31 Warm and Cozy Dinner Recipes to Make Each Night in December
It’s *finally* the most wonderful time of the year. Of course, that time also means we have countless gifts to wrap, approximately eight million cookies to decorate and Uncle Bob’s mid-pumpkin pie political rant to endure. So, in an effort to make everyone’s December a little easier, we’ve planned an entire month’s worth of dinners that are easy to make, seasonal and festive. Think cozy soups, simple skillet dishes and slow cooker staples. See ya in 2023, friends.
1. Sheet Pan Curried Butternut Squash Soup
The key to this fall stunner's flavor is roasting all the veggies before pureeing them. (Might we suggest using an immersion blender for minimal mess?)
2. Quiche with Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Crust
The ultimate trifecta: healthy, tasty and beautiful. We use paper-thin slices of sweet potato to create the crust instead of pie dough, so your wheat-sensitive roomies can dig in to their hearts' content.
3. 3-Cheese Pumpkin Pasta Casserole with Spinach
We have *big* plans for that leftover can of pumpkin puree in your pantry. Combined with heavy cream and pasta water, it creates an unbelievably rich sauce.
4. Crispy Tofu Steaks with Broccoli Rabe and Romesco
This dish just might turn you into a vegetarian. The key to crisp tofu is pressing as much liquid out of it as possible before it hits the pan.
5. White Wine Coq au Vin
Can you believe it'll take you less than an hour to make? You have our clever shortcuts to thank for that. Eat your heart out, Julia Child.
6. Baked Chicken and Ricotta Meatballs
7. Tomato Soup in Grilled Cheese Bread Bowls
C'mon, a built-in grilled cheese sammy for a lid? That's pretty ingenious, if we do say so ourselves. Consider your picky kids satisfied (for once).
8. Honey Mustard Sheet Pan Chicken with Brussels Sprouts
Crisp, juicy chicken thighs. Charred, tender sprouts. A zingy, sweet glaze that's bound to impress. What's not to like? (The answer is nothing, but our favorite thing about this meal is that it'll leave you with minimal dirty dishes.)
9. Balsamic Brown Butter Tortellini with Spinach and Hazelnuts
’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.
10. Wild Mushroom, Potato and Onion Tart
Oh, you fancy, huh? Store-bought puff pastry makes this dish look way more complicated than it actually is. Choose any wild mushrooms you'd like (we're partial to chanterelles).
11. Instant Pot Harissa Bean Stew
Come winter, consider the pressure cooker your best friend. (It's the only way you can pull off from-scratch bean stew in just over an hour.) Bookmark this protein-packed dish for blustery days to come.
12. Halloumi and Caramelized Mushroom Tacos
13. Firecracker Chicken with Rice
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.
14. Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
We feel warm and fuzzy just looking at this cozy masterpiece. Think juicy chicken thigh meat, doughy buttermilk biscuits, soup veggies and fresh thyme.
15. Spicy Bucatini Amatriciana
16. Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli
Who knew five minutes of prep and the push of a button could take you to Tuscany? The Crockpot basically does all the work for you, so you have more time to wrap presents, bake cookies or take a much deserved nap.
17. Baked Chicken and Mushroom Risotto
You know that endless stirring thing? You won’t need to do that here. Instead, the risotto bakes to decadent perfection in the oven. We'll bring the wine.
18. Easy One-Pan Baked Ziti
Further proof that a cast iron skillet is an absolute must-have in any kitchen. We're partial to crumbled Italian sausage, but ground beef or turkey will work here, too.
19. Salmon Bowl with Farro, Black Beans and Tahini Dressing
Save the leftovers for lunch and boom: You're the envy of the break room. Make double of the turmeric-tahini dressing—you won't want to go back to your usual vinaigrette.
20. Rotisserie Chicken Ramen
Shredded rotisserie chicken is the world's smartest shortcut, and it's the reason this protein-packed soup can be on the table in 35 minutes flat.
21. Shrimp with Cauliflower ‘Grits’ and Arugula
Tons of flavor, minimal carbs. Chalk it up to using riced cauliflower in the grits instead of standard corn, along with keto-friendly add-ins like goat cheese, butter and whole milk.
22. Roasted Vegetable and Lentil Salad with Pine Nut Cream
23. Antoni Porowski's Salmon and Spinach Rice Bowl with Green Tea Broth
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.
24. Spicy Orange Honey Baked Ham
Let’s take the traditional route this year, only with a fun citrus twist. Despite its fancy appearance, this main only calls for eight ingredients (and that's including the ham itself).
25. Ina Garten’s Tuscan Turkey Roulade
They’ll think you cooked all day. (Spoiler: You didn’t.) Leave it to the Barefoot Contessa to craft a Christmas main that feeds ten guests and requires only 15 minutes of prep.
26. Mac and Cheese with Crispy Parmesan-Phyllo Crust
Comfort food at its finest, folks. We suggest going the extra mile by rolling the phyllo dough topper into pretty rosettes, but you can save time by simply laying it atop the mac instead.
27. Immune-Boosting Turmeric Daal
Bring on the anti-inflammatory properties and vegan deliciousness. This thick, fragrant lentil stew is packed with spices like ginger, curry powder, fenugreek and turmeric.
28. Skillet Gnocchi with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Our go-to skillet meal is only 30 minutes away. It'll come together even faster if you use leftover gnocchi. (Tortellini would work as well, if you'd prefer.)
29. Potato Chip-Crusted Chicken with Arugula Pesto
All the crunch of traditional chicken cutlets, minus the spitting pot of oil. That's the magic of using crushed kettle-cooked potato chips as breading.
30. Garlicky Spinach and Chickpea Soup with Lemon and Pecorino Romano
File this one under "How to Make Dinner Out of Pantry Staples." Go wild with the Pecorino Romano on top—it rounds out the intensity of the citrus and spices just right.
31. Pomegranate-Maple Glazed Lamb Chops
Let's ring in 2023 in style, shall we? Your New Year's Eve guests will absolutely gush over these classy chops. Be sure to use a grill pan for drool-worthy char marks.

Senior Food Editor
