing dishes; that way you can enjoy its crunch and flavor. We top Parker House Rolls with it or add it to steamed new potatoes for an extra spark. It’s also delicious sprinkled on sweets from caramels and chocolate mouse to ice cream sundaes.Try It
2. Light Grey Celtic Sea Salt,16 ouces for $7.92 on Amazon
Amazon
Celtic grey salt is made in the same ponds as fleur de sel and is also called sel gris. This unrefined variety is hand-raked out of the salt ponds (as opposed to being skimmed carefully from the top like its expensive cousin), its tint courtesy of the minerals in the clay lining the ponds. It’s cheaper than fleur de sel and makes a good table salt, but you’ll have to pinch it from a bowl because its moistness makes it tough to get through a grinder or shaker. You’ll find other types of gray salts on the market, but this one is highly rated.Try It
3. Hawaiian Alaea Red Sea Salt, 16 onces for $9.47 on Amazon
Amazon
This reddish-pink mix is a blend of sea salt and red Hawaiian volcanic clay (alaea). Iron oxide in the clay gives the salt its unusual color. Use this to cook kalua pig or season steak, or sprinkle on a poke bowl; one Chowhound warns that it’s a hard salt that doesn’t melt easily, which makes it good for precooking or crushing finely onto chicken or fish.Try It
4. Maldon Sea Salt, 8.5 ounces for $5.49 on Amazon
Amazon
This hand-harvested salt comes from the east coast of England. It has a distinct flaky texture and a relatively mild taste (though you can also buy smoked Maldon sea salt). We particularly like the flakes sprinkled on chocolate mousse.Try It
5. Himalayan Pink Salt, 2.2 pounds for $7.95 on Amazon
Amazon
This salt is mined in the Himalayan foothills and in addition to bags both coarse and finely ground, it’s often sold in chunk form with a grater. In any case, it picks up its pretty pinkish color from minerals like iron, and it adds a toothy bite to many dishes. You can also find it in large, flat blocks: some that can be heated and cooked upon, and some that are used cold as serving plates to impart a bit of saltiness to moist foods. It tends to be especially popular among paleo dieters, but we think everyone should keep some on hand.Try It
6. Persian Blue Salt, 65 grams for $21.50 on Amazon
Amazon
Much like another expensive Iranian foodstuff (caviar), this rock salt is expensive largely due to being rare. It appears blue due to the intense pressures exerted on the salt deposits, causing it to refract light in an unusual manner; when ground, the color is less intense, but there are still pale blue pieces visible, and its mild sweetness makes a nice finishing salt for special dishes, both savory courses and desserts.Try It
7. Kala Namak Black Salt Powder, 5 ounces for $8.99 on Amazon
Amazon
Often called black salt or rani black salt, kala namak is actually grayish-purple or pink; don’t confuse it with other black salts. It’s mined around India, and adds a distinct flavor to Indian fare like Jal Jeera, a refreshing drink made with cumin, mint, and lemons. Chowhounds also like it sprinkled on fresh fruit (such as watermelon) or mixed into raita. Its flavor has a sort of boiled-egg note, which comes from sulfurous compounds—and makes it a nice secret ingredient for vegan tofu scrambles and other vegan “egg” dishes!Try It
8. The Spice Lab Hawaiian Black Lava Salt, 1 pound for $9.95 on Amazon
Amazon
Unlike kala namak, Hawaiian black salt is truly black. It’s made by mixing sea salt with activated volcanic charcoal. Some claim it has detoxifying properties, and though we can’t vouch for that, we can say that it creates a dramatic effect when sprinkled over foods as a finishing salt. Incorporate it into a Halloween menu, or just stock it in your standard goth kitchen. Cyprus black lava salt is made in the same way, only with Mediterranean sea salt.Try It
9. Viking Oak-Smoked Sea Salt, 12 ounces for $9.95 on Amazon
Amazon
There are many varieties of smoked salts out there, but this one is smoked over an open fire of mainly oak wood (“in the same way that the Vikings smoked salt many years ago”), resulting in a “bonfire-like aroma” and naturally smoky taste, not to mention a toasty golden-brown color. Try using it as a dry rub on meat, but be careful, because a little goes a long way.Try It
10. Korean Roasted Bamboo Salt, 60 grams for $31.47 on Amazon
Amazon
Popular in Korea, this salt might be sold as jukyom, jook yeom, or Korean bamboo salt. It’s made by packing salt into a piece of bamboo, sealing the ends with mud, and heating the stalk in an extremely hot kiln. The salt’s then transferred into a new bamboo sheath and the process is repeated multiple times (usually either three or nine), supposedly to purify and enhance the product. You can buy it in large crystals, or finely ground. There are a lot of claims made about this salt—it’s an ancient Taoist cure-all; it inhibits the growth of cancer cells—but all we can say for sure is that it can be used as a standard table salt, albeit with a kala namak-like sulfurous nuance that gets stronger the more times it’s roasted. After nine roastings, it also takes on a purple tint. If it ends up having magical healing properties too, count that as a bonus.Try It
11. Chicken Salt, 4 ounces for $8.99
Amazon
While this may not have the same elusive allure or ancient pedigree of some of the other salts on this list, chicken salt is pretty magical stuff, and beloved in its native Australia (where it’s a popular fry seasoning, though they call those chips, of course). You can get chicken salt that actually contains chicken, but this particular brand is actually vegan (and gluten-free). It’s technically a seasoning blend, made from sea salt, turmeric, onion powder, and garlic powder, so you could easily make your own and adjust to your specific palate.Try It
12. Falksalt Wild Mushroom Salt, 4.4 ounces $6.99 on Amazon
Amazon
