It has started to get colder. Which means it’s time for some warm meals! There’s nothing quite as good as hearty, comfort food on a cold winter night. You need something that’s going to hit the spot, fill you up and keep you warm. Some of my family favorites are hearty soups, pot roasts, and anything I can throw into a slow cooker (or just put on a sheet pan). Chicken noodle soup, chicken pot pie, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes – those are only some of our favorite simple and delicious meals for winter.
The second priority for winter dinners? Quick and easy. I don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen unless I’m creating something spectacular for a dinner party. My ideal evening is having dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less. Sometimes a soup recipe will take a little longer, but letting it simmer away to get all those flavors to come out and combine, is worth the wait.
Here are some of my favorite meals to use as the nights start getting cooler and longer.
Easy Warm Meals For Winter
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Ground Turkey
477 calories
Ingredients:
1 Acorn squash – 172 calories
4 oz Ground turkey, 93% lean, raw – 172 calories
½ cup Mushrooms, small, whole or sliced – 22 calories
ÂĽ cup Cheese, Parmesan, shaved (cups) – 83.25 calories
2 cups Leafy greens, lettuce, raw – 10 calories
1 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp) – 17.5 calories
1 Salt, dash – 0 calories
1 Pepper, dash – 0 calories
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Pierce the skin the squash with fork at least 4 times and microwave for 4 minutes.
Once cooled, slice the squash in half and scoop out the seeds
Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the squash flesh side down on baking sheet pan and cook in oven for 20 minutes.
Spray a pan with an oil spray and cook ground meat until cooked through on medium heat, ~8 minutes. Add in ½ mushrooms (chopped). Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Once squash has cooked, remove from oven and flip to be flesh side up. Spoon in ground meat & mushroom mixture, top with cheese.
Place the squash back in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
To make side salad: mix ½ mushrooms, lettuce, and dressing.
Note: I like Trader Joe’s fat free vinaigrette – but Paul Newman, Whole Foods, etc. all have good light dressings
No meat? Use beans.
Instant Pot Lemon Chicken with Brown Rice and Broccoli
431 calories
Ingredients:
5 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories
1 tsp Butter (tsp) – 36 calories
½ Onion, yellow – 27.5 calories
½ cup Broth, chicken or beef – 17.5 calories
2 Tbsp Garlic, minced (Tbsp) – 0 calories
ÂĽ Salt – 0 calories
ÂĽ tsp Paprika, dash – 0 calories
ÂĽ Pepper – 0 calories
ÂĽ tsp Parsley, dried – 0 calories
4 Tbsp Lemon, juice – 8 calories
0.4 Tbsp Almond flour/Almond meal – 16 calories
½ cup Broccoli – 15.5 calories
½ cup Rice, brown, cooked – 120 calories
Instructions:
Arrowroot flour is another flour option
Set Instant Pot to sauté mode. When it’s hot melt butter.
Add onion, garlic, paprika, parsley, and pepper to melted butter, and sauté until onions soften.
With your Instant Pot still set to sauté, sear the chicken breasts on each side for about 3-5 minutes. The chicken should be a caramelized brown color.
Pour with lemon juice and salt over chicken and stir.
Lock lid into place and close steam valve. Set Instant Pot to poultry setting and cook for 7-8 mins if chicken is thawed and 12-15 minutes if it’s frozen.
If you’re going to be making pasta, rice or veggies to serve with this chicken, start making it now while your chicken cooks.
Once done, let depressurize naturally – it shouldn’t take very long.
Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot, but leave the sauce in the pan. Gradually stir in flour to thicken sauce.
If you’re serving chicken on top pasta, mix cooked pasta in with the thickened lemon sauce. Otherwise drizzle sauce over chicken.
Try wild rice for something a little more nutty and delicious.
Creamy Hearts of Palm Pasta Dish
373 calories
Ingredients:
4 oz Ground beef, 90% lean, raw – 185 calories
2 Tbsp Cheese, Parmesan, grated (Tbsp) – 50 calories
1 Heart of palm pasta – 60 calories
½ cup Tomatoes, grape – 16 calories
½ cup Tomatoes, canned, crushed – 25 calories
ÂĽ cup Milk, whole – 37.25 calories
1 Salt, dash – 0 calories
Instructions:
Spray a pan with an oil spray. Stir fry beef ground beef, cherry tomatoes, and pasta ~8 minutes on lowest heat, until beef is no longer pink.
Add in crushed tomatoes and milk, simmer.
Top with cheese and seasonings.
No beef? Use ground turkey, tofu, or beans. No dairy? Use oil instead of an oil spray. No hearts of palm pasta? Use zoodles or spaghetti squash noodles. Serve with a salad as a side dish to increase your veggie content.
Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
375 calories
Ingredients:
4 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 152 calories
1½ cups Broccoli – 46.5 calories
2 Tbsp Peanut sauce – 80 calories
â…› cup Peanuts – 96 calories
1 tsp Red pepper flakes, dash – 0 calories
Instructions:
Cut chicken into bite-size pieces.
Spray a pan with an oil spray, add in garlic.
Cook for 7-8 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently.
Add in broccoli, peanuts, and red pepper flakes for ~5 minutes on low heat.
Add in peanut sauce at the end.
