Hearty Meals Put Winter in its Place

There’s something about cold weather that makes a person crave hearty dishes full of savory ingredients and satisfying hunks of flavorful meat. The urge to hunker down and fortify your defense against the cold with a tasty homemade meal is relentless and pressing. You want something simple, but gratifying; a recipe that doesn’t take hours to make or involve too many ingredients. 

We have three recipes that you can whip up without much to-do when what you really want is to huddle up by the fireplace after an active winter day. We’re talking slow-smoked, handcrafted, bursting with flavor meats that are certified humane and get-in-my-belly good. 

Cheese Fondue With Kielbasa

May we humbly suggest using your favorite North Country Smokehouse sausage as the vehicle for getting warm, melty cheese into your mouth? Consider yourself warned: our organic kielbasa makes moderation seem ridiculous, nay, pointless. Once you’ve prepared the fondue and the savory scent of sizzling sausage has permeated your kitchen, cut the sausage into generous hunks and add in some bread and fruit for variety. Ready? Get your skewer loaded up, and dip with reckless abandon for a cheese-on-your-chin meal that puts winter in its place.

Chili With Sausage

Andouille or Chorizo - we can’t decide, but adding some heat to your chili in the dead of winter is an easy way to spice up a meal that’s pretty much made for cold weather. Our Chorizo’s sweet heat brings south of the border meets Tex-Mex taste to your simmering pot of goodness, while Andouille sausage brings the bayou to you for a gumbo-like experience. For a Paleo version, this recipe provides some inspiration, and if you’re a fan of beans, this recipe hits the spot. We suggest slicing up an NCS sausage and throwing it in the mix to add a major boost of flavor without a ton of work. The longer you can let all the deliciousness simmer, the better, so throw it in the slow cooker and let the flavors mingle all day long. Don’t forget the shredded cheese and jalapeno!

Loaded Baked Potato Bar

Ahhh, the potato. Simple, unassuming, versatile. Laugh in the face of winter as you heap a steaming baked potato with all the things that make you drool. That leftover chili in the fridge? Use it! Chives, sour cream, jalapenos, and shredded cheese? Yes to all of it! And holy blasphemy, don’t forget the bacon. Our Fruitwood Smoked Bacon is thick and meaty, slow-smoked to tender perfection and the ideal companion to top off your loaded potato. It’s fast, it’s easy, and if curling up next to a cozy fireplace had a taste… this would be it. Load it up!

Now that you’ve got your winter recipe-fix, you can spend less time stressing about what to cook and more time doing what matters to you (without ever sacrificing flavor). Integrity, ingredients, and the slow-smoked preparation of the meat that hits your kitchen table—that’s what matters to us.