We bid farewell to summer and welcome the crisp air of autumn. Try these five recipes that warm us up from within when we feel the chilly bite in the air. 

Sweet-potato soup with crispy kidney beans 

Serves 4 // Cooking time 1 hour 

Ingredients  

500 g purple-skin sweet potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1 large red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 cups vegetable stock
½ cup kidney beans
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp paprika
Fresh thyme, to garnish 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Wash the sweet potatoes, then use a vegetable peeler to peel long strips of skin. Place the skins on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake them for 20–30 minutes, until crispy.
3. Chop sweet potatoes into chunks and coat with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Place on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes, until soft, turning them halfway through.
4. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the onion until translucent. Add the garlic, then remove from the heat.
5. In a large pot, heat the vegetable stock until simmering, then add the sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for 20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender. Purée the soup with a stick blender.
6. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over high heat. Add the kidney beans and sprinkle with cumin and paprika. Fry until crispy.
7. Serve the sweet-potato soup with crispy beans and sweet-potato skins, garnished with fresh thyme.

Recipes & styling: Amerae Vercueil & Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za 

Spanish fish casserole 

Serves 4 // Cooking time 50 minutes 

Ingredients 

1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp chopped parsley
½ cup black olives
1 tin (400 g) chopped tomatoes
1 cup baby tomatoes
1 green pepper, sliced
¾ cup vegetable stock
½ cup tomato puree
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
2 hake fillets  

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Heat some oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the onion for 5 minutes, until soft and slightly golden.
3. Add garlic, chilli flakes, paprika and parsley. Fry for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
4. Add the olives, chopped tomatoes, baby tomatoes, green pepper, vegetable stock, tomato puree, lemon juice and sugar. Simmer for 20–25 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and reduced.
5. Transfer to a casserole dish and nestle the hake fillets in the tomato sauce. Bake for 15 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.

Recipe: Jezza-Rae Larsen
Styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Sean Dollery // HMimages.co.za 

Chicken enchilada pie 

Serves 6 // Cooking time 1 hour 30 minutes 

Ingredients 

For the filling 

1 Tbsp veg oil
1 onion, grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 chicken breasts
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp origanum
1 Tbsp flour
2 eggs
½ cup sour cream 

For the shell 

4 large flour tortillas
Vegetable oil, to brush
1 cup grated cheddar cheese 

Method 

For the filling 

1. Fry onion and garlic until golden. Add chicken, stock and spices. Boil for 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and the stock has reduced.
2. Remove the chicken from the pot. Add the flour and cook until the sauce has thickened.
3. Remove from the heat and cool, then add eggs and sour cream. Mix well.
4. Shred the chicken into small pieces. Add the pulled chicken to the reduced sauce.

For the shell 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a large pie tin.
2. Arrange 3 tortillas in the tin, overlapping slightly to cover the base and the sides. Spoon in filling and sprinkle with cheese.
3. Place 1 tortilla on top to cover and press down gently. Cut a cross in it to let the steam out. Brush with oil. Bake for 20 minutes.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za 

Mac ’n’ Cheese with a twist 

Serves 4–6 // Total time 1 hour 

Ingredients  

1 packet macaroni
Olive oil    

For the white sauce 

1 L milk  
1 L cream  
¼ onion, sliced  
Handful fresh thyme  
2 fresh bay leaves  
2 cloves garlic, sliced  
¼ cup butter  
3 tbsp flour  
2 tbsp Dijon mustard 
½ tsp ground nutmeg  
Salt and milled black pepper  
400 g streaky bacon, chopped  
1 cup grated mature cheddar  
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese 
1 cup grated mozzarella  
Handful fresh thyme, parsley or sage, chopped  

