31 Warm & Cozy December Dinner Recipes to Make Every Night This Month

End 2025 deliciously

december dinner recipes: easy white wine coq au vin
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Have you heard? It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Of course, that means you have countless gifts to wrap, approximately one million cookies to decorate and Uncle Bob’s mid-pumpkin pie political rant to endure at Christmas dinner.

In an effort to make everyone’s December a little less stressful, I’ve planned an entire month’s worth of meals that are easy enough for beginners to make, not to mention impressive, seasonal and festive enough to serve all holiday season long. I’m talking cozy soups, simple skillets, slow cooker staples and everything in between. See ya in 2026, friends.

75 Hearty Winter Dinner Ideas That Take 1 Hour or Less


December 1: Sheet Pan Curried Butternut Squash Soup

The key to this fall stunner's flavor is roasting all the veggies before puréeing them. "Roughly chop all your vegetables, toss everything on a baking sheet with some olive oil and seasonings, then roast until caramelized and tender," former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen explains. "All that's left is to blend and top with whatever pleases you. I chose a crunchy seed brittle, but croutons or cheese would be equally lovely."

December 2: Quiche with Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Crust

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
  • Serves: 6 to 8
  • Pairs Well With: Maple Candied Bacon

The ultimate trifecta: healthy, tasty and beautiful. This December dinner recipe uses paper-thin slices of sweet potato for the crust instead of store-bought pie dough, so your wheat-sensitive roomies can dig in to their hearts' content. (Plus, it's a colorful and seasonal alternative to the O.G.)

December 3: 3-Cheese Pumpkin Pasta Casserole with Spinach

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, make ahead
  • Serves: 6
  • Pairs Well With: Garlic Bread

I have *big* plans for that leftover canned pumpkin in your pantry. Combined with heavy cream and pasta water, it creates an unbelievably rich sauce that even picky eaters won't be able to resist. "It's creamy, comforting and big enough to feed a crowd, but still feels modern, thanks to dollops of ricotta and plenty of spinach," Gillen writes.

December 4: Crispy Tofu Steaks with Broccoli Rabe and Romesco

Warning: This dish just might turn you into a vegetarian. The key to the shatteringly crisp tofu is pressing as much liquid out of it as possible before it hits the pan. As for the topping, "Romesco is a classic Spanish sauce made with blended almonds," recipe creator Lindsay Maitland Hunt writes. "It's a creamy, tangy delight, perfect with just about anything it touches."

December 5: White Wine Coq au Vin

  • Time Commitment: 55 minutes
  • Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, high protein
  • Serves: 6
  • Pairs Well With: Mulled Wine Sangria

Can you believe this French staple will take you less than an hour to prepare? You have our clever shortcuts to thank for that. It's also made with white wine instead of traditional red for a crisp, light twist. Eat your heart out, Julia Child.

December 6: Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
  • Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, Instant Pot recipe
  • Serves: 4 to 6
  • Pairs Well With: Sweet & Spicy Cornbread

I feel warm and fuzzy just looking at this cold-weather masterpiece. Think juicy chicken thigh meat, doughy buttermilk biscuits, soup veggies and fresh thyme. I won't tell if you substitute canned biscuits for a shortcut. ("I also wholeheartedly approve of using an Instant Pot, which yields the same delicious flavor and does most of the work for you," Gillen notes.)

December 7: Tomato Soup in Grilled Cheese Bread Bowls

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why I Love It: kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy, vegetarian
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Cacio e Pepe Brussels Sprouts

C'mon, a built-in grilled cheese sammy for a lid? That's pretty ingenious, if I do say so myself. Panera Bread could never. Consider your fussy kids satisfied and your go-to canned tomato soup demoted (at least for now).

December 8: Three-Cup Chicken

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, one pan
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Ginger Jasmine Rice

Starring a trifecta of pantry staples (soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine), this dish comes together in 30 minutes flat. Bone-in chicken is traditional, but you could easily substitute boneless chicken thighs. Just steer clear of chicken breasts—dark meat is essential to the recipe.