This brand of Swedish sea salt is actually harvested in Cyprus, and has some of the larger flakes around, which can be used sparingly to add a nice crunch and pop of flavor to food just before serving. It comes in a variety of infused flavors like garlic, rosemary, and citron, but wild mushroom is a favorite for the big umami boost it can lend to foods; Josh Ozersky once admitted to snacking on this by itself, but also recommended it sprinkled over pudding or crème brûlée (maybe not the mushroom flavor, but then again…you never know until you try it).Try It
13. Jacobsen Salt Sampler, $32.98 on Amazon
Amazon
If you want to delve even farther into the landscape of flavored salt, this sampler highlights a variety of single ingredients, including lemon zest, vanilla bean, pinot noir, and ghost pepper among them. Again, the salt flakes themselves are on the large side for a nice crunch and a bigger hit of flavor. Sprinkle them on dishes to finish with a flourish. You can also easily make your own infused salt, but this sampler is a great gift, whether to yourself or someone else.See It
All featured products are curated independently by our editors. When you buy something through our retail links, we may receive a commission. For more great hand-picked products, check out the Chowhound Shop.
An earlier version of this post was published on July 29, 2008.
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How to Host a Harry Potter Themed Dinner Party
The first “Harry Potter” book was published back in 2007, but even after all this time, we’re always thrilled to spy another bit of news even tangentially related to the series—so imagine our delight to see two in one day: Kate Middleton’s lovely blue Beauxbatons-style dress (clock that cape), and the news of a Slytherin-inspired “Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle” experience coming to Universal Studios later this year!
Honestly, it makes us want to cancel all our existing plans and pick up the books for the hundredth-odd time, or burrow down in blankets to watch the movies (actually, the blanket-burrowing sounds great for reading too). But these colder months toward the end of winter—if in fact it has an end—are also an especially perfect time to revisit this “Harry Potter” themed dinner party we wrote about back in October 2017. It’s just the thing to make you feel cozy and charmed, especially if you light some candles and cue up that iconic soundtrack, so we’re pulling it out of the archives and presenting it to all you fellow fans looking for something to do this weekend…
“Dumbledore remained standing, and a silence fell over the Great Hall. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and—most particularly—guests. I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable…I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!”–J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”
When J.K. Rowling first released “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in 1998, I was the same age as Harry Potter, 11 years old. As I indulgently immersed myself in each new book in the series, I experienced my ‘YA’ (young adult) years right alongside Harry, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. All their magical firsts were my magical firsts: their first train ride aboard the Hogwarts Express, devouring Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, chocolate frogs, and “the lot;” their first sorting ceremony, “not Slytherin, not Slytherin;” and their first start-of-term feast, filled with every savory, fall comfort food and dessert imaginable cooked by Hogwarts house elves and magically appearing on empty trays and disappearing at the end of the feast (if only cooking and cleaning worked this way in real life).
I delighted in the fact that, as a college student, I regularly dined in a nearly century-old dining hall reminiscent of Hogwarts Great Hall. Co-ed teams even played pick-up matches of Quidditch across the lawn right outside the dining hall. My husband remembers fondly taking up the position of seeker, chasing down a human snitch about campus. In crazy fan fashion, we even incorporated into our honeymoon, a trip to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida. The stomach-churning, 3D broomstick ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, that we rode right at the start of our day tried its best to “stupefy” me, but a Dramamine later, I couldn’t be stopped from downing a mug of Butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks.
After the recent release of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” it seems certain to me that Harry Potter fans my age will continue getting to grow old alongside Harry and his mates. At the beginning of this September, I saw my daughter off to her first day of school, just as hundreds of Harry fans gathered #19YearsLater at the honorary Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross Station to commemorate the exact time, day, and year that Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Draco sent off their children for the first time to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. According to “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the send-off took place September 1, 2017. While receiving my own letter to Hogwarts may be an impossibility, I have received the honor of being summoned by Chowhound to accio a Harry Potter inspired dinner menu. And so, in the words of Professor Albus Dumbledore in the “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” film, “Let the feast begin!”
Brews
Hot Butterbeer
Martha Martha
“Why don’t we go and have a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks, it’s a bit cold, isn’t it?”—J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” When you feel the first touch of cool in the air this fall, ‘tis the time to cozy up to the table with a mug of hot Butterbeer. Find it at the Three Broomsticks Inn in Hogsmeade or brew your own Butterbeer concoction from the comfort of your hearth. This homemade version of Butterbeer stays true to the original with the incorporation of melted butter, but spices it up with cinnamon, ground ginger, cardamom, and cayenne. Beware, while this beverage is non-alcoholic, wizards, witches, and muggles alike can fall under the influence of Butterbeer. Get the Hot Butterbeer recipe.