Method  

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. 
2. Add pasta and give it a quick stir so it doesn’t stick together. Cook, partially covered, for about 6–7 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water, and rinse pasta well under cold water. 
3. Toss through oil to prevent pasta from sticking together. 
4. Cook milk, cream, onion, thyme, bay leaves and garlic in a saucepan on medium-to-low heat for about 3–5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and leave to infuse for 15 minutes. Strain and set aside. 
5. Heat a glug of oil in a large pan and fry bacon for about 5–7 minutes or until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.
6. Melt butter in a pot over medium-low heat and whisk in flour until smooth. 
7. Add milk and cream mixture a ¼ cup at a time, whisking vigorously until white sauce thickens. Repeat until all liquid has been added and sauce has thickened nicely. 
8. Whisk in mustard and nutmeg. Season generously. 
9. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
10. Add cooked macaroni to a large, greased ovenproof dish and pour over half the white sauce. Toss through to coat pasta evenly. 
11. Combine cheddar, Gruyère and mozzarella in a bowl. Add half of cheese mix to macaroni and mix through evenly with a spoon. 
12. Fold through bacon and herbs. 
13. Pour over remaining white sauce (do not mix through) and top with remaining cheese. 14. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until cheese has melted and bubbles. Serve immediately. 

Chef’s Tip
For a more affordable dish, swap Gruyère for white Cheddar, streaky bacon for bacon bits and the cream for milk.   

Recipe: Chad January
Photography: Zhann Solomons   

Oven-baked meatball sandwiches 

Serves 8 // Total time 1 hour 30 minutes 

Ingredients 

½ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup milk 
250 g each pork mince and beef mince
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ onion, finely chopped
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
1 tsp each dried oregano and dried parsley 
1 tbsp fresh basil  
¼ cup parmesan 
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce  

To assemble 

8 hot dog rolls
Butter, melted 
2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese
300 g tomato pasta sauce 
Fresh basil, chopped, to garnish  

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a large oven tray.
2. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands until evenly combined. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3. Shape the mixture into 24 meatballs, using about 2 tablespoons of mixture for each one. Ours weighed 30 g each. 
4. Bake meatballs for 15–20 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the oven. 

To assemble

1. Grease another large oven tray.
2. Make a cut down the top of each roll. Brush the inside of each roll with melted butter and sprinkle with a bit of cheese. Stuff each roll with three meatballs, spoon over some tomato sauce meatballs and top with a layer of mozzarella.
3. Bake for 10–15 minutes until the rolls are toasted and the cheese has melted.
4. Top with the chopped basil and enjoy!

Top tip
Whether you’re watching your favourite sports team or sitting outside admiring the sunset with family, these meatball sandwiches are sure to hit the spot. 

Recipes & Styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photography: Peet Mocke/hmimages.co.za  

Also read: 4 tips with meatballs you never knew about

The post 5 comfort food recipes to stay warm from within   appeared first on MyKitchen.

These oven-baked meatball sandwiches are to die for! Just looking at them makes our mouth water

SERVES 8  •  TOTAL TIME 1 hr 30 min

FOR THE MEATBALLS

Breadcrumbs ½ cup 

Milk ¼ cup 

Pork mince 250 g

Beef mince 250 g

Egg, lightly beaten 1

Garlic cloves, minced 2

Onion, finely chopped ½ 

Black pepper ½ tsp

Salt ½ tsp

Dried oregano 1 tsp

Dried parsley 1 tsp

Fresh basil 1 tbsp 

Parmesan ¼ cup

Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp

TO ASSEMBLE

Hot dog or hero rolls 8

Butter, melted 

Mozzarella, grated 2 cups

Tomato pasta sauce 300 g

Fresh basil, chopped, to garnish 

FOR THE MEATBALLS

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Grease a large oven tray.

2. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix thoroughly using your hands until evenly combined. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

3. Shape the mixture into 24 meatballs, using about 2 tablespoons of mixture for each one. Ours weighed 30 g each. 

4. Bake meatballs for 15–20 minutes until cooked through. Remove from
the oven.

TO ASSEMBLE

1. Grease another large oven tray.

2. Make a cut down the top of each roll. Brush the inside of each roll with melted butter and sprinkle with a bit of cheese. Stuff each roll with three meatballs, spoon some tomato sauce over the meatballs and top with a layer of mozzarella.

3. Bake rolls for 10–15 minutes until the rolls are toasted and the cheese has melted.

4. Top with the chopped basil and enjoy!

Top tip Whether you’re watching your favourite sports team or sitting outside admiring the sunset with family, these meatball sandwiches are sure to hit the spot.