December 9: Balsamic Brown Butter Tortellini with Spinach and Hazelnuts

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
  • Serves: 6
  • Pairs Well With: Any-Green Pesto

’Tis the season for pasta doused in nutty brown butter sauce, aka liquid gold. Even better, this soul-soother only takes 20 minutes to prepare from start to finish. Pass the Parm and the crushed red pepper flakes, please.

December 10: Veggie Banh Mi Bowls with Crispy Tofu

Trade traditional grilled pork for the crunchiest pan-fried tofu you've ever had, and I promise you won't miss the meat. You can also substitute cauliflower rice for quinoa, brown rice or another grain to lower the carbs a bit—or not.

December 11: Instant Pot Harissa Bean Stew

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, Instant Pot recipe, make ahead
  • Serves: 6
  • Pairs Well With: Easy Pretzel Buns

Come winter, consider the pressure cooker your best friend. (After all, it's the only way you can pull off from-scratch bean stew in just over an hour.) Bookmark this protein-packed soul-soother for blustery evenings to come.

December 12: Sheet Pan Pierogi with Caramelized Cabbage, Onions and Dill

This simple weeknight dinner is elegant enough to serve at a dinner party, if you ask me (with plenty of sour cream, of course). Need more convincing? "It only takes about 30 minutes to make from start to finish, and with less than ten ingredients," Gillen adds.

December 13: Firecracker Chicken with Rice

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes
  • Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein, gluten free
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Seasoned Steamed Eggplant

Chinese food takeout wishes it could taste this good. Not only is the sweet-and-spicy chicken easy to prepare, but it's also pan fried instead of deep fried for minimal mess. Swap in cauliflower rice for white rice to reduce the carb count (or substitute lo mein noodles just because).

December 14: Miso Matzo Ball Soup

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
  • Serves: 6
  • Pairs Well With: World Peace Challah

It's the first night of Hanukkah—need I say more? This December dinner recipe is deeply savory and surprisingly fast to put together, thanks to miso paste and scallion-studded matzo balls, which recipe developer Chanie Apfelbaum says are inspired by scallion pancakes. "They're definitely floaters, and extra fluffy at that," she adds.

December 15: Spicy Bucatini Amatriciana

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
  • Serves: 6
  • Pairs Well With: Kale Caesar Salad

When the weather's cold, all I want is a hug in a bowl—and that means pasta. The recipe calls for traditional guanciale (that's Italian salt-cured pork jowl), but feel free to use pancetta or bacon instead if you can't find any. I'll take an extra sprinkle of grated Pecorino on mine, per favore.

December 16: Sweet Potato Miso Soup

  • Time Commitment: 4 hours and 20 minutes
  • Why I Love It: make ahead, special occasion-worthy, gluten free
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Biscuit Loaf with Honey Butter

It doesn't get more seasonal than this sweet spud-apple bisque, crowned with roasted mushrooms for good measure. Instead of being added at the end of cooking, the miso caramelizes earlier on in brown butter, turning it deeply nutty and savory. P.S.: Save time by starting with store-bought vegetable stock instead of making your own.

December 17: Baked Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

You know the whole endless stirring thing that risotto is known for? You fortunately won't need to do that here. Instead, this risotto bakes to decadent perfection in the oven with minimal hands-on effort from the chef. I'll bring the white wine.

December 18: Easy One-Pan Baked Ziti

Further proof that a cast iron skillet is an absolute must-have for any newbie cook (especially one who loves melty, stretchy cheese). I'm partial to crumbled Italian sausage, but ground beef or turkey would work here too, if you'd prefer.

December 19: Salmon Bowl with Farro, Black Beans and Tahini Dressing

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why I Love It: high protein, dairy free, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 1
  • Pairs Well With: Classic Guacamole

Save the leftovers for lunch, and boom: You're the envy of the break room. Pro tip? Make a double batch of the turmeric-tahini dressing—I promise you won't want to go back to your usual vinaigrette once you taste it. Thank me later.

December 20: Broccoli Cheddar Beans with Crispy Cheddar Panko

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
  • Serves: 4 to 6
  • Pairs Well With: Bacon Cheddar Biscuits

“This recipe takes a classic broccoli cheddar soup and transforms it into a heartier, stewy bean number,” recipe developer Carolina Gelen writes. “I wanted to incorporate that comforting feel of a broccoli cheddar soup into something with more body and texture. Canned butter beans were the perfect addition…I love the way they hold their shape, even when simmered in a sauce.”

