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I get asked fairly often about this food column and the origins of it. Obviously I took it over from Alice Nelson, who did a fantastic job with it for decades, but she had decided a few years ago that it was time to retire, so I stepped in. At first it was going to be temporary, but then it turned it to permanently.

I just recently was asked at, of all places, a football game, if the columns were all original, so here’s a peak behind the curtain for the readers of the few things I’ve been asked over the years.

Do I test every recipe out before publishing it?

No. Some of them I have made them before, but there is definitely times when I find a recipe that sounds delicious to me that I haven’t used and I’ll share it with you guys and then make it.

I would say 95 percent of the recipes I publish I have made, but oftentimes, it’s after the fact as well.

Are they my own original recipes?

Nope! I would love to be this creative and good in the kitchen on a whim, and have shared some original ones, but they are usually compiled from recipe books at home (we have a cabinet full of recipe books and I may or may not have signed up for  a Good Housekeeping subscription when I started this), websites, people I know who cook a lot, and various other sources.

Do you like all the food? Although those who have met me would be safe in assuming I like all food, I don’t actually like everything I publish here. But, I realized pretty quickly into doing this that not everybody has the same tastes as me, so I sometimes need to share things that I didn’t particularly like because it might be someone else’s favorite!

Now, on to this week’s comfort food column. It’s a chilly and cold one out there this week, so warm up with any of these delicious meals/sides.

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BROCCOLI CHEESE CRACKER CASSEROLE

3 sleeves round butter crackers, like Ritz 

3 lb. broccoli, cut into florets

2 lb. Velveeta cheese

1/2 c. milk

1/4 c. heavy cream

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the crackers in a large plastic, zip-top bag and crush slightly, leaving some large chunks. Set aside.

Plunge the broccoli into boiling water and allow to boil for 1 minute. Strain and set aside.

Cut the Velveeta into chunks. Throw it into a large pot with the milk, cream, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Melt, stirring occasionally, until totally smooth. Stir in the Dijon mustard, if using.

Add the broccoli to the cheese sauce, then add half the cracker crumbs. Stir to combine, then pour the mixture into a buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Top with the remaining cracker crumbs, then sprinkle the top generously with black pepper.

Bake until the top is golden brown and the casserole is bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.

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I’ve had gnocchi recipes in this space before, but never a sausage one, and never an easy, one pot recipe. So here it is!

CREAMY SAUSAGE GNOCCHI

2 tbsp. salted butter 

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped and divided

1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs

1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste

3/4 tsp. ground black pepper, divided, plus more to taste

3/4 c. grated parmesan cheese, divided, plus more to serve

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley, divided

1 lb. hot Italian sausage, casings removed

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 c. dry white wine

2 (12-oz.) packages refrigerated gnocchi 

1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 c. chicken broth

4 oz. cream cheese, cubed

1 (5-oz.) bag baby spinach

In a large, 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add 1 finely chopped garlic clove and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the panko breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper and toast, stirring frequently, until the panko is golden brown and crispy, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove the mixture to a medium bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Stir in ¼ cup of parmesan and 1 tablespoon of parsley.

In the same skillet, cook the sausage and onion over medium heat until lightly browned and the sausage is crumbly, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, the remaining 2 cloves of garlic, oregano, remaining ¾ teaspoon of salt, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of pepper. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly reduced, 1 minute. Stir in the gnocchi, tomatoes, chicken broth, and cream cheese. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, and cover the pan. Cook for 5 minutes undisturbed.

Uncover the pan and stir in the spinach. Cook until the sauce is thickened and the spinach is wilted. Stir in the remaining ½ cup of parmesan cheese and 3 tablespoons of parsley. Taste for salt and pepper.

Serve the gnocchi hot with toasted breadcrumbs.

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It’s pretty unique to make green beans in a slow cooker, but these things are to die for!

SLOW COOKER GREEN BEANS

8 slices thick-cut bacon, sliced 1/2-inch thick

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/4 c. chicken broth

1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce

2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 1/2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed

1 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crispy, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the drippings in the skillet. Add the onion to the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened and lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the broth and scrape up any browned bits. Add the mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker.

To the slow cooker, add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, paprika, oregano, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and half of the bacon, stirring well to combine. Stir in the green beans.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.

Stir the vinegar into the green beans and taste for salt. Cover and cook for 1 hour until the beans are tender.

Hold on warm for up to 4 hours. Serve with remaining crispy bacon.

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PEPPERJACK MASHED POTATOES

1 1/2 sticks salted butter, plus more for the baking dish

5 lb. pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

6 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 c. half-and-half

1/2 tsp. chili powder, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, plus more to taste

8 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Put the potatoes and garlic in a large pot and cover with water by about 1 inch; season with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and garlic well. Return to the pot off the heat and add the butter, cream cheese, half-and-half, chili powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, cayenne and half of the pepper jack. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Season with more salt and cayenne to taste.

Spread the potatoes in the baking dish. Top with the remaining pepper jack and sprinkle with chili powder. Bake until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are lightly browned around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions before serving.

TFD: Both Chisago Lakes and North Branch football teams play in section championship games on Friday. Good luck to all the athletes and let’s hope for another double dip into the state tourney from Chisago County teams! “The man on top of the mountain didn't fall there.” – Vince Lombardi

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