Salmon & Party Brussels
471 calories
Ingredients:
4 oz Salmon filet – 200 calories
2 cups Brussels sprouts – 112 calories
â…“ cup Cheese, crumbled, blue cheese – 159 calories
1 Basil, dash – 0 calories
1 Oregano, dash – 0 calories
1 Salt, dash – 0 calories
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut off Brussels’ hard ends & halve each one.
Bake Brussels for 25 minutes, add in salmon for the last 15 minutes.
Remove from oven
Top Brussels with cheese and Brussels & salmon with spices.
No dairy? Use a dairy free cheese, or add oil to the Brussels after they’re cooked.
Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry with Rice
457 calories
Ingredients:
5 oz Tofu, firm – 130 calories
1 cup Broccoli – 31 calories
2 Tbsp Peanut sauce – 80 calories
â…› cup Peanuts – 96 calories
1 tsp Red pepper flakes, dash – 0 calories
½ cup Rice, brown, cooked – 120 calories
Instructions:
Cook rice as instructed on rice package.
Cut tofu into small pieces.
Spray a pan with an oil spray.
Stir-fry tofu on low heat for ~20 minutes, stirring occasionally until all surfaces are browned.
Add in broccoli, peanuts, and red pepper flakes for ~5 minutes.
Add in peanut sauce at the end.
Alfredo Gnocchi and Sun Dried Tomatoes
461 calories
Ingredients:
1 Cauliflower gnocchi, frozen, 1 serving – 140 calories
2 cups Leafy greens, spinach, raw – 14 calories
1 Tbsp Tomatoes, sun-dried – 17 calories
ÂĽ cup Alfredo sauce – 100 calories
5 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories
1 Pepper, dash – 0 calories
Instructions:
Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Spray pan with an oil spray, turn heat to low. Cook chicken and gnocchi (from fresh or frozen) for ~10 minutes, until cooked through.
Add in tomatoes for 2-3 minutes.
Add in alfredo sauce and spinach for 4-5 minutes. Top with pepper.
Buffalo Cauli Mac & Cheese
506 calories
Ingredients:
2 cups Veggie noodles/rice, cauliflower “rice”, raw – 76 calories
2 Tbsp Cream cheese, whipped (Tbsp) – 66 calories
ÂĽ cup Cheese, shredded, cheddar – 114 calories
2 Tbsp Cheese, Parmesan, grated (Tbsp) – 50 calories
1 Garlic salt, dash – 0 calories
5 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories
2 tsp Buffalo sauce – 10 calories
Instructions:
Spray pan with an oil spray. Cube chicken.
Cook for ~8 minutes on low-medium heat.
Add in cauli rice for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you see some browning.
Add in the rest of the ingredients, stirring continuously until all mixed in.
Dairy free? Use dairy free cheeses or swap this meal out for something else you’d prefer. No chicken? Use tofu, a meat-substitute, or beans.
Turkey Burger With Winter Vegetables
467 calories
Ingredients:
1 cup Brussels sprouts – 56 calories
2 cups Butternut squash, chunks, fresh (uncooked) – 126 calories
ÂĽ cup Guacamole – 105 calories
1 Burger patty, turkey – 180 calories
1 Salt, dash – 0 calories
1 Pepper, dash – 0 calories
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Line baking sheet pan with parchment paper & spray with an oil spray
Bake turkey burger, butternut squash chunks, and Brussels sprouts (cut off ends and slice in halves) for 25 minutes, flipping burger over and mixing around veg at 15 minutes
Top with seasonings once cooked and dip in guac on the side
Ground Turkey Bowl with Sweet Potatoes
STARCH
385 calories
Ingredients:
3 oz Ground turkey, 93% lean, raw – 129 calories
½ Bell pepper, red – 18.5 calories
½ Bell pepper, green – 13.5 calories
â…“ cup Cheese, shredded, mozzarella – 112 calories
1 Potato, sweet, medium, 5 inches – 112 calories
1 Cumin, dash – 0 calories
1 tsp Red pepper flakes, dash – 0 calories
1 Salt, dash – 0 calories
Instructions:
Poke holes in baked potato on top & bottom with a fork
Microwave for 8 minutes, flipping potato over halfway through. Once cooked, slice in to small pieces.
While potato is cooking, spray pan with an oil spray, cook ground turkey and bell pepper (chopped into medium-sized pieces) on medium heat until cooked through, ~8 minutes
Add rest of ingredients into the pan and heat through, ~3 minutes
Here are some more ideas for easy recipes for winter:
Pork chops with mashed potatoes – a delicious meal perfect for winter
Rotisserie chicken with mashed potatoes – a classic that everyone loves
Potato soup – a warm bowl of deliciousness
Baked ziti – who doesn’t love baked ziti?
Spaghetti and meatballs – a classic loved by everyone
Beef stew – stews are perfect for warm and cozy winter days
Chicken pot pie – another comfort food perfect for winter
Chicken noodle soup – is there a more popular warm meal?
French onion soup – this delicious soup is definitely something you need to try if you haven’t
Baked potatoes – an amazing side dish that goes with everything
Chicken chili – chili is the best warm food you can eat during winter, and chicken chili is a delicious take on the classic chili
