Cheesy Comfort

Comfort food is defined as food that gives emotional comfort to the one eating it. These dishes tend to be foods from our childhood, or linked to a person, place, or time, with which the food has a positive association. When it comes to featured ingredients cheese is one of the most popular. With a worldwide selection of cheeses, ooey-gooey dishes are prepared on every continent. Cheesy comfort dishes can be very simple with a few ingredients or can take a good part of the day to prepare. These are my top 5 of my favorites from around the globe.

Cheese bread or pan de queijo, as it's known in Brazil, is one of South America's favorite finger foods. They are inexpensive to make and found in several Latin American countries, often sold to customers via street vendors, snack shops, and grocery stores. They are very light and spongy and simple to make. Ingredients can be found at your local market and include butter, water, milk, salt flour, garlic, milk, Parmesan cheese, and eggs. Some websites have several more ingredients listed but I have found that allrecipes.com's comes out delightfully good. They will take about 60 minutes to make and be gone in 60 seconds.

Quesadillas origin goes back to colonial Mexico. They have seen many changes throughout their brief history on the food scene. The number of filling options is enormous including cheese, meats, and vegetables. The original quesadilla was made with Oaxaca cheese melted on a tortilla and folded. Today's variations include foods such as cooked potatoes, epazote, chorizo, squash blossoms, mushrooms, chicken, and beef. Condiments include red or green salsa, guacamole, diced tomatoes, and chilis. To create one of these cheesy treats warm a flour tortilla, flip it, and add your favorite fillings on ½ of the tortilla, fold, and serve. Que Bueno!

Poutine is a staple in Canada and is pure Canuck comfort. Rich and filling, poutine has recently become a popular bar staple here in the states. Poutine originated in Quebec in the late 1950s and only had and still has 3 ingredients. French fries and cheese curds, smothered in a rich brown gravy, makes for the perfect food trifecta. Hard to believe at one time it was perceived negatively and mocked, obviously not true today. Bars, "greasy spoon" diners, roadside vendors, and hockey games are just a few of the places you'll see them being eaten. Crispy, cheesy, and cheap are their most popular qualities.

Fondue is a Swiss favorite served in a communal pot and enjoyed by all. Fondue's origin goes back to the late 1600s with modern fondue being created in the late 1800s. The difference was that eggs were substituted with wine. Fondue became very popular in the U.S. during the 1960s. Household cocktail parties were all the rage during this time and fondue was a portion of perfect interactive finger food. Originally, cubed bread was the only option for dipping into this rich stringy dish. Today, vegetables and apples are also popular dipping choices. To prepare, rub a pot with a garlic clove, add white wine, a bit of cornstarch, then melt in your shredded cheese. I prefer Gruyere.

Macaroni and cheese is pure Americana however, it wasn't created in the states as many people believe. The original recipe was found in the cookbook of an English housewife in 1770. The early 1800s was the time of its origin here in the U.S. and by the late 1800s, the recipe could be found in hundreds of cookbooks throughout the country. Traditionally it is made with cheddar cheese but I have found that gouda, Havarti, or a combination of the 3 makes an absolutely sensational casserole. I prefer mine somewhat moist and creamy. In a pot make a bechamel and add dry mustard. Next, add your cheese and whisk until smooth. Add your pasta noodles and pour into a casserole dish. Top with more cheese, breadcrumbs, and broil.

When we think of comfort food many of us think of meaty proteins. That isn't necessarily so, cheese can be every bit as comforting, especially with all of the varieties available today. The definition of comfort food is so true, each one of these is linked to a moment that brings me back to a place or specific moment in time that promotes a warm fuzzy. If you want to get rid of that cold hollow feeling inside try one of these wonderful cheese-filled concoctions. Apart from being delicious, I picked these dishes because they are just as easy to make as they are to enjoy. Enjoy!