It doesn’t matter who or what you’re voting for in an election year, if anything is clear, it’s that Americans are STRESSED about the results.
So, in order to calm down and get through election night without feeling like you need to call your therapist, why not make all of the comfort food and drink some delicious cocktails, so you can cope a little bit as we await the results?
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You’ll need a good distraction, and preparing food is the perfect activity to take your minds off politics.
Happy cooking!
Mac and cheese from Mom on Timeout
This is the ultimate comfort food, right? Mac and cheese is super versatile, so feel free to add any kind of breadcrumb topping you want: use real bread, panko, etc.
Also, have some fun with your cheese selections! There are so many great cheeses out there, so go out on a limb and experiment. This recipe is a crowd-pleaser, so if you’re having a small election-night watch party, your guests will thank you.
Frosé
What’s better than an ice-cold glass of rosé?
When it’s frozen, duh!
In a blender, add a bottle of rosé, a couple cups of fresh strawberries and 1/4 cup of sugar. Blend all the ingredients with ice until it’s the consistency you want. Serve in a sugar-coated rim and you’re all set.
Thai red curry from D*mn Delicious
Making a curry can sound daunting if you’ve never done it before, but this recipe is so easy to follow, it’s almost impossible to screw up. You’ll never want to order curry from a take-out place again, after mastering this.
Spicy margarita
A regular margarita always hits the spot, but why not turn up the heat with a spicy margarita? Given it’s Election Day, you’ll need it!
Mix together 2 ounces of silver tequila, 1 ounce of Triple Sec, the juice of half a lime, a splash of soda and two slices of jalapeno without the seeds. In a shaker, muddle the jalapeno and add all the ingredients. Give it a good shake, and then pour over ice. Garnish the rim of the glass with salt and a slice of jalapeno.
Chicken pot pie from Basically
Who doesn’t love a good chicken pot pie?
This is one of the easiest pot pie recipes, and it’s mostly because the recipe calls for rotisserie chicken and frozen puff pastry, so most of the hard work is already done. But if you want to draw the process out so you don’t pay attention to the election results, sure, you can make your own chicken and pie crust.
White Claw mimosas
Just because it’s election night doesn’t mean you can’t have a mimosa, right?
Instead of champagne, you’re going to use your favorite flavor of White Claw. To make it even more fun, you can add a shot of vodka with the orange juice and serve it over ice.
Rosemary focaccia bread from Gimme Some Oven
If you’ve never made bread before, focaccia is one of the easiest ones to master. It will take you multiple hours because the dough needs to rise a few times, but it’s SO worth it at the end. You’ll never want to buy bread at the store ever again.
Caramel Apple Pop
You remember those amazing caramel apple suckers from when you were a kid? This drink tastes just like those, and it’s perfect for fall.
Depending on how many drinks you want, heat up a couple cups of apple cider on the stove. Once it’s warm, add it to a glass and add in an ounce of your favorite whisky or spiced rum.
Just make sure you don’t add the alcohol until the cider is warmed through. If you do, you’ll cook out all the booze.
Beef bourguignon from NYT Cooking
If you’ve seen the movie “Julie and Julia,” then you know that beef bourguignon is Julia Child’s signature dish, and man, does it take a long time to make. There are a lot of steps, but the end result is so worth it. It’s basically a fancier version of beef stew, it’s just French and has the Julia Child stamp of approval.
Aperol spritz
There is nothing more refreshing than an Aperol spritz. If you’ve never had Aperol, it’s an orange liquor that is good mixed with other things. In a glass with ice, fill it up with a few splashes with Aperol. Fill almost the rest of the glass with prosecco, and top it with a splash of club soda. It honestly kind of tastes like a fancy White Claw.
Pork carnitas from Dinner at the Zoo
Slow roasting a pork shoulder and turning it into carnitas is the perfect thing to do on election night. The carnitas make for perfect little tacos, or you can add some bbq sauce and you’ve got yourself a pulled pork taco. How easy is that?
A Negroni....Sbagliato...with Prosecco in it
We’ve all seen the meme, so why not make the internet’s favorite cocktail on election night? If you’ve never had a Negroni Sbagliato, it’s just Campari (grapefruit liqueur), sweet Vermouth and a splash of Prosecco. It’s very, very, bitter -- so it’s not really a drink for everyone. But if you like the combination of sweet and bitter, this one’s for you.
A Washington apple
It’s election night, so why not have a drink that shares the name with America’s very first president? Fill a glass with ice and fill most of it with cranberry juice. Top it with your favorite whiskey and you’re all set.