Recipes & Styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photography: Peet Mocke/hmimages.co.za

Cosy up this winter with these delicious one-pot comfort meals

The post Oven-Baked Meatball Sandwiches appeared first on MyKitchen.

Cosy up this winter with these delicious one-pot comfort meals

Shepherd’s pie with a cheesy potato topping
SERVES 6–8  •  TOTAL TIME 1 hr 30 min

FOR THE FILLING

Vegetable oil 2 tbsp

Onion, finely chopped 1

Carrots, finely chopped 3

Celery stalk, finely chopped 2

Garlic cloves, minced 3

Beef mince 500 g

Tomato paste 2 tbsp

Flour 2 tbsp

Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp

Dried thyme 1 ½ tsp

Beef stock, 1 ½ cups

Red wine ½ cup

Bay leaves 2

FOR THE CHEESY POTATO TOPPING 

Potatoes, washed and peeled 6

Milk ½ cup

Butter 2 tbsp

Cheddar ¼ cup

Fresh thyme leaves, to garnish 1 tbsp 

FOR THE FILLING

1. Add the oil to a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, carrots and celery. Fry for 5 minutes until the onion is soft.

2. Add the garlic and fry until golden.

Crumble the mince into the pan. Fry for 3 minutes until browned, continuing to break up the mince using a wooden spoon so it doesn’t form lumps.

3. Mix in the tomato paste, flour, Worcestershire sauce and thyme. Season well with salt and pepper.

4. Add stock, wine (or more stock) and bay leaves. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any stuck bits of flavour.

5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, until the mixture is thick and glossy.

FOR THE POTATO TOPPING

1. Cook the potatoes in a pot of boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes.

2. Drain and mash until chunky. Add the milk, butter and cheese and mash until smooth and fluffy. Season to taste, then cover and set aside.

TO ASSEMBLE

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

2. Spoon the mince filling into a 15 x 25 cm casserole dish. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before topping with the mashed potato.

3. Bake for 20 minutes until the potato topping is golden and crispy.

4. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve.

Top tip Freeze any leftovers for up to 1 month. Store in an airtight container. When ready to use, defrost and then reheat in a 180ºC oven for 20 minutes.

One-pot Tuscan chicken
SERVES 4  •  TOTAL TIME 30 min

FOR THE CHICKEN

Salt ½ tsp

Pepper ½ tsp

Paprika ¼ tsp

Garlic powder 1 tsp 

Italian herbs 2 tsp 

Chicken breast fillets 4

FOR THE CREAMY GARLIC AND WHITE-WINE SAUCE

Vegetable oil 2 tbsp

Onion, finely chopped 1 

Garlic cloves, minced 3

Italian herbs 2 tsp

Tomato paste 2 tbsp

Paprika ½ tsp

Cherry tomatoes 125 g

White wine ½ cup

Chicken stock 1 cup

Cream 1 cup 

Parmesan 2 tbsp 

Baby spinach 2 cups

TO SERVE

Fresh basil ¼ cup

Fresh bread loaf, toasted

FOR THE CHICKEN

1. Mix the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and Italian herbs. Press the sides of the chicken into the seasoning mix, coating evenly.

2. Add some oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side until browned and golden. Remove the chicken from the heat and set aside.

FOR THE CREAMY GARLIC AND WHITE-WINE SAUCE

1. Glaze the same pan with more oil and reduce the heat to medium. 

2. Fry the onion until softened. Add the garlic, Italian herbs, tomato paste, paprika and tomatoes. Fry until fragrant.

3. Add the white wine and using a wooden spoon, scrape any bits off of the base of the pan. Simmer for 2–3 minutes. Add the chicken stock
and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, until reduced by half.

4. Keep the mixture on a simmer and stir through the cream, cheese and spinach. Place the chicken back into the pan. Spoon some sauce over the chicken to coat, then cover with a lid. Switch off the heat but keep the pan on the stove – this will allow the chicken to finish cooking through poaching.

5. Serve the Tuscan chicken with basil and some crusty bread on the side.

Top tip Add a side of rice to this dish to bulk it up. It’s perfect for lunch the next day, too.

