But guess what?! One thing you can definitely do, and should be doing, is COOKING AT HOME! You will most likely find yourself with big chunks of time that you aren’t used to having and what better way to spend it than cooking up a comforting meal for your family?
I went through my archives of all the recipes I’ve made over the last decade and pulled out some that I thought would be particularly nice to cook right now.
(Before we get to the recipes) If you are stuck at home with kids and struggling to work out a schedule for the day, here is the schedule I made for our family. Feel free to use it as a starting point if you think it is helpful!
Recipes to Cook if You’re In Quarantine
Winter-Crud Curing Soup
Everybody is hoarding chicken soup, but I bet you can find the ingredients for this easy miso soba soup at most grocery stores. Make a big batch of it and enjoy it for a few days. If you don’t want the tofu, you can leave it out or substitute it with shredded chicken.
Sausage and Chard Calzones
Since I’ve had kids, this is the kind of thing that I just don’t make that often. It can be quite a project to make the dough from scratch and form the calzones. But hey, when you’re on quarantine, might as well!
Homemade Chicken Tikka Masala
This is normally a weekend only recipe for me, especially if you are making the homemade naan, but if your kids are chilling watching Frozen 2, it’s a fairly straightforward recipe. Just requires some time in the kitchen!
Tomato and Red Wine Braised Meatballs
I’m definitely cooking this recipe this week. My kids are loving spaghetti and meatballs and these are special ones. Braised for hours they are SO flavorful and tender. Serve them with spaghetti or just lots of crunchy bread.
Pressure Cooker Pork Ragu
Another great hearty meal option: this pork ragu! You can make it in a slow cooker or pressure cooker. I prefer the pressure cooker method, personally. Serve it over any pasta and the leftovers keep well for a week or so!
Green Thai Peanut Noodle Bowls
Not every kitchen project needs to be involved. You will still need some fast recipes on certain days. This noodle bowl has great flavors and is ready in 30 minutes. Sub whatever protein you have on hand for the tofu if you want.
Perfect Microwave Nachos
These quick (but still delicious) microwave nachos are one thing Betsy and I will make as a snack while we are preparing for the next day after the kiddos go to bed. Cheap and easy comfort food!
Supernatural Fudge Brownies
I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but if I’m going to bake something sweet for comfort, it’ll probably be these brownies. Even if you don’t have the exact chocolates, it’s a great base recipe.
Giant Sweet Potato Cinnamon Roll
Breakfast breads! YES! Who wouldn’t want to wake up to this beauty on day 15 of in-home quarantine?!
Sweet Potato Pierogi
I made this recipe six years ago before I had kids. It’s that kind of recipe, but trust me that it’s comfort food in a bowl. Just seeing the photos made me want to cook this ASAP.
What’s on your cooking list?!
If you are cooking some special things these days, please leave a comment! I encourage everybody to practice good social distancing right now. It’s truly our only hope to slow this thing down.