Comforting Winter Recipes to Make With Your Family

Key Takeaways

• Slow-cooking reigns supreme for these winter meal ideas
• Explore original yet comforting winter soup recipes
• Savor two delectable and creative, well-rounded entrees
• Round off your menu with a delectable Scandinavian baked treat

The coldest months of the year are perfect excuses for indulgent comfort food. If you’re looking for winter meal ideas that beat the winter doldrums, we have a few comforting recipes in mind.

Comforting Winter Soup Recipes

The gentle waft of a slow-cooking, simmering broth is one of life’s true simple pleasures. Soups are the most quintessential of all comforting winter recipes, whether enjoyed on their own or as a perfect idea for any winter holiday meal. Add these easy, satisfying, and healthy winter family recipes to your rotation.

Cannellini Chicken Chili

Cannellini (white bean) chicken chili is especially versatile for a variety of occasions and dietary needs. Its extra spice is also guaranteed to make you feel a bit warmer, too! Whether poured into a sourdough bowl for a simple but elegant meal or as the winner at your party for the Big Game, this is a comforting winter recipe that satisfies.

All you’ll need is a high-quality dutch oven or slow cooker, boards, and knives. Timewise, you’ll also need at least 4 hours to slow cook to savoriness, and an additional 12 hours to soak dry 2 pounds of cannellini.

Slow cook 2 pounds of boneless, sinkless chicken breast in 4 quarts of chicken broth or stock for especially tender, shreddable meat. Stir in:

• the soaked and rinsed cannellini
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• hot sauce (to taste)
• 1 diced onion
• 2 - 4 diced jalapeno, hatch, roasted poblano, or other peppers

For a vegetarian or vegan spin on this winter meal idea, substitute vegetable stock and crumbled tempeh. If short on time for dry beans, swap 6 15 ounce cans of white beans, drained.

Slow cook for at least 4 hours, and serve with chopped cilantro and creamy avocado to balance out a comforting winter recipe that hits the spot. For busy families, shorten this recipe by pre-cutting the chicken meat into bite-sized cuts and sauteeing first. Then, boil in broth and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Winter Melon Soup

Technically grown in summer, winter melon is so mild to the taste it is great for absorbing savory broths and exuding warmth on cold evenings. Full of nutrients and long celebrated in traditional Chinese medicine, this elegant but hearty soup might just be your family’s new favorite comforting winter recipe.

You’ll need:

• 1 winter melon (common at Asian grocery stores)
• 16 oz shimeji or shiitake mushrooms
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 leeks or 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 7 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 slices ginger

Preparation is simple: after slicing off the rind, cut into bite-sized chunks. If making this winter soup idea a complete meal, add 1.5 pounds of chicken, pork, shrimp, firm tofu, or lightly seasoned meatballs.

Then, add everything in, bring to a boil, and let simmer for at least 10 minutes, or until the winter melon is translucent. Top with additional, more finely chopped onions for garnish.

Comforting Winter Entree Recipes

Enjoy these full winter meal ideas that put original twists on classic seasonal favorites.

Cranberry-Miso Salmon

Cranberry is another core flavor to so many familiar and comforting winter recipes. The berry’s tartness cuts into savory miso and silky, rich salmon, all baked in high quality baking dish sets to flaky, delicate perfection.

Start with a roughly 2 pound side of deboned salmon. For vegetarians, substitute salmon for extra firm tofu, pressed ideally overnight and then coated in a light marinade of sesame oil, miso paste, and potato starch.

For the glaze, on a low heat, stir in:

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar or molasses
• 1 tablespoon rice or other vinegar
• 4 tablespoons miso paste (white miso is preferred for its subtlety)
• ½ cup cranberry sauce
• ¾ cup fresh or frozen cranberries (if available)
• ¼ cup sake, mirin, or white wine (if unavailable, sub for ¼ more cranberry sauce and 1 tablespoon sugar)
• ¼ cup soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari)
• 2 teaspoon dry ginger
• 2 teaspoon dry garlic

Stirring occasionally, simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the sauce is reduced to easily spoon over the salmon for the ultimate in a comfort winter recipe.

