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30 Winter Recipes to Put on Repeat

30 Winter Recipes to Put on Repeat

By Food & Wine

January 13, 2021

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Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

While comfort food is welcome all year round, in the winter, it’s the ultimate way to combat darker days and cold weather. A soul-warming bowl of gingery noodle soup; a stick-to-your-ribs pot roast; creamy, rich macaroni and cheese practically bubbling over the casserole dish. We always keep a few recipes in our back pocket to pull out when the temperatures drop. And we also seek out seasonal ingredients to make the most of winter produce—think citrus and root vegetables—and use them in fresh dishes like puntarelle-citrus salad with roasted beets. You’ll find all of those dishes and more in this winter recipe roundup.

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Spicy Pot Roast with Oranges, Sweet Potatoes, and Calabrian Chile Gremolata

Credit: John Kernick

Whole orange segments and freshly squeezed orange juice and zest give this hearty winter braise a burst of fresh citrus flavor. Creamy sweet potatoes and celery root along with tender beef chuck fill out this satisfyingly hearty meal.

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Restorative Ginger-and-Turmeric Noodle Soup

Credit: Jennifer Causey

“During the winter months, this bowl of noodle soup is like a hug,” Hetty McKinnon writes. “The garlic oil adds an extra layer of aromatic flavor, a great way to bring cohesiveness to this curative bowl of soup. It’s bolstered by a robust ginger and turmeric base, which offers deep, earthy flavors along with anti-inflammatory prowess.”

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Easy Creamed Spinach

Credit: Abby Hocking

Butcher Erika Nakamura makes a mean creamed spinach, using a combo of Cognac and Pernod to add complex flavor to the steakhouse staple.

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Brussels Sprout, Bacon and Gruyère Frittata

Credit: © Christina Holmes

This quick, hearty frittata makes a substantial meal, as it is loaded with crispy bacon and Brussels sprouts.

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Herb-Roasted King Salmon with Pinot Noir Sauce

Credit: Justin Walker

Originally served at Seattle’s Hotel Sorrento by chef David Pisegna (and published in The Best of Food & Wine collection from 1988), this throwback salmon dish stands the test of time. We simplified the original recipe, but didn’t change a thing about the velvety, wine-blushed beurre blanc; keep it warm and serve it immediately for the best results.

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Raclette-Gruyère Mac and Cheese with Pickled Shallots

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Inspired by älplermagronen, Alpine farmers’ macaroni, this Swiss twist on a Thanksgiving classic gets rich flavor from Gruyère and a lush creaminess from Raclette. Traditional versions of this dish are served with applesauce; as a nod to that flavor play, we’ve added some shallots that are quickly pickled in apple cider vinegar to balance the cheesy richness.

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Fennel and Grapefruit Salad with Baharat

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Leah Koenig’s fennel and grapefruit salad comes together in two simple steps—making the dressing, and then, mixing everything together before serving. A sprinkle of fresh mint leaves and chopped Marcona almonds finish it off.

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Red Wine Venison Stew

Credit: Victor Protasio

Made with venison, this stew is intensely flavored and has a silky, thick sauce that clings to the vegetables and meat as they slowly cook together. Beef chuck roast works very well here, too.

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Squash and Black-Eyed Pea Coconut Curry

Credit: Eric Wolfinger

Here garam masala–roasted acorn squash joins a very lightly simmered coconut curry with fresh tomatoes and black-eyed peas.

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Roasted Maitake Mushrooms with Seaweed Butter

Credit: © Con Poulos

Kay Chun roasts whole maitake (a.k.a. hen-of-the-woods) mushrooms with briny seaweed butter until they’re crispy on the edges and fork-tender in the middle.

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Tuna Melts with Pickled Chicories

Credit: Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Pickled chicories amp up this tuna melt, a lunchtime classic, and are a great use for leftover chicories. The pickles can add a pop of tangy sweetness to salads or be served as a condiment with grilled or roasted meats.

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New York–Style Cheesecake with Pink Grapefruit and Marmalade

Credit: Charissa Fay

“I watched New York–style cheesecakes spin around in the glass cases of various coffee shops my whole childhood,” says Alex Guarnaschelli. “While there are as many definitions of various cheesecakes as there are types of barbecue, New York–style is defined by a browned top with a silky cream cheese interior. I like to use a small kitchen torch to warm the sides of the pan to more easily unmold the cheesecake once it is cooked. For the marmalade, I like to use a chunky-style one for added texture and top it with pink grapefruit.”