Oven-baked meatball sandwiches
SERVES 8  •  TOTAL TIME 1 hr 30 min

FOR THE MEATBALLS

Breadcrumbs ½ cup 

Milk ¼ cup 

Pork mince 250 g

Beef mince 250 g

Egg, lightly beaten 1

Garlic cloves, minced 2

Onion, finely chopped ½ 

Black pepper ½ tsp

Salt ½ tsp

Dried oregano 1 tsp

Dried parsley 1 tsp

Fresh basil 1 tbsp 

Parmesan ¼ cup

Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp

TO ASSEMBLE

Hot dog or hero rolls 8

Butter, melted 

Mozzarella, grated 2 cups

Tomato pasta sauce 300 g

Fresh basil, chopped, to garnish 

FOR THE MEATBALLS

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Grease a large oven tray.

2. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix thoroughly using your hands until evenly combined. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

3. Shape the mixture into 24 meatballs, using about 2 tablespoons of mixture for each one. Ours weighed 30 g each. 

4. Bake meatballs for 15–20 minutes until cooked through. Remove from
the oven.

TO ASSEMBLE

1. Grease another large oven tray.

2. Make a cut down the top of each roll. Brush the inside of each roll with melted butter and sprinkle with a bit of cheese. Stuff each roll with three meatballs, spoon some tomato sauce over the meatballs and top with a layer of mozzarella.

3. Bake rolls for 10–15 minutes until the rolls are toasted and the cheese has melted.

4. Top with the chopped basil and enjoy!

Top tip Whether you’re watching your favourite sports team or sitting outside admiring the sunset with family, these meatball sandwiches are sure to hit the spot.

Creamy baked chicken pasta
SERVES 4  • TOTAL TIME 20 min 

FOR THE CHICKEN FILLETS

Chicken breast fillets 4

Flour ¼ cup 

Egg 1

Panko breadcrumbs 1 cup

Parmesan, grated ½ cup

Italian herbs 2 tsp

Oil ¼ cup

FOR THE SAUCE

Small onion, finely chopped ½ 

Garlic cloves, minced 2

Butter 2 tbsp

Flour ¼ cup

Milk 2 cups

Chicken stock 1 cup

Cheddar, grated 1 cup

TO SERVE

Penne 500 g

Dried herbs, to sprinkle

 FOR THE CHICKEN FILLETS

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease an oven dish.

2. Lay your chicken breast on a chopping board and cover with cling film. Gently bash the chicken breast using a rolling pin until 1 cm thick.

3. Place the flour and egg in two separate bowls, and the breadcrumbs combined with the Parmesan and Italian herbs in a third bowl.

4. Coat both sides of the chicken in the flour, then dip into the egg and finish in the breadcrumb mixture.

5. Heat some oil in a pan until hot. Add the chicken breasts and fry in batches until golden, about 5 min

6. Set the fried chicken on some paper towel to drain.

FOR THE SAUCE

1. Add some oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add
the garlic and fry until golden.

2. In a separate pot over medium heat, add the butter and stir until melted. Add the flour and mix well until a roux forms, about a minute.

3. Add the milk and chicken stock to the pot and whisk well to incorporate. Bring the mixture to a low simmer and whisk as it thickens. 

4. Add the onion and garlic mixture to the sauce along with the cheddar and mix quickly to help it melt.

5. Cook for a few minutes until thick. If you like, use a stick blender to blend the sauce until smooth. Season to taste.

TO SERVE

1. Add the pasta to some salted boiling water and cook until tender. Drain.

2. Slice the chicken into strips.

3. Serve the pasta in bowls topped with creamy cheese sauce, chicken and a sprinkle of dried herbs.

Top tip Halving the chicken breasts allows them to be nice and thin for when they are fried. This allows them to be cooked fully in the pan and super crispy without becoming dry from overcooking.

Recipes & Styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photography: Peet Mocke/hmimages.co.za

This tasty and comforting deep dish pizza recipe is inspired by the US. Did you know that this type of pizza is the most popular in Chicago?

The post One-Pot Comfort Meals appeared first on MyKitchen.