You’re in the thick of winter’s chilly embrace. After a long day, all you want is to enjoy a warm, satisfying meal. You desire to curl up under a blanket and spend quality time with loved ones. You’re craving something simply scrumptious. However, you’re not in the mood for time-consuming activities like seasoning, marinating, chopping, mincing, pureeing, or frying. These are activities you might normally enjoy on the weekends. Your goal: a warm, comfy, easy night at home.
Well, you’re in luck because we’ve rounded up 25 of the tastiest easy-to-make winter dishes. We made sure to include soul-nourishing dishes from an array of culinary traditions. Whether you’re craving spicy aromatic Indian, traditional Italian, mouthwatering Mexican, or classic American, we have recipes for each. Each one is sure to hit the spot on your cozy winter night in.
Based on Sammy Moniz’s popular Instagram page, Feeding the Frasers is a book that any CrossFit aficionado—or just someone curious about how to cook with whole foods without sacrificing the world—will want to get their hands on. Filled with 100 terrific recipes of high quality delicious food that promote balance, togetherness, indulgence, and athletic recovery. Sammy Moniz is well known in the CrossFit community as an activist, and she is also the wife of five time champion Mat Fraser, the winningest athlete in CrossFit history and one of the most beloved. This is her cookbook where she shares the secrets behind feeding the greatest champion of the sport.
I love oatmeal raisin cookies and gingersnaps as much as the next gal, but I like to look for cookie recipes that are a bit out of the ordinary too. Show up at a party with a batch of maple-glazed maple cookies and you’ll put smiles on a lot of faces! Plus, they’re a gorgeous bake. The maple glaze—made with a combo of butter, confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup—helps set the cookies apart, both visually and in terms of flavor.
Sugars: This recipe calls for three types of sugar: granulated sugar, brown sugar and confectioners’ sugar. Granulated sugar is the standby for use in baked goods, brown sugar adds a delicious molasses flavor, and confectioners’ sugar is perfect for smooth homemade frosting and icing.
Eggs: If you have access to local or free-range eggs, those are always a good bet for baking.
Maple flavoring: For the best flavor, seek out natural rather than imitation maple flavoring. If you can’t find maple flavoring, real vanilla is a fine substitute, although you could also use real maple syrup.
Flour: There are many different types of flour, and for this maple cookie recipe, you’ll need regular old all-purpose.
Baking soda: Baking soda is often included in cookie recipes because it promotes browning.
Salt: In desserts, adding enough salt is crucial to achieving a balanced flavor, so don’t be shy.
White baking chips: White chocolate chips are creamy and mild, pairing well with lots of different flavors. Check out the maple cookie recipe variations below for other baking chips that are a great match for this treat.
Pecans: South meets north when you mix pecans and maple syrup, and the results are delicious.
Maple syrup: Maple syrup is made by simmering sap from sugar maple trees until it has reduced and caramelized. The flavor is unlike any of the imitation maple pancake syrups, so make sure you’re buying the real thing.
A recipe for chili nachos is excellent when the weather turns brisk and you need something fast and filling. A mashup of traditional chili con carne and the standard queso nacho dip, our excellent chili filled with ground beef, pinto beans, spices and creamy Velveeta easily feeds a crowd.
Serve this cheese chili nachos recipe over crunchy corn or tortilla chips, on grilled hot dogs or in a bowl with cornbread. Kick up or tone down the spice, or add vegetables to make it your own. Anything goes! Cheese chili nachos is an ideal game-day potluck recipe—just keep the chili warm in a slow cooker for weekend tailgating. Or, prep chili nachos for movie nights in the backyard, barbecues and other fun gatherings.
Ingredients for Chili Nachos
Ground beef: Use the type of ground beef you prefer. After browning the meat, drain it well so you don’t end up with a greasy chili base.
Tomato sauce: Three cans of tomato sauce give chili nachos a wonderfully saucy base with a hint of sweetness.
Pinto beans: Our cheese chili nachos recipe uses two cans of pinto beans. Pinto beans are a bit plumper and creamier in the center than other chili beans like kidney beans.
Canned diced tomatoes and green chiles: This made-in-Texas ingredient is a chili must-have. Rotel is the standard brand many cooks use, but you’ll likely see multiple brands of this popular canned item at the store.
Envelopes of chili mix: Not to be confused with the spice blend “chili powder,” chili seasoning mix combines spices made specifically for chili and similar dishes. It may contain a thickener like flour or cornstarch to help thicken your chili, and it has a concentrated amount of herbs and spices meant to flavor an entire batch of chili.
Velveeta: You could very well call this recipe cheese chili nachos due to the plentiful amount of Velveeta. It’s the not-so-secret ingredient that gives this chili its irresistible cheesy, creamy, luscious texture and consistency.
Heavy whipping cream: Along with Velveeta, heavy whipping cream adds a creamy richness and velvety feel to this chili.
Corn chips: Corn chips are the “nachos” in this chili nachos recipe. Salty and full of sweet corn flavor, corn chips make an awesome crunch against the smoothness of the creamy chili.
Optional toppings: While optional, sour cream, sliced jalapeno and lime wedges tie all the flavors of our chili together for the ultimate finish. Skip the jalapeno if you don’t need the extra heat.
Healthy pasta sauce transforms pasta from a carb-heavy indulgent splurge to a nutrient-rich and healthy dinner. Enjoy your garden’s harvest with these vegetable-rich recipes, or can and freeze many of these sauces to enjoy in pasta recipes all year long. After all, while pasta itself is delicious, the sauce is really what makes the meal!
Some of these recipes will simmer on the stove all afternoon, while others rely on the slow cooker to do all the work. Use these recipes when you need easy comfort food or on nights when all you have time for are 30-minute healthy dinners. Whether you make homemade noodles, use whatever dry pasta you have in the pantry or splurge on plant-based pasta, top them with these healthy sauces.
Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree 