15 Winter Meals to Enjoy on Cozy Nights In

Make room in your dinner rotation for these easy winter recipes that'll warm you up.

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Rutabaga Recipes: a rutabaga shepherd's pie in a red skillet
Image: Laura Jeha

Skillet Shepherd’s Pie With Rutabaga Mash

Rutabagas, which are in season throughout the winter months, deserve special attention. They’re lower in carbohydrates than other starchy vegetables and a good source of fibre. Try this spin on the classic shepherd’s pie with a recipe for rutabaga mash.

Recipe: Skillet Shepherd’s Pie With Rutabaga Mash

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Jamaican chicken curry recipe | 100k Curry Chicken
Image: Samuel Engelking

100K Curry Chicken

Here’s a recipe for Jamaican chicken curry featuring a homemade spice blend.

Recipe: 100k Curry Chicken

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Coconut Clay Pot Taro & Edamame
Image: Hannah Che

Coconut Clay Pot Taro & Edamame

In this dish, taro cooks down to fragrant, meaty bites with a fine-textured starchiness, a quality called 麵 miàn, or “floury,” and a stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth savouriness reminiscent of a hard-boiled egg yolk.

Recipe: Coconut Clay Pot Taro & Edamame

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Celeriac Recipe Gnocchi
Image: Laura Jeha

Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage

Celeriac is an underrated root vegetable—it’s actually nutrient-dense and has great cooking potential. Try it as the hero ingredient in gnocchi, topped with brown butter sage sauce.

Recipe: Celeriac Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage

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Lentil Soup With Carrots + Harissa Crop
Image: Tyler Anderson

Lentil Soup with Carrots and Harissa

Why is this soup so good? Some say it’s because of all the carrots (they ramp up the sweetness and colour) and the tomato paste (which increases the umami factor). You tell us.

Recipe: Lentil Soup with Carrots and Harissa

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Chicken And Yellow Zucchini Avgolemono Style Soup

Chicken and Yellow Zucchini Avgolemono-Style Soup

This soup takes the yellow from squash (or yellow zucchini), lemon, and turmeric to create a light but filling soup. Finishing it with eggs and more lemon makes it pleasantly creamy and thick.

Recipe: Chicken and Yellow Zucchini Avgolemono- Style Soup

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Pantry Channa Masala Hero
Image: Reena Newman

Pantry Channa Masala

Here’s a recipe for channa masala that’s perfect for nights when you’re scratching your head figuring out the evening’s dinner, or for when your refrigerator is only half full and you turn to your pantry for inspiration.

Recipe: Pantry Channa Masala

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Whole Grain Risotto, slow cooker meal
Photo Credit: Ryan Szulc

Effortless Barley and Mushroom Whole-Grain Risotto

This easy and wholesome risotto is sure to bring comfort to your kitchen this winter season. Barley makes a delicious, satisfying whole-grain risotto, and the slow cooker makes it effortless.

Recipe: Effortless Barley & Mushroom Whole Grain Risotto

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slow cooker chicken stew
Photo Credit: Maya Visnyei

Lightened-Up Chicken Stew

The broth in this recipe lightens the dish and allows the healthy vege­tables to take a leading role. In fact, if you want to make it a soup instead, increase the broth. The saffron adds an interesting flavour.

Recipe: Lightened-up Chicken Stew

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Slow Cooker Beef Chili, recipe
Photo Credit: Ryan Szulc

Slow Cooker Beef Chili

Make cool nights warmer with this hearty, slow cooker beef chili. This make-ahead recipe is perfect for those busy weeknight dinners.

Recipe: The Best Slow Cooker Beef Chili For A Cold Night In

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Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Rustic Creamy Pumpkin and Walnut Soup

This creamy soup is perfect for a crisp winter night or as a hearty starter at your next gathering. If using canned pumpkin, be sure to use pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. For an alternative recipe, you can also replace the pumpkin with butternut squash.

Recipe: Rustic Creamy Pumpkin and Walnut Soup

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vegetarian bolognese
photo credit: maya visnyei

Lentil & Mushroom Vegetarian Bolognese

Canned lentils are budget-friendly, busy-family weeknight warriors and a dinnertime saviour when paired with pre-made tomato sauce and quick-cooking pasta. And with a little prep, this dish can be on the table in just 20 minutes!

Recipe: Lentil & Mushroom Vegetarian Bolognese

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Photo Credit: James Tse

Classic French Onion Soup

This meal-in-a-bowl needs only a green salad to round it out as a dinner or a hearty lunch. Replace the toasted baguette slices with handfuls of ready-made croutons, if desired.

Recipe: Classic French Onion Soup

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Chicken-Curry
photo credit: maya visnyei

Chicken, Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Curry

This one-pot chicken curry makes dinner prep and cleanup quick and easy. With your tomato sauce prepared ahead, it just takes some pantry spices and a can of coconut milk to take your sauce from spaghetti night to exotic Indian delight.

Recipe: Chicken, Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Curry

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Butter Chickpeas And Potatoes

Butter Chickpeas and Potatoes

Butter chickpeas and potatoes is a vegetarian version of butter chicken, a popular dish for Indian takeout. The spices really warm up this dish, and the coconut cream gives it such richness. Paired with rice, it gives you everything you need in a meal: carbs, protein, and a full belly.

Recipe: Butter Chickpeas and Potatoes

Next: 16 Healthy, Energy-Boosting Breakfast Recipes

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