Cold nights are for stews, soups, and… macaroni! That’s right, macaroni and cheese warms the belly and the soul. This comfort food is at it’s best when homemade, but have you checked out all the mac and cheese recipes we have on Key Ingredient? It’s enough to make you salivate on the keyboard, here’s a glimpse…

Let’s start off with something intense. Cheese fans, this one’s for you. Prettyfeet702’s Cardiac Macaroni and Cheese will make your heart skip a beat ;), in a good way. “Wow!” is enough to describe her macaroni dish.

I’m always working on my homemade mac and cheese recipe. How do you give it that extra creaminess? I think I’ll take Ginasheppard’s advice and add evaporated milk. Carnation Evaporated Milk Macaroni and Cheese sounds like a recipe worth trying. How do you make your mac and cheese creamy?

Here’s a little something different for those who like their cheesy pasta dishes with a twist: DomesticMuse’s Macarronada Ranchera (Mexican Mac & Cheese). The secret ingredient in this recipe? Eggs!

What’s your favorite ice cream? How about homemade? If you’re asking for an ice cream maker for Christmas this year, today’s post is for you. Get a bowl and spoon (or a cone), it’s time to make ice cream!

FoodieWife’s Pumpkin Custard Ice Cream will even make the purist’s mouth water, yes I’m talking about the vanilla ice cream fans. She says it’s a great alternative to pumpkin pie for the holidays and we agree. Don’t know how to make custard? Check out her blog for details.

What if you still want pie? Check out the recipe Snoo shared with us. This Peppermint-Marshmallow Ice Cream Pie looks like it might be a tough dessert to make, but you can prepare this right before your holiday party! This is the perfect dessert for the holidays; save the oven for the turkey, this is a bake-free pie!

Avalon’s Eggnog Ice Cream Pie looks and sounds like a decadent treat. Even non eggnogg fans will droll over this ice cream, she says, and I agree. Eggnog ice cream is the only way I can enjoy eggnog during the holiday season :).

Do you have any holiday ice cream recipes??

Whatever the season, chocolate is always ready to shine. It’s the key ingredient in so many favorite recipes. When you think of chocolate desserts, what comes to mind? Maybe chocolate chip cookies or brownies. Here are a few unique recipes that creatively and deliciously include chocolate. Chocoholics, beware :)!

I’m sure there’s a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie lover in your home, or maybe next door. Such a popular cookie and for good reason! But what about the milk chocolate fans? Here’s a recipe for you, it’s Hendria’s Macadamia Nut Chocolate Chunk Shortbread. You can forget about the cookie sheet because this recipe makes jumbo cookies in a cake pan!

Since we mentioned brownies, let’s give them the attention they deserve. Ice cream cakes aren’t just for summer birthday parties… you won’t want to wait that long to make Awelsh728’s Chocolate Chip Brownie Ice Cream Cake.

If you’re shivering from the ice cream, then warm up with Kmad’s Warm Chocolate Molten Cakes with Whipped Cream. Getting that perfectly gooey center isn’t easy, but Kmad seems to be the expert when it comes to molten cakes, just take a look…try her recipe!

Need more chocolatey recipes? Check out Tjberen’s Chocolate Amaretto Torte or Jeannie’s Ultimate Molten Lava Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Warm up from the inside out with these spiced-up recipes. Ever thought of adding cinnamon to a steak or sprinkling it on a pre-roasted chicken for extra flavor? Take a look at your spice rack, all those ingredients you’d normally see in a holiday cake or cookie recipe can also be added to a savory dish…

Mitch’s Six Spice Hanger Steak includes a spice mix you might want to make in bulk and save for other cuts of meat, it sounds so good! Anise, cinnamon and brown sugar are just a handful of the ingredients in the dry mix. But there’s also a sauce, don’t forget that!

Now that we’ve done surf, let’s do turf with Stuart’s Pan Seared Five Spice Tilapia . Did you know that chinese five spice is a mixture of some pretty familiar ingredients, including cinnamon and cloves? Need a recipe that’ll make even a finicky eater appreciate fish? This is it! If you’re a long-time fish fan, you might also like urbcindy’s Sugar and Spice Salmon.

Did you leave room for dessert! Who wouldn’t leave room for Jamests_comcast’s Holiday Spice Cake. From scratch? Yep. Delicious? How could a spicy, nutty, fragrant and moist cake not be? If you’re still craving something sweet, try Kiep’s Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake.

We’ve been hearing a lot about turkey these days. Though it’s fitting, since the holidays are upon us, it seems the spotlight’s been taken off of chicken. Because cold weather puts us in the mood to cook more than just a Thanksgiving feast, here are some recipes worth celebrating simply because they’re good. Check them out.

ElenasPantry Mango Chicken sounds like tropical paradise on a plate. With so much flavor, you’ll convince even the red meat eaters that this is a savory dish worth making again and again. It’s lean and filling. Meals like this make our job easier, they’re perfect with a simple side of rice!

You’ve heard of chicken pot pie, but how about KMad’s Chicken Pot Pie Empanadas! This is a perfect example of a savory empanada done right. Don’t have room in the fridge for a large platter? These hand pies will fit anywhere in the fridge.

No need to order take-out this weekend, now that you’ve got bsherill’s Sweet, Sour and Spicy Orange Chicken with Broccoli and Cashews. What makes a stir fry? The sauce! Bsherill makes hers from scratch and, thankfully, she shared her recipe with us.

Spicy, sweet and fragrant… gingerbread is one of those desserts that completes the holidays. Classic gingerbread recipes can be found most anywhere, but how about a gingerbread cake? And what if you want to construct your own gingerbread house completely from scratch this year? You can, read on and we’ll tell you how.