Preheat the oven to broil. While preheating, coat the baking pan with olive oil or sesame oil for extra fragrance. Add the salmon and top with the miso-cranberry. Broil for about 10 minutes, depending on salmon’s thickness and texture preference.

Serve on a bed of shortgrain rice like calrose, and any reserved sauce. Complete your winter family recipe with vegetables like spinach, bok choy, or brussels sprouts, lightly pan-fried in sesame oil, garlic, and ½ tablespoon miso paste for about 10 minutes.

Hickory Bacon Mashed Potatoes and Irish Stew Pot Roast

Is your idea of a perfect winter meal more about meat and potatoes? If so, get ready to pair an Irish stew pot roast with irresistible hickory bacon mashed potatoes for an instant classic.

This comforting winter recipe calls for 5-6 pounds of prime rib, chuck roast, or lamb. It’s best when cooked all day, although you can shorten cooking time by cutting the meat into 1 - 2 inch chunks and frying thoroughly before slow-cooking for fewer hours. Otherwise, for a whole pot roast, cook for at least 8 hours.

You’ll also need at least 8 ounces of high quality hickory bacon, the foundation for this winter family recipe’s crispy goodness. After fully frying the bacon in a large frying pan, remove and break into small pieces; set the pieces aside for the mashed potatoes. Keep the frying pan with the bacon fat, too!

For the sauce, combine in your slow cooker or dutch oven:

• one 16 oz can Guinness or non-alcoholic stout beer
• 3 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons sea salt (or to taste)
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 teaspoon hickory-flavored liquid smoke

Now, use the frying pan with the bacon fat to evenly brown the roast before sliding it in with the sauce, along with the following cut in 1-2 inch pieces:

• 1.5 pounds fingerling or Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 pound heirloom carrots
• 2 medium white onions
• ½ cabbage
• 2 cups peas

Then, the long wait begins, but take comfort that your family will love this winter recipe. About 30 minutes before dishing up, get ready to mash up 4 pounds of Yukon gold potatoes.

First, boil 2 teaspoons of water and potatoes, cut into 1-2 size pieces; whether you peel them beforehand is completely up to personal preference. Simmer for about 20 minutes until soft, then drain and return to the pot. Whip and mash in with:

• 2 sticks of butter
• 1 cup cream
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of salt

To make this winter meal idea creatively dairy-free, substitute olive oil and a can of coconut milk.

Finally, fold in that prized hickory bacon you fried earlier, and even cheese if you’d like extra decadence. Serve up and savor!

A Divine Desert

For a winter recipe that’s comforting to your sweet tooth, Scandinavia knows how to do dessert that’s simultaneously decadent and divine. One of our favorites is a Finnish-Swedish cardamom cake that will be a winter recipe your family will cherish.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, in a mixing bowl, mix 3 cups of flour with 1 tablespoon of ground cardamom, 1 tablespoon cinnamon,1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg. Thoroughly mix in 1½ teaspoons of baking powder, then mix in 1 cup of sugar.

Next, in a small sauce pan, lightly melt a stick of butter along with 4-5 tablespoons of honey. Remove from the stove and combine in a small bowl with 3 eggs and 1¼ cup milk. Fold the contents of this bowl into the mixing bowl; be careful not to overmix to keep this comforting winter baked recipe light and airy.

Add to a 12” ceramic baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick is pulled out cleanly. Serve Scandinavian-style with a good, strong coffee and hygge.

Find More For Your Winter Meal Ideas with Cribsi

Like everything at Cribsi, these comforting winter recipes are meant to inspire whimsy alongside good daily living. And, just like these winter meal ideas, we invite you to seek your own spins on what brings you and your family joy.

Whether it’s a tweak to the menu, a new, practical kitchen gadget, or the next great cocktail, creating happy moments in your home is one of the most fundamental parts of living well. Explore more of Cribsi’s modern home goods your family will love as warmly as a new favorite winter recipe.