28 Cozy February Dinner Ideas to Cook Every Night This Month

Found: Your kids' new favorite dinner. It's as easy as layering rigatoni marinara, crumbled Italian sausage and mozzarella cheese in a springform pan and baking to perfection. (Yes, it's a little more involved, but that's what a Saturday afternoon indoors is for, right? Especially if you get the kids to help.)  Serve it with Caesar salad or garlic bread.

Thanks to red wine vinegar and caraway seeds, this vibrant soup offers unexpected zing and an earthy edge (not to mention stunning color from the cabbage). Finish your bowl with a swirl of Greek yogurt or a plant-based alternative to keep it dairy free.

When you have salad ingredients in the fridge but are craving lo mein, this healthy-ish noodle recipe is a tasty compromise. "In this 20-minute recipe, rice noodles are tossed with a sizzling chili oil that coats each strand with slippery, savory perfection," recipe developer Kat Ashmore explains. "Then, [they're] topped with crispy kale chips that wilt slightly under the weight of the pasta." The noodles are gluten free, but if you want the whole dish to follow suit, use tamari as a soy sauce substitute.

Spuds are always invited to dinner. Even alleged fish haters will have nothing negative to say about this crispy, 25-minute invention. It's Paleo-friendly, high in protein and loaded with brain-boosting omega-3s...but the best part is the umami stir fry powder, packed with dehydrated scallions and mushrooms.

Once you’ve mastered this five-ingredient, 20-minute pasta dish, you might never want to eat anything else for dinner ever again. "Finish your bowl with extra Pecorino, dried or fresh herbs (like basil or oregano) and crushed red pepper flakes, if you like spice," PureWow food editor Taryn Pire suggests.

Mild white beans are brought to life (from scratch!) by smashed garlic, Calabrian chile, fennel seeds and fresh rosemary. Make double of the spicy herb oil—you'll want to drizzle it over everything from soup to sandwiches. P.S.: You'll want to make it ahead. Recipe creator Gaby Dalkin says it just gets better as it sits in the fridge.

Whether or not you're one of those "go Birds" people, you'll be more than happy to sink your fork into these Portobellos, which are stuffed with steak, caramelized onions and peppers and provolone cheese. You won't miss the bread...but I wouldn't blame you for topping each 'shroom with a dollop of Whiz in honor of the Philadelphia Eagles playing the Super Bowl.

The leftovers will hold up like a charm, so you can savor this loaded salad tonight and do it all over again tomorrow at lunch (while making your deskmates ever-so jealous). The tangy, spicy dressing is nothing but goat cheese, store-bought harissa and a handful of pantry staples.

It's Super Bowl Sunday: You're having a stick-to-your-ribs appetizer for dinner. "This recipe is both make ahead-friendly and almost entirely hands-off, even more so if you use rotisserie chicken," former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen writes. Hey, with enough crudité, it's practically a balanced meal.

Starring sweet potatoes, kale and a generous amount of bacon (life is about balance, people). "It's flavor-packed, filling and relatively healthy, thanks to all that kale, not to mention easy to double and freeze for later," Gillen explains. Finish each serving with a dash of fancy vinegar, a dollop of sour cream or a flurry of crushed red pepper flakes.

This dinner is loaded with protein, topped with crunchy veggies and ready in 35 minutes flat—what's not to like? The soy-ginger glaze would taste divine on chicken, pork or tofu too, in case fish isn't your style. As for the produce, "I like the crispness of raw carrots, cucumber and edamame," Gillen admits, "but play with your favorite combination of toppings. The bowl is the limit."

Round up your most photogenic mason jars for an Insta-worthy, decidedly adorable, cold-weather twist on a classic. The filling stars store-bought rotisserie chicken, in case you need more convincing.

"They're called leniwe (lazy) because they're made without a filling," recipe developer and Queer Eye star Antoni Porowski writes. Best of all, you only need 35 minutes to pull off these fresh Polish dumplings, smothered in earthy veggies, brown sugar-y prunes and fresh herbs. Color your dinner guests impressed. You'll never go back to the frozen kind.

