Winter Warmth: Liz Barbour Shares Cozy Recipes To Bring Comfort to Your Kitchen This Season

Liz Barbour

Comfort food is a year-round necessity, but everyone can agree that a warm bowl of soup, casserole dish or pot roast just hits differently in the winter. Here’s a couple recipes to have ready in your back pocket for when the temperatures drop.

About Liz: Liz Barbour built her cooking career in a variety of Boston’s catering and restaurant settings, and she later moved on to start her own business after starting a family in New Hampshire. Her recipes and teaching style for Liz Barbour’s Creative Feast connected with her community, as did her belief that any home cook can prepare fresh, flavorful meals with confidence if taught just a few basic, but important, skills. She is a regular guest on New Hampshire’s WMUR “Cook’s Corner” and is an avid home gardener who often uses her own fresh herbs and edible flowers in her cooking demonstrations. Here are some of her favorite winter recipes to add to your rotation. Check out Barbour’s website for more information about upcoming programs, events, cooking classes and more cozy recipes to try out this season. thecreativefeast.com

Stracciatella Soup with Spinach Serves 2-4

Stracciatella soup with spinach, known as Italy’s take on egg drop soup, originated in Rome. Its name, “stracciatella,” means “little rags,” referring to the way whisked eggs swirl into ribbons in hot broth. Traditionally served as a warming first course, it’s light, nourishing, and perfect for cozy gatherings. Fresh spinach adds a vibrant, healthy touch!

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4 large eggs

⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

2 tablespoons parsley

2 to 4 cups baby spinach leaves

How To:

1. Place the stock in a large saucepan or soup pot and bring to a simmer. 

2. Combine the eggs, cheese and parmesan in a bowl.

3. Drizzle in the egg mixture while slowly stirring the soup with a wooden spoon or spatula, paddling it back and forth until the little “rags” form.

4. Add the spinach and cook for 2 minutes. 

Taste, adjust seasoning and serve at once.

Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs
Serves 4   

Sheet pan dinners have become a favorite for their simplicity and flavor-packed results. Everything roasts together in a high-temperature oven all on one pan, letting flavors mingle. They include minimal cleanup and a perfect balance of protein and starch in every bite. Toss in some fresh herbs or a drizzle of olive oil, and you have a weeknight meal that feels gourmet without the fuss — just one pan, endless possibilities!

The right equipment is key — using a low-rimmed, uncoated sheet pan ensures better airflow and browning. Cooking directly on the pan surface promotes crispness, though parchment or foil liners can be used, albeit with some impact on browning. Optimal oven temperatures range from 400 to 450 degrees, with convection settings enhancing heat distribution. Strategic rack placement influences crispness and finishing dishes under the broiler adds an extra layer of caramelization.

Fat plays a vital role in both flavor and moisture retention, helping ingredients brown evenly. Hardy herbs can withstand high heat, but delicate herbs are best added after cooking to prevent burning. Seasoning with salt, pepper and spices before cooking ensures balanced flavors throughout.

Timing is essential when working with proteins and vegetables, as different ingredients cook at varying rates. Bone-in and thicker cuts take longer, while smaller pieces and boneless options cook faster. Drying proteins before seasoning encourages better browning, while keeping fat or skin intact adds richness.

When incorporating vegetables, it’s essential to cut them uniformly to ensure even cooking. Denser vegetables take longer to roast, while leafy greens cook quickly and can become crisp. Proper spacing on the sheet pan ensures air circulation, promoting even browning. Starting with slower-cooking ingredients and adding faster cooking ones later ensures everything finishes simultaneously.

