This winter, try pairing your favorite comfort food with classical music

We're in the throes of winter, and sometimes it can be uninspiring to make food when that takeout button is just a click away, especially when it comes to comfort food.

I'm guilty of this — since March, I've spent more than my fair share on delivery, telling myself "I'm supporting small businesses!" while my fridge fills up with takeout containers.

With the beginning of a new year, however, I've decided to take a step back and get back into the joy of cooking by way of making some of my favorite comfort foods. And there's nothing better than accompanying cooking with some classical music.

Whether you're more into Bach than Beethoven or like tofu more than turkey, here are 10 of my favorite comfort food recipes to pair with classical music.

Note: I cannot guarantee all of these recipes will be healthy, but I can guarantee that they will make your heart sing!

Mac and cheese

This recipe is not for the lactose intolerant, but rather for those with a need for cheese. Did you know that Beethoven loved mac and cheese? This recipe goes well with his Ninth Symphony, as you need something loud and glorious to accompany this decadent dish.

Chili

Nothing beats coming in from the cold to a nice, warm bowl of chili, with just the right amount of heat and sweetness. This vegan dish is a hearty addition to any dinner rotation, and my favorite tweak is to add a bit of barbecue sauce to amp up the depth of flavor. Listen to Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring to really drive home the American wholesomeness of this dish.

Tater tot hot dish

My Minnesota upbringing is showing with this one! I didn't actually grow up eating tater tot hot dish (shocker!), but have since fallen in love with its simplicity and versatility, as it's easy to dress up with fancier ingredients or hot sauce. Fellow Minnesotan Libby Larsen's Songs From Letters is a great accompaniment to this humble dish, as it outlines letters from pioneer Calamity Jane to her mother. It's a great piece of music to share with friends, much like this recipe is shared between generations of Midwesterners.

Sweet potato gnocchi

Gnocchi sounds hard to make, but if you've ever wanted to take a crack at homemade pasta this is the way to do it. It's deceptively simple, but the flavors are to die for and will open the floodgates to future pasta-making adventures. Ottorino Respighi's Fountains of Rome is just the piece to accompany the triumphant feeling you'll get while eating this dish.

Swedish meatballs

I know that Jean Sibelius isn't Swedish, but I can't not listen to his music while eating Swedish meatballs. Finlandia epitomizes Scandinavian music to me, as does this dish. This recipe also allows cranberries as a substitute for lingonberries, so I don't feel as bad subbing Sibelius for a Swedish composer.

Oatmeal

OK, hear me out: Oatmeal is good if you know how to dress it up. It's far from the flavorless mush you might have been forced to eat growing up, especially once you add berries, peanut butter or — heck, why not — a drizzle of maple syrup. I've been eating dressed up oatmeal for breakfast consistently for the past few months, and it's made starting my day so much brighter. Much like oatmeal, Florence Price's music is hearty and filling, but holds surprises that keep you on your toes and wanting to come back for more each day. Listen to her Symphony No. 1 while eating breakfast and you'll never want to start your mornings any other way.

Chicken pot pie

There's nothing like the flaky crust and creamy filling of a nice chicken pot pie on a cold day. This recipe takes that hearty dish and kicks it up a notch, with a menagerie of spices and homemade chicken stock. No matter if you use homemade or store-bought stock, as long as you pair this dish with The Lark Ascending, by Ralph Vaughan Williams. You'll be transported to a countryside cottage, watching the birds soar by as you eat your meal and relax.

French onion soup

For onion lovers and haters alike, there's no denying the magic of French onion soup. The caramelized onions topped with a slice of crusty bread and cheese is enough to make anyone swoon, and it can also easily be made vegetarian by subbing the beef broth for vegetable broth. But picture this: You're eating the fruits of your labor (homemade French onion soup) while listening to Claude Debussy's La Mer. Or the triumphant chorus from Maurice Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe. Just any French composer feels right here. Bottom line: Treat yourself.

Chocolate chip cookies

There's much debate on what makes a perfect chocolate chip cookie, but this recipe is by far my favorite. You end up with cookies that are set around the edges, but, oh-so-chewy and -gooey in the middle. To amp it up, use a combination of semisweet chocolate chips and dark chocolate chunks. Pair this dessert with Felix Mendelssohn's Octet in E-flat major and feel your heart soar with the strings (and the chocolate).

Pizza

Whether you're a fan of deep dish or a more traditional Neapolitan pizza, one thing you have to try is making the pizza dough. It's a lot easier than you'd think, and the payoff is worth way more than anything you could order from a pizzeria. The best part about pizza? The customization. Much like J.S. Bach's music, pizza is what you make of it. I'm a big fan of Hawaiian pizza (yes, pineapple belongs on pizza!) and for a funky flavor like that, I'd listen to Chris Thile's mandolin renditions of sonatas and partitas. But, if you're a classic cheese or pepperoni type of person, you can't go wrong with pianist Martha Argerich's take on the king of counterpoint. That's arguably the best part about food and music: The beauty is in the eye of the beholder.