Mr. Orph has a recipe that reminds me of warm summer days and cold chilly nights by the fireplace. An oxymoron? It may sound like it, but it’s pure genius in his Pineapple Upside Down Gingerbread Cake.

What about that gingerbread house we were talking about? ArmySister’s Gingerbread House recipe comes with all the instructions you’ll need to construct your one-of-a-kind edible creation. This is a treat kids love putting together and kids of all ages love to eat!

How do you like your gingerbread cookies? Marthamoo’s recipe for Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies caught my attention because that’s exactly how I like ‘em. Well, I like them spicy too; her recipe includes a full tablespoon of ginger, so I think these cookies have that kick I look for in a ginger cookie.

If your mouth still isn’t watering, check out Carla’s Gingerbread Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Pistachios or Cbrendel’s Streusel Gingerbread.

I say baking the turkey is the easiest part of preparing the Thanksgiving feast. Why? Because there are so many different side dishes to make. After all, what’s a turkey without the gravy, or mashed potatoes, or roasted veggies, or… you get the point ;). Need a few more ideas for what sides to make this fall or for your special holiday dinner? Read on…

This might seem a little strange and new, especially for Thanksgiving, but how about a Creamy Corn and Potato Chowder to go along with those hot buttery biscuits? What’s great about this recipe is that it works with leftovers, too; throw in the dark meat no one eats and you’ve got a whole new meal!

Add some color to the dinner table with JoJoMail1’s Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts. Festive? Definitely, you’ve got the green to match the Christmas tree and the chestnuts… you’ve also got a side that’s healthy and delicious.

Carbs are my favorite part of the holidays. MommyMack’s Sweet Yeast Rolls fit the bill. Sometimes it’s best to keep things simple, these rolls are delicious on their own… but MommyMack does say you can spice them up however you want.

Who says all holiday pies have to be sweet? Take a look at MyTastyTreasure’s Broccoli Pie. Broccoli and cheese is usually a staple at my house, especially around the holidays, but MyTastyTreasures offers us a new way to serve it up. Make this and everyone will eat their greens!

Who wants to spend the holidays waiting in long lines or getting paper cuts from wrapping so many presents? Sometimes we get so caught up in all of the festivities that we forget to stop and appreciate the sweet and simple things… like homemade gifts, particularly the edible ones.

I like what InspiredBites has to say when she talks about her Almond-Cardamom Christmas Cookies. Her idea of a great holiday gift? A Christmas cookie basket.

Fruit cake! It can be a good thing, especially if you need to provide gifts for a crowd. Joan’s Fruit Cake Cups by Mama come in the perfect gift-giving size. Consider giving these away as party favors this holiday season; take a look at her tasty recipe!

Though it’s hard to believe, not everyone has a sweet tooth as big as mine! But that doesn’t mean those folks won’t appreciate a gift made from pantry ingredients. VickiCarlson posted a recipe for Cinnamon Ornaments, you don’t eat these! Instead, you cut them out with cookie cutters and decorate them with puff paint (sounds like the recipe for a new family tradition)!

There are so many more ideas! For instance, you can make marshmallows from scratch, use cookie cutters to cut them out then drench them with chocolate… follow CrissCut’s Chocolate Covered Marshmallow recipe if that sounds tempting. And what about JenniferDube’s Kahlua Gingerbread Cutouts?

Skip the trip to the mall this year and let’s get cookin’, instead!

You won’t be tempted to fall back on fish sticks and frozen pizzas when you take a look at these healthy and tasty options for a filling family dinner. So you’ve got a finicky crowd to feed and only so much time to cook. Make one meal that’ll take everyone by surprise, in a good way. Let’s just say that no one will be asking for ketchup or barbecue sauce, they’ll actually like what they’re tasting!

Let’s start with a category that doesn’t get the attention it deserves, especially where family dinners are concerned: vegetarian food! RockNRollJane says her Lentil Tacos are so good, you won’t even miss the beef. This is also an affordable meal, RockNRollJane says that with a bag of lentils you can feed a family for under $1!

How about an old favorite that most folks love? Lasagna with a twist… or a sombrero? Try Ktbnkr’s Mexican Lasagna. Easy and fun to make? That’s what she says about it. And if you’re looking for another mexican classic, try Mytastytreasures’ Arroz con Pollo.

What about breakfast? Tired of the same old bowl of sugary cereal? Plan ahead, just a little :). Bsherrill’s Freezer Breakfast Burritos are great for taking on the bus, in the car, or even munching on during a quick break. Just warm ‘em up and they’ll fill you up in no time!

Let’s not forget about the casserole, a well-known American family meal that should have its own section on a food pyramid ;)! Well, maybe not… but you might think so after trying MelissaWelch’s Hearty Chicken and Noodle Casserole.

Milk, butter (and lots of it), salt, pepper, boiled potatoes… do you have these key ingredients on hand for today’s post? They’re the basics needed to whip, mix or mash up a creamy bowl of mashed potatoes. But what’s the special something in your bowl of mashed potatoes?

Baker2lm brings an unconventional ingredient to the mix with her Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese and Bread Crumbs. The bread crumbs caught my attention. I love baking mashed potatoes after cooking them on the stove, all for that golden crust… I have a feeling the bread crumbs add a bit more color and crunch, though.

Cdrier’s Kicked up Bacon-Cheese Mashed Potatoes certainly wouldn’t last very long at my house. I don’t know if we can call bacon the secret ingredient in this tasty recipe :). I have a feeling everyone will know what’s cookin’ as soon as it starts to crisp up in the pan! These mashed potatoes are cheesy and buttery, too.

Stuart suggests that you can even dress up mashed potatoes, in his recipe for Elegant Mashed Potatoes with Blue Cheese. Sour cream is an ingredient I don’t hear enough about in mashed potato recipes!

What other savory ingredients should I add to my next batch of mashed potatoes?