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 pureeing them. Might we suggest using an immersion blender to pulverize the produce for minimal mess?

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.

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 that even picky eaters won't be able to resist.

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.

Can you believe this French staple will take you less than an hour to prepare? You have our clever shortcuts to thank for that. Eat your heart out, Julia Child.

Ready in just 35 minutes—call it a Christmas miracle. Feel free to swap broccolini out for broccoli, asparagus or even Brussels sprouts. Serve the meatballs with pasta, salad or rice.

C'mon, a built-in grilled cheese sammy for a lid? That's pretty ingenious, if we do say so ourselves. Consider your fussy kids satisfied (at least for now).

Starring a trifecta of pantry staples (soy sauce or soy sauce substitute, black 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 don’t substitute chicken breasts—dark meat is essential to this dish.

’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, please.

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.

You're no stranger to the molten bliss that is arancini. These are just as drool-worthy, only risotto is replaced by fluffy mashed potatoes. Stuffed with olives and mozz, the poppables are a flawless pairing for beer or steak.

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. Sub cauliflower rice to reduce the carb count.

We feel warm and fuzzy just looking at this cold-weather masterpiece. Think juicy chicken thigh meat, doughy buttermilk biscuits, soup veggies and fresh thyme. (P.S.: We won't tell if you substitute canned biscuit dough for a shortcut.)

The recipe calls for traditional guanciale (that's Italian salt-cured pork jowl), but feel free to use pancetta or bacon if you can't find any. We’ll take an extra sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes on ours, 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 in brown butter, turning it deeply nutty and savory.

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 white wine.

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

Save the leftovers for lunch and boom: You're the envy of the break room. Make double of the turmeric-tahini dressing—we promise you won't want to go back to your usual vinaigrette.

Shredded rotisserie chicken is the world's smartest shortcut, and it's the reason this protein-packed soup can be on the table in just 35 minutes. Finish your bowl with a runny egg, chile sauce and lots of sliced scallions.

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

Delicata season isn't over 'til we say it is, OK? Don't bother peeling the squash—its striped skin is totally edible and easy on the eyes.

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.

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 eight ingredients (and that's including the ham itself).

They’ll 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.

Still have leftover baked ham from the 24th? Give it a second life with this savory pancake that's topped with deli ham, eggs, chives and béchamel. Your cast iron skillet guarantees a puffy, pillowy soft pancake with an impeccably crisp exterior.

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 that are sure to warm the soul.

Our go-to skillet meal is only 30 minutes away. It'll come together even faster if you use leftover gnocchi instead of making it fresh. (Tortellini would work as well.)

This twist is inspired by Welsh rarebit, a dish of toasted bread crowned with cheese sauce. The mac 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." Go wild with the Pecorino Romano on top—it rounds out the intensity of the citrus and spices just right.

Let's ring in 2024 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.