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Creamy Mashed Potato Soup with Dashi

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Dashi and soy sauce add umami to buttery leftover mashed potatoes in this cozy soup from chef Shota Nakajima.

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Buttermilk Pancakes with Quince-and-Cranberry Compote

Credit: © Tara Fisher

The homemade compote for these pancakes gets an extra boost of flavor from a cinnamon stick and fresh lemon juice, as well as lemon zest.

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Lazy Chicken-and-Sausage Cassoulet

Credit: Alison Miksch

Molly Stevens’ quick cassoulet recipe calls for smoked sausage (such as kielbasa); boneless, skinless chicken thighs; and canned white beans, packing in plenty of protein.

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Coconut Chickpeas with Winter Squash

Credit: Johnny Miller

Starchy, slightly sweet plantains are a natural addition to winter squash. Here, chef JJ Johnson simmers both, along with canned chickpeas, in coconut milk that’s steeped with aromatics. The result is creamy, fragrant, and so comforting.

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Inverno Arancione

Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

“Spiced mulled cocktails are what I crave when I want to relax in the colder months,” says Amy Brandwein of Centrolina in Washington, D.C. “Red wine is usually the base, but Centrolina Wine Director Alissa Diaz developed this cocktail using Pinot Grigio to focus on citrus and ginger—it almost plays off the flavors of a classic panettone, which is a winter specialty in Italian culture.”

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Winter Galette

Credit: John Kernick

The versatile dough for this galette is easy to prepare and shape into a free-form crust, and fresh ricotta, infused with herbs and lemon zest, forms a creamy and aromatic base for the seasonal vegetables that roast on top.

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Dry-Aged Rib Eyes with Burgundy-Truffle Sauce

Credit: William Hereford

The cold-smoking technique in this recipe captures the flavor of slow roasting over a wood fire in a fraction of the time.

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Juicy Lemon-and-Herb Roast Chicken

Credit: Greg DuPree

Pulling off a restaurant-quality roast chicken at home starts with bagging the best bird you can find. Skip the bulked-up mega-market hens and source a smaller, free-range hen from your local butcher or specialty grocery, such as Whole Foods.

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Triple-Cream Mashed Potatoes

These luxurious potatoes make the perfect partner for braised short ribs, filet mignon, or pork tenderloin. The secret ingredient is Brillat-Savarin—a triple-cream cheese similar in texture to brie. If you can’t find it at your local gourmet cheese shop, you can substitute Explorateur, Saint André, or even mascarpone.

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Winter Citrus with Frozen Yogurt and Pistachios

Credit: Victor Protasio

This light winter dessert celebrates citrus and dresses it up with browned butter, frozen yogurt, and chewy, crumbly pistachio sbrisolona cookies.

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Salted Caramel Brownies

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Vallery Lomas’ fudgy, salted caramel-drenched brownies are the ultimate cold weather treat. Finish ‘em off with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

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Farro Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables

Credit: David Malosh

Crispy roasted root vegetables like parsnips and celery root add an earthy, caramelized depth to this simple grain salad made with tender, chewy farro. To help the vegetables develop the most color, resist the urge to stir them during cooking.

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Olive Brine–Marinated Pork with Roasted Olives and Beans

Credit: John Kernick

Here, we’ve combined olive brine with sage and lemon to punch up your weeknight pork tenderloin.

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Lentil and Bean Stew with Gremolata

Credit: David Malosh

Lentils add a delicious earthy flavor to the stew; their starchiness helps thicken the broth. Brown lentils work fine in this recipe, but we prefer French green lentils; they hold their shape better. Feel free to cook dried beans especially for this recipe, but any leftover or canned beans—rinsed and drained—will work well.

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Roasted Lamb Chops with Brown Sugar-Rum Glaze

Credit: Kelly Marshall

With plenty of garlic and rubbed sage to brighten savory lamb, these roasted chops are bold and balanced.

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Homemade Hot Chocolate

Credit: © Evi Abeler

All you need for this homemade hot chocolate is dark chocolate chips, sugar, and milk. If you’d like, you can add whipped cream and marshmallows to top it all off.

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Kale-Artichoke Stuffed Shells

Credit: Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Cannellini beans add hearty creaminess to these stuffed shells, while mild heat from Calabrian chiles and earthy sweetness from fennel seeds amp up jarred marinara sauce.

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Puntarelle-Citrus Salad with Roasted Beets

Credit: Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Puntarelle stays bright and crisp in this salad, while beets bring a tender, earthy sweetness. Puntarelle is a specialty buy—check your local farmers market, or substitute another bitter chicory.

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