Chicken Fricassee is the ultimate in Cuban comfort food. In Spanish it’s called Fricase de Pollo, and it’s dark meat chicken braised in a flavorful tomato sauce until it is fall-off-the-bone. Tender potatoes and salty olives finish this dish beautifully. Serve the chicken fricassee on generous bed of white rice for a filling, delicious, meal.

This sausage and white bean soup is loaded with vegetables, including onions, carrots, celery and spinach. It gets a ton of flavor from Italian sausage, and creamy cannellini beans make this soup a meal! The prep work is really simple, and it doesn’t take a long cooking time to get a delicious, nourishing bowl of soup. It’s perfect for weeknights, cold nights, well… any night.

When you think Cuban food, beans are usually on the menu. In Spanish this dish is called frijoles colorados, and they’re a staple in Cuban cuisine. The beans are made with simple ingredients including herbs, spices and pork. The pork used is typically an inexpensive cut. Smoked ham hocks or shanks, sausage, or a leftover, meaty ham bone are all good options. Cuban style red beans are traditionally served with white rice as a side dish, or as a stand-alone soup.

In this recipe, chicken thighs are braised in a delicious mushroom and garlic sauce. This meal is really easy to make so it’s perfect for busy weeknights. Prep is minimal, and it comes together quickly. Serve the braised chicken thighs with noodles or mashed potatoes with a generous amount of the mushroom and garlic sauce for a satisfying meal.

This bacon and lentil soup is easy to make and delicious. In this recipe, bacon is cooked until crispy, then onions, carrots, celery and garlic are sautéed in the drippings. Add a few spices and you’ll have a hearty and flavorful pot of lentils. This soup is great for weeknights since lentils cook up pretty quick; by bean standards.

Carne con Papas is a Cuban comfort food favorite. It’s similar to beef stew, except that it’s saucy not stewy. Typically, the recipe calls for inexpensive beef that’s cut into small chunks and braised in a rich and flavorful tomato sauce until tender. Potatoes are always added to this dish, after all they’re in the title; the rest of the ingredients depend on the cook.

This is a Cuban Corn Stew called Guiso de Maiz in Spanish. It’s a traditional Cuban dish, and like most Cuban recipes this stew is made from easy to find, affordable ingredients. Made with pork stew meat, corn, potatoes and spices, this stew is perfect for tight budgets and hungry appetites.

This Italian sausage lentil soup is hearty, delicious and full of good-for-you ingredients. It’s loaded with lentils, carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, and spinach. Ok sure, it has Italian sausage, but you have to live a little, right? Add a hearty piece of crusty bread and this soup makes a very satisfying meal.

This southwestern steak soup is hearty, and really easy to make. Affordable beef round and simple pantry ingredients combine to make this delicious soup. It’s a little bit spicy and totally satisfying. With beef, tomatoes, black beans and corn, this soup won’t leave you hungry.

This Italian Sausage & Pastina Soup is delicious and really easy to make. It’s loaded with Italian sausage, vegetables and pasta. The pastina – which is tiny pasta pieces – thickens the soup, so it’s hearty. Using canned tomatoes and frozen vegetables, cuts down on […]