10 Winter Recipes You Have to Try

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Winter is the season of comfort foods. Roast beef and mashed potatoes, Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas ham, hot soups, the list of winter foods is filled with thick sauces, juicy meats and bubbling cheeses. Despite how many delicious cold weather recipes exist, many people find themselves falling into a winter food rut. They make the same handful of dishes all the time, and, delicious as lasagna may be, there is only so many times a person can eat it before it loses its charm. The fresh fruits and vegetables that can spark a sudden meal inspiration in summer, however, are absent in winter. Few things are in season, so many people fall back onto old standbys.

Even if some people allow winter foods to get repetitive, many people look forward to cold weather foods. This is because winter recipes tend to stand apart from meals that most people prefer during the warmer months. During the summer it is too hot to let a roast bake in the oven all day or stand over the stovetop for long periods of time tending a rich soup or a homemade Hollandaise sauce. Winter is the time to cook hot, rich meals that need a little more T.L.C. than a grilled steak or potato salad. That does not mean, however, that cold weather comfort foods need to take all day to prepare. Here are 10 easy winter recipes to try during the dark months of the year.

Pork Roast With Apples

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A good pork roast is the sort of meal that looks like it took all day to prepare. In reality, however, pork tenderloin needs very little attention. To make a delicious winter meal, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and trim the excess fat from a pork tenderloin. Then, spray a glass or oven-safe ceramic pan with cooking spray. Place the trimmed meat in the pan and add some sliced apples, red onion and garlic. Add a couple cups of low-sodium or unsalted beef or chicken stock or broth to the pan to keep the meat from drying out. Place the pan in the oven, and cook the meat until it is cooked all the way through, and the juices run clear. Take the pan out of the oven, and sprinkle some blue cheese crumbles on top of the meat. To melt the cheese, either place the pan back in the oven for an extra minute or two, or cover the pan and let the heat from the meat melt the cheese.

There are a number of variations of this dish. Add other vegetables to the pan, such as sweet potatoes or carrots. For a richer taste, rub the pork tenderloin with brown sugar before cooking and drizzle bourbon on top to create a caramelized crust.

Stuffed Mushrooms

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Most people think of stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer. When the mushrooms in question, however, are portabella mushroom caps, this dish easily becomes a main dish. There are a number of ways to make a meal of stuffed mushrooms. Some of the best involve placing a mix of meat and sauce into the mushroom caps. To make stuffed mushrooms this way, wash portabella mushroom caps and cut out the stem on the inside. Place the caps on a greased cookie sheet or glass pan, gills facing up. Then, cut or shred the meat being used into small pieces. Cutting the meat before cooking it will help keep cooking time down and, in many cases, keep the meat juicier. Mix the cooked meat with any sauces, spices or vegetables, and place the mixture in the mushroom caps. Sprinkle some cheese or panko bread crumbs on top, and bake the stuffed caps at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the caps have released their juice and the cheese or breadcrumbs are browned. The caps should look slightly wilted when done but still be firm when poked with a fork.

There are any number of combinations that work well with mushrooms: Italian sausage and marinara sauce, crab and Cajun rice, steak with broccoli and soy sauce. Experiment with a number of different meats and sauces. Be sure to cook fish and beef until it is just slightly less done than preferred to avoid it overcooking when the caps themselves bake. Cook shellfish, poultry and pork all the way through, however, to avoid potential food poisoning.

Pan-fried Fish With Roasted Potatoes

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Roasted potatoes are perhaps one of the easiest winter foods to prepare. Simply cut up the preferred kind of potato, or whatever is on hand, into either small cubes or thin circular slices. Lay the sliced potatoes on a greased cookie sheet on in a glass pan, avoiding overlap. Drizzle oil lightly on top of the potatoes, and sprinkle some spice on top. Then, bake the potatoes in an oven set at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until the potatoes have started to brown.

When serving the potatoes with pan-fried fish, be sure that the oil and spice combinations compliment the oil and spices used to cook the fish. Rubbing wasabi on the potatoes, for example, makes little sense when the fish is being cooked in olive oil with sundried tomatoes and basil.

To prepare the fish, cut a raw piece of fish into strips or cubes. Dip the cubes in raw egg, and then roll in flour or breadcrumbs. Add just enough oil to a skillet to cover the bottom of the skillet, no more than one fourth of an inch deep. Heat the oil until it sizzles when a single drop of water is splashed into it. Do not add more than a drop of water to test the oil. Too much water will lead to hot oil splattering all over the kitchen and the cook.

When the oil is hot, lay the fish in the oil. Do not let the pieces overlap. Cook the fish, turning regularly, until the fish is cooked the desired amount, and a brown crust has formed in the coating. Serve hot.

This can be done with many types of fish, but “steaky” fishes are less likely to fall apart as they cook. Tuna, swordfish, mahi mahi and shark steaks work well for this. When buying shark, be sure to check how it was caught. Sharks are badly overfished, and many species are threatened or endangered. If the shark was caught in a finning operation or is not sustainably sourced, do not buy it.

Stuffed Pastas

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Pastas covered in thick sauces and bubbling cheeses make for fabulous meals on a cold, dark winter’s night. There are many different dishes that fall under the mantle of “stuffed pastas,” but all of them taste delicious on a snowy evening.

Lasagna, manicotti and stuffed shells are three of the classic stuffed pasta bakes. All three of them involve marinara sauce, cheese and whatever other additional fillings are desired. Experiment with adding Italian sausage, ground turkey or baked chicken to the filling, or add spinach, red peppers, tomatoes or carrots to give the pasta a bit more nutritional value. If adding meat, however, be sure that the meat is cooked before adding it to the filling. The pasta is unlikely to be hot enough long enough to cook the meat all the way through.

