31 Warm and Cozy Dinner Recipes to Make Every Night in December

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."

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The ultimate trifecta: healthy, tasty, beautiful. The recipe uses 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. (Plus, it's a colorful and seasonal alternative.)

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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.

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.

Eat your heart out, Julia Child. 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.

This December dinner recipe is ready in just 35 minutes—call it a Christmas miracle. Feel free to swap broccolini out for broccoli, kale or even Brussels sprouts. As for the meatballs, they can be paired with pasta, salad or rice.

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C'mon, a built-in grilled cheese sammy for a lid? That's pretty ingenious, if I do say so myself. Consider your fussy kids satisfied and your go-to canned tomato soup demoted (at least for now).

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.

’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.

Trade traditional roast 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.

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.

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.

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 noodles just because).

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 adds.)

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.

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.

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

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

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.

“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.”

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

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

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.

Let’s take the traditional route this year, only with a fun citrus twist. Despite its fancy appearance, this Christmas Eve main only calls for 20 minutes of active prep and eight ingredients (and that's including the ham itself).

Your holiday guests will think you cooked all day long. (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. How easy is that?

Still have leftover ham from the 24th? Give it a second life with this six-ingredient sandwich recipe that comes together in a baking dish for easy preparation and serving. Bonus points for adding shredded roast pork to the mix.

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

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.)

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.

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.

Let's ring in 2025 in style, shall we? Your New Year's Eve guests will absolutely gush over these classy chops, which are crowned with juicy, sweet-tart pomegranate arils for a wintry touch. Be sure to use a grill pan for drool-worthy char marks.

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