December 21: Shrimp with Cauliflower Grits and Arugula

Tons of flavor, minimal carbs. Chalk the rich, decadent "grits" in this December dinner recipe up to using riced cauliflower instead of standard ground corn, along with keto-friendly add-ins, like goat cheese, butter and whole milk.

December 22: Roasted Vegetable and Lentil Salad with Pine Nut Cream

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, vegan, gluten free
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Herb-Crusted Pork Cutlets

Delicata squash season isn't over 'til I say it is, OK? Not only is the seasonal gourd delicious as it is, but it's also a cinch to work with. Really—you won't have to bother with peeling it, since its striped skin is totally edible and Insta-worthy.

December 23: Antoni Porowski's Salmon and Spinach Rice Bowl with Green Tea Broth

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why I Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
  • Serves: 4
  • Pairs Well With: Scallion Pancakes

It's inspired by the Japanese dish ochazuke, which is made by pouring hot green tea over rice. Top your bowl with broiled salmon or arctic char, plus a few dashes of sesame oil for a savory, nutty finish.

December 24: Spicy Orange Honey Baked Ham

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
  • Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
  • Serves: 20 to 25
  • Pairs Well With: Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Go ahead and take the traditional route this year, only with a fun citrus twist. Despite its fancy appearance, this Christmas Eve dinner only calls for 20 minutes of active prep and eight ingredients (and that includes the ham itself).

December 25: Ina Garten’s Tuscan Turkey Roulade

Your holiday guests will think you cooked all day long. (Spoiler: You didn’t.) Leave it to Ina Garten, the all-knowing Barefoot Contessa, to craft a Christmas main that feeds ten guests and requires only 15 minutes of prep. How easy is that?

December 26: Cuban Sliders for a Crowd

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
  • Serves: 15
  • Pairs Well With: Sweet & Spicy Plantain Salad

Still have leftover ham from the 24th? Give it a second life with this six-ingredient slider recipe that comes together in a baking dish for painless preparation and serving. Bonus points for adding juicy, Cuban-style roast pork to the mix for authenticity.

December 27: Immune-Boosting Turmeric Daal

Turmeric boasts plenty of anti-inflammatory properties and vegan deliciousness. This thick, fragrant lentil stew is packed with it and plenty of other additional spices, like ginger, curry powder and fenugreek, that are sure to warm the soul.

December 28: Skillet Gnocchi with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Only 30 minutes and one pan stand between you and your new go-to skillet meal. It'll come together even faster if you use leftover gnocchi instead of making it right before dinner. (Tortellini would work as well.) I tried it at home myself, and suggest spicing things up by going heavy on the crushed red pepper flakes or by using spicy Italian sausage instead of sweet.

December 29: Rarebit Mac ‘n’ Greens

This twist is inspired by Welsh rarebit, a dish of toasted bread crowned with cheese sauce. The mac and cheese is so oozy with extra-sharp cheddar, Gruyère, Emmentaler and fontina that even your kids won't mind the two whole bunches of leafy greens inside.

December 30: Garlicky Spinach and Chickpea Soup with Lemon and Pecorino Romano

File this one under "How to Make a Gourmet Dinner Out of Pantry Staples," namely canned chickpeas, dry seasonings and chicken broth. Go wild with the Pecorino Romano on top—it rounds out the intensity of the citrus and spices just right. You'll also want some kind of bread to sop up every last drop (but you knew that already).

December 31: Pomegranate-Maple Glazed Lamb Chops

Let's ring in 2026 in style, shall we? Your New Year's Eve guests will absolutely gush over these classy lamb chops, which are crowned with juicy, sweet-tart pomegranate arils for a wintry finish. Be sure to use a grill pan for drool-worthy char marks that your guests will want to photograph before devouring.


headshot

Former Senior Food Editor

  • Headed PureWow’s food vertical
  • Contributed original reporting, recipes and food styling
  • Studied English Literature at the University of Notre Dame and Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education

taryn pire 3

Food Editor

  • Spearheads PureWow's food vertical
  • Manages PureWow's recipe vertical and newsletter
  • Studied English and writing at Ithaca College