Both stuffed shells and manicotti require that the pasta be cooked before it is stuffed and baked, while lasagna noodles can go into the pan raw as long as they are baked in enough sauce. When precooking manicotti or stuffed shells, be sure to drain the pasta while the noodles are still firm, or al dente. If they are completely “done” before they are stuffed, they will be rubbery and overcooked after spending time in the oven.

To make stuffing manicotti easier, cut the noodles lengthwise when they are cooked. The cheese and filling will hold the seam closed once the pasta has baked.

Enchiladas

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Enchiladas are sometimes seen as a year-round dish, but the hot spices, sauce and oven cooking time make them a perfect fit for a winter night. To make enchiladas, cook and shred the meat before placing it in a tortilla. Add cheese, beans, rice and any other fillings to the tortilla, and roll the tortilla closed. Pour enchilada sauce into a glass or ceramic baking pan until the entire bottom of the pan is covered by a thick layer of sauce. Place the rolled tortilla seam-side down in the enchilada sauce. Add the filling to another tortilla and roll it closed. Place the second tortilla in the pan directly next to the first tortilla. They should be touching and can be pressed tightly against each other. Repeat this with as many tortillas as desired or until the pan is full. Pour more enchilada sauce on top of the rolled tortillas, and sprinkle cheese on top. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the sauce begins to bubble. Remove the foil, and bake until the cheese has begun to brown.

Chicken Enchilada Stew

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Soups and stews are classic winter dishes. They are piping hot, filling and seem to warm a person from the inside out. Chicken enchilada stew, and its beef and turkey variants, also has warming spices to really help a person fight off the winter chill.

To make this stew, place sliced onions, garlic cloves and red peppers in a greased stockpot. Sauté the vegetables until the peppers are tender and the onions are fragrant. Add masa harina to the pot and continue to sauté. Slowly add several cups of low-sodium or unsalted chicken broth or stock. After all the chicken broth is incorporated, add green chilies, black beans, tomatoes and sliced, cooked chicken. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer. Add a bit of cheese, and serve topped with avocado, sour cream or tortilla strips.

To keep this recipe healthy, use a minimal amount of cheese and forgo the garnishes. For those that want an extra kick, add a sliced chipotle pepper or some fresh cilantro to give the soup some further heat.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

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This winter soup classic is packed with vitamins making it the perfect meal for someone who thinks they are catching a cold.

Slice several red bell peppers, and broil them until the skins are charred black and the pepper is tender. Make sure the oven door is open when broiling. Closing an oven set to broil can cause fires. Keep a close eye on the peppers as well. The charring of the skin can set off the smoke detector.

When the peppers are done, peel away the blackened skin, and blend the peppers with canned tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Pour the blended peppers and tomatoes into a stock pot and mix in low-sodium or unsalted chicken or vegetable stock or broth. Bring the soup to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer. This soup goes well with grilled cheese and tastes delicious when cooked with or topped with smoked gouda.

French Onion Soup

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French onion soup is a traditional winter dish that is always popular at restaurants that serve soups. The soup is made by sautéing sliced onions and garlic in a large stock pot. When the onions are translucent and fragrant, add flour. Continue to sauté the onions and flour, then slowly add low-sodium or unsalted beef stock or broth. Bring the soup to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer the soup until it thickens. Add a touch of parmesan, mozzarella or asiago cheese to the soup. Stir until the cheese is melted.

While the soup cooks, toast a few slices of baguette or ciabatta bread that are slightly smaller than the opening of a soup bowl. When the soup is finished, ladle the soup into the bowls, and place the bread on top of the soup. Cover the bread with a slice of provolone cheese, and microwave the bowl just long enough to melt the cheese. Serve immediately.

Snickerdoodles

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These soft cookies are a winter staple in many households and pair wonderfully with a mug of hot chocolate or chai tea. To make snickerdoodles, mix together one and a fourth cups of sugar and one cup of soften butter. Add two eggs and blend well. Mix two teaspoons of cream of tartar, two and three fourths cups of flour and one teaspoon of baking soda together, and add the dry mixture to the sugar, butter and egg mix. Mix well.

When the dough is done, roll it into one inch balls. Roll the dough in a mix of cinnamon and sugar, then place the balls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake the cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes. The cookies should be soft and fragrant when finished. Serve them immediately.

Snickerdoodles have become popular enough in recent years that there are now recipes for snickerdoodle bars, snickerdoodle cheesecake, snickerdoodle cupcakes, snickerdoodle brownies and even snickerdoodle bread. Nothing, however, will beat the classic snickerdoodle cookie on a cold winter day.

Chocolate Cake With Rumchata Buttercream

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Rumchata is a liquor made from fresh cream, spices and Caribbean rum. The liquor is creamy, cool and has a strong taste but is not overpowering. This makes it perfect for baking or using to make boozy cakes and cupcakes.

To make rumchata frosting, whip together equal parts butter and shortening. Slowly add in powdered sugar. Add four cups of powdered sugar for every cup of butter and shortening mix. So, half a cup of butter and half a cup of shortening would require four cups of powdered sugar.

Mix the butter, shortening and powdered sugar until all the powdered sugar has been incorporated and the frosting is thick and creamy. Add vanilla extract and almond extract, roughly one and a half parts almond extract to one part vanilla extract. Mix into the frosting. Add two parts rumchata, and mix well. A good rule of thumb to start with is one teaspoon of vanilla extract, one and a half teaspoons of almond extract and two teaspoons of rumchata. Add more vanilla extract, almond extract or rumchata according to taste, then pipe or spread the frosting on cooled chocolate cake. The frosting tastes best on either German chocolate or Devil’s Food Cake.

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