Happy Valentine's Day! Nothing says "I love you" like a homemade meal, and no matter who you're cooking for (or with), this indulgent lobster risotto makes staying in a real treat. Don't forget the chardonnay—or dessert.

Shallot lovers, this one's for you. Thinly sliced and caramelized, they create a savory-sweet foil for meaty mushrooms. Recipe developer Nik Sharma suggests sautéing thin-sliced roasted chestnuts (when they’re in season) with the mushrooms, as well as substituting the Parmesan with fried or grilled slabs of tangy halloumi.

Behold: the definition of comfort food. The tomato-based chili, which can be made with ground beef or turkey, quickly comes together in a skillet instead of a Crockpot or Dutch oven. In other words, the recipe isn't nearly as time-consuming as you may expect. "A cheese-laced topper is nestled into each serving and baked until golden brown and bubbling," Gillen adds.

Fetch your finest chambray shirt to prepare this dinner party-worthy dish, crafted by the Barefoot Contessa herself. The crispy chicken thighs are nestled in a tangy, wine-kissed sauce teeming with onions, leeks, lemon and thyme.

FYI, spatchcocking is a fancy way of saying you butterflied, or removed the backbone from, a bird. It can refer to a chicken, duck, turkey—anything with wings that you would eat. By doing this, you can easily split and flatten the entire thing, which reduces the cooking time. You can totally do it yourself, or you can ask your butcher to do it for you.

Did you know that Swiss chard can be enjoyed raw? Its tender leaves and sturdy stalks make for a great salad, since they hold their own against weighty toppings (like white beans and dressing) without turning soggy. Use stale bread to make the homemade breadcrumbs as crunchy as possible.

Fact: There's no such thing as too many soup leftovers. Ward off any impending winter sicknesses with this feel-good staple that blows the canned kind way out of the water. It's picky kid-proof, promise.

How does a plant-based soup achieve a decadent texture without the help of cream, you ask? This dish's richness is courtesy of soaked cashews and a quick spin in the blender. Save time before dinner by cooking it in your Instant Pot.

Save the boxed mac and cheese for another night. You'll cut down on prep time by cooking the orecchiette in milk instead of waiting for a separate pot of water to boil, so this smoky masterpiece is equal parts convenient *and* unexpectedly delicious.

Buttery noodles. Succulent beef tenderloin. Tangy Dijon-sour cream sauce. Sorry, am I drooling? "I've streamlined the classic dish so that it's impossibly easy to make and ready to enjoy just 30 minutes after your craving strikes," recipe developer Erin McDowell explains. Pair the hearty gem with a glass of red wine and let the compliments roll in.

Winner, winner, the coziest, most soul-warming, thoroughly spiced chicken dinner—ever. It only requires four ingredients, including flavor-packed chipotles in adobo sauce. "Store the extra adobo sauce in the fridge and add a teaspoon to a pot of beans, any stew that needs spice, a batch of hummus or even to grains, like rice or couscous," recipe creator Maggie Battista advises.

Ja, please. Forget standing in line at IKEA—you've got this cold-weather masterpiece covered. Might I suggest serving the savory, creamy meatballs with silky, luxurious gravy over 20-minute mashed potatoes?

You can stand at the stove for hours crafting a stellar pot of chili...or you can let your Crockpot do all the work for you. This protein-packed powerhouse only requires 15 minutes of active prep and it can be frozen for up to three months, if you're in need of make-ahead meals.

For your skillet's next trick, it'll transform store-bought pasta into something spectacular that even persnickety kids will want seconds of. Better yet, it only takes 45 minutes to prepare from start to finish. "This bake features rich tomato sauce, tender kale, Italian sausage and plenty of cheese for a winter dinner that’s as cozy as it is easy to make," Gillen asserts.

Sweet potatoes, butternut squash and two types of gooey cheese? How fast can I get to the grocery store? A trio of fresh herbs—thyme, rosemary and parsley—take this decadent dish over the top.