Adjusting the oven temperature allows for control over the cooking process — higher heat leads to deeper color and crispness, while lower heat ensures more even results. Quick-cooking items can benefit from a brief stint under the broiler to finish them perfectly. The key to sheet pan success lies in thoughtful preparation, timing and strategic layering to create a cohesive, flavorful dish. with minimal effort.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon dried oregano (or rosemary, basil, or sage)

Kosher salt and black pepper

4 to 6 small bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 

4 to 6 small Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ¾ inch pieces

1 large red pepper, cored, seeded, cut into 1 inch strips

2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about ½ cup)

2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (or parsley, basil, or mint)

How To:

1. In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons oil with the lemon juice, garlic and oregano. Add the chicken thighs; toss to coat. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 8 hours, covered, in the refrigerator.

2. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a sheet pan, drizzle the diced potatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; toss well and move to one side of the pan. Pat the chicken thighs dry (this will help the skin crisp up during cooking) and place them, evenly spaced, on the other side of the pan. Roast for 15 minutes.

3. Remove the pan from the oven, toss the potatoes, add the pepper slices, then return everything to the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through, the skin is golden brown and the potatoes are tender, 15 to 25 more minutes, depending on the size of the thighs. If the potatoes are not quite tender, remove the chicken thighs to a plate to rest, and return the pan to the oven to roast until tender, another 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Scatter the feta and dill over the potatoes, sprinkle the whole dish with salt and pepper and serve hot from the pan.

Sweet Potato Apple Crisp
Makes one 9×13 or 9×9 pan to serve 8

Apple Mixture

*8 large assorted apples (see apple note below), cored and cut into slices — yes, leave the peels on!

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

Crisp Topping

1½ cups oats (old fashioned)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour or ground flaxseed

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup brown sugar — light or dark

¼ cup sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Sweetened Sour Cream Topping

16 oz sour cream (full fat)

2 to 3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I like Everland vanilla and buy it at HomeGoods. You can also purchase online)

How To:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place the cubed sweet potato into a saucepan of water. Bring to a simmer and cook potatoes until just tender, about 5-8 minutes. Drain the sweet potatoes.

3. Toss the sliced apples with the sugar, flour and apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Place half of the sliced apples into your pan then place the cooked sweet potatoes to cover evenly. Place the remaining apples over the sweet potatoes.

4. In a bowl, combine the oats, flour or flaxseed, cinnamon and sugars and toss until combined. Using your hands, work in the butter until the mixture comes together in moist crumbs. Spread oat topping evenly over the apples and sweet potatoes. 

5. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until the crumb mixture is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

6. To make the sour cream topping, combine the sour cream, sugar to taste, and vanilla in a bowl and stir to blend. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

* Apple combinations: Texture is an important part of a tasty apple crisp experience. Combine apples that are both crisp and soft when cooked. Honeycrisp/Cortland, Granny Smith/McIntosh, Spartan/Cortland. You can add or substitute other fresh or frozen blueberries, cranberries and rhubarb.

Sheet Pan Feta with Black Olives, Tomatoes & Lemon
Serves 4-6 as an appetizer

1 pint grape tomatoes

½ to 1/3 cup black olives packed in oil 

1 lemon,½ cut into thin rounds and the
remaining ½ left intact, for serving

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 (6 to 8 ounces) block feta, whole or cut into 1-inch slices

½ cup fresh cilantro or parsley leaves and fine stems, roughly chopped (optional)

Serve with artisan bread or crackers

How To:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees with a rack set in the lower third. 

2. On a sheet pan, combine the tomatoes, olives and lemon slices with the olive oil and toss. Add cumin and red pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper, and toss again until evenly coated. Nestle the feta into the center of the vegetables. Roast 15 to 20 minutes. If you want a little charring on top, put under the broiler for a few minutes.

3. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with the remaining lemon half for squeezing. Top with fresh herbs, if using.

Variations:

• Instead of feta use tofu or a firm fish (salmon, swordfish, scrod).

• Add canned chickpeas and thinly sliced fennel.

• Add broccoli, asparagus, peppers, or other vegetable and serve as a meal.

• Instead of cumin use smoked paprika or rosemary.

• When cooked, combine all the ingredients and toss with pasta and serve hot or cold.