Cozy Comfort Foods

Blueberry and Almond Oatmeal, Vegetarian Mapo Tofu, Hearty Beef Lasagna [START FREE TRIAL]( or [LOG IN]( [FIND RECIPES ›]( February 19, 2021 What’s New at ATK Watch the latest episode of America’s Test Kitchen Host Bridget Lancaster makes a foolproof recipe for Pan-Seared Strip Steaks. Then, test cook Dan Souza prepares Beet Salad with Spiced Yogurt and Watercress. [Watch now]( A Round Up of Our Favorite Skillets We want to help you find the skillet that’s right for you. [Read more →]( A Note From Our Test Cooks Cozy Comfort Foods FROM Ashley Moore, Food Stylist We’ve hit that time of year that necessitates all things cozy. And of all the seasons to eat comfort food, this is it. I like to start my mornings with a hearty bowl of [Blueberry and Almond Oatmeal](. It is substantial enough to keep me from snacking for at least two hours ( . . . and that says something). For lunch, I want to warm up with something like [Vegetarian Mapo Tofu]( a perfect recipe that slowly warms you from the inside out. For dinner, my favorite meal of the day, you will find me tucking into the ultimate comfort food—some cheesy, stick-to-your-ribs [Hearty Beef Lasagna](. (And if my kids are lucky, I may give them some, too.) FREE FOR TWO DAYS Blueberry and Almond Oatmeal Too often, speed trumps quality when it comes to cooking steel-cut oatmeal. But for homemade steel-cut oatmeal that is creamy and pleasantly chewy and that we could incorporate into our morning routine, we needed to find a way to speed up the process. To do that, we toast the raw oats in butter to build flavor and jump-start the cooking process before adding room-temperature water and simmering the mixture to textural perfection, about 20 minutes. [view recipe]( FREE FOR TWO DAYS Vegetarian Mapo Tofu We start with cubed soft tofu, poached gently in salted water to help the cubes stay intact in the braise. For the sauce base, we use plenty of ginger and garlic along with four Sichuan pantry powerhouses: Asian broad bean chili paste (doubanjiang), fermented black beans, Sichuan chili powder, and Sichuan peppercorns. [view recipe]( FREE FOR TWO DAYS Hearty Beef Lasagna Meat lasagna can take all day to make. We streamline the process by whisking together a quick no-cook cheesy filling and shaving time off the meat sauce prep. Since the sauce continues to cook in the oven as the lasagna bakes, we skip the traditional but unnecessary long simmer on the stovetop. The result is a lasagna that tastes markedly meatier, rather than just tomato- and cheese-packed. [view recipe]( [All-Access Membership. 12,000+ Reliable Recipes. Free Shipping in our shop. Mobile App. 8,000+ Product Ratings. Cookbook Collection. Join now and SAVE 33%. TRY IT FREE.]( winner HIGHLY RECOMMENDED All-Clad Stainless 4-Qt Sauce Pan [buy now]( Cleanup: ★★★   Durability: ★★★   Ease of Use: ★★★   Performance: ★★★     Our favorite large saucepan is perfect for our oatmeal. It has uniform, steady heating and good visibility inside, and its cup-shaped, stay-cool handle is easy to grip. [Learn More →]( winner HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Cuisinart Custom 14 Cup Food Processor [buy now]( Cleanup: ★★★   Ease of Use: ★★★   Performance: ★★½   We use a food processor to make a spice paste for our Vegetarian Mapo Tofu. With a powerful, quiet motor; responsive pulsing action; sharp blades; and a simple design, this model is our longtime favorite. [Learn More →]( winner HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Mrs. Anderson’s Baking Lasagna Pan with Handle [buy now]( Handles: ★★★   Performance: ★★★   Capacity: ★★★     The looped handles of this dish are easy to grab, whether we’re rotating the dish halfway through baking or removing it from the oven. It has plenty of space for our Hearty Beef Lasagna. [Learn More →]( FROM OUR ONLINE COOKING SCHOOL Adding Meaty Flavor Without the Meat Whether you’re making Vegetarian Mapo Tofu or another vegetarian dish, here’s how to add complex meaty flavor without the meat. [view course]( Try Another Newsletter Cooking for One Discover the joys of cooking for yourself with this one-week meal plan. [Sign up now →]( Shortcuts to Dinner Get out of that cooking rut with six weeks of “Shortcuts to Dinner” in your inbox. [Sign up now →]( Our family of brands [America's Test Kitchen]( [Cook's Illustrated]( [Cook's Country]( [Kids]( [Cooking School]( America’s Test Kitchen is the home of Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines; America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country public television shows; America's Test Kitchen Kids; dozens of cookbooks; multiple member websites; the America's Test Kitchen Cooking School; and The Walk-In, Mystery Recipe, and the Webby award–winning Proof podcasts. 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