Pumpkin Juice
Fav Family Recipes
Imbibe-able at breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or even at special events and feasts, pumpkin juice, the wizarding world’s equivalent to the muggle world’s orange juice, infuses arguably three of the most popular edible elements of fall—apple cider, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spices. While readily available throughout the US and Great Britain in the Harry Potter books, you will have to conjure up this sweet libation yourself. Super simple and quick to mix up; no potions class necessary. Get the Pumpkin Juice recipe.
Mains
Steak and Kidney Pie
In Literature
“Some people argue that the oldest pub in London is the White Hart on Drury Lane; others that it is the Angel on Bermondsey Wall, or the Lamb and Flag on Rose Street. All of these people are Muggles, and all of them are wrong. The oldest pub in London, as any wizard will tell you, is the Leaky Cauldron on Charing Cross Road,” reports J.K. Rowling from Pottermore. And at the Leaky Cauldron, all magical beings and even muggles are welcome, “though some of the conversations, not to mention pets, caused many an unwary drinker to leave without finishing his mead,” notes J.K. At the Leaky Cauldron many a hearty soup or meat pie can be consumed for two galleons or less. Until you receive your own Firebolt from Uncle Sirius and can fly on over to the Leaky, you can pop these precious, mini steak and kidney pies into a muffin pan and bake them in your own kitchen oven. Get the Steak and Kidney Pie recipe.
Game Pie
Yellow Chimney
A specialty at the Leaky Cauldron and the most expensive dish on the menu, Game Pie will cost you two galleons. This traditional meat pie dates back to Roman times and minces together hare, venison, pheasant, or partridge. While not the easiest to assemble for first-year students, you don’t exactly have to be an auror to track down the ingredients for Game Pie. You’ll just need to apparate yourself to a butcher’s shop or specialty grocery and then, “tuck in,” as Professor Dumbledore would advise. Get the Game Pie recipe.
Roast Turkey Legs
Let’s Taco Bout It
“Only Fleur Delacour seemed to be able to find anything to complain about. “It is too ‘eavy, all zis ‘ogwarts food,’ […] I will not fit into my dress robes.”—J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” Students are not hard pressed to find trays laden with large piles of meat that magically appear on the tables of the Great Hall. One of the said piles of meat is the quintessential roast turkey leg. This stick-to-your-ribs, herb-encrusted roast turkey leg is finger-licking good and will replenish your caloric stores after a whiz bang match of Quidditch. It’s okay if you get your hands messy, you can wash them off later in the girl’s bathroom next to Moaning Myrtle, but do watch out for trolls. Get the Roast Turkey Legs recipe.
Bangers and Mash
The Starving Chef
“‘I don’t blame you, dear,’ she assured Harry, tipping eight or nine sausages onto his plate.”—J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” Oh, to have grown up a Weasley child—or friend of one—and eat at the table of Mrs. Weasley, who fills up her children and their mates with affection and hearty helpings of food that’d comfort even the most ghoulish of us. Surely a staple at the Burrow, Bangers is a classic British dish, consisting of sausages, usually served with a side of Mash (mashed potatoes) and onion gravy. This Bangers and Mash with sides of bacon and fried tomato is an ode to Molly Weasley’s love filled, home-cooking and is a feast in itself. Get the Bangers and Mash recipe.
Desserts
Pumpkin Pasty
Ezra Poundcake
“Go on, have a pasty,” said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry’s pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).” ―J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” If you can bake a pumpkin pie, you can bake a pumpkin pasty. The pumpkin pasty is an adorable, hand pie filled with all the same pumpkin puree goodness and spices as pumpkin pie. Go on, have one and share another with a friend. Get the Pumpkin Pasty recipe.
Chocolate Frog
Ezra Poundcake
“What she did have were Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life.”—J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” Whether it’s your first ride aboard the Hogwarts Express or your fifth, or you’ve had too much face time with a dementor-boggart whilst practicing your patronus charm, a Chocolate Frog will settle your nerves. Just hold on tight to it. Imbued with 70% Croakoa, a magical substance that puts a spring in its step, Chocolate Frogs have a tendency to leap out of hands. Since Croakoa is apparently impossible to find for us muggles, milk chocolate and peanut butter filling will have to do. Get the Chocolate Frog recipe.
Treacle Tart
Feast Of Starlight
“A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding — As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.”—J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” Treacle Tart so conjures up love for Harry that he even smells it when he is near Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the wizarding world. A traditional British dessert, as well, Treacle Tart consists of shortcrust pastry and golden syrup, which gives it its trademark sweetness. Get the Treacle Tart recipe.
Related Video: This Magical Ice Cream Changes Color Before Your Eyes
This post was originally published on October 6, 2017; the introduction was updated on February 28, 2019.
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