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Here’s What to Cook Every Night This Week (January 8 – 14)

It’s your slow cooker’s big moment

what to cook this week january 8-14: slow cooker bolognese in a bowl atop a linen next to a gold fork and a glass of white wine
Katherine Gillen

We’re in the dog days of winter, friends. Our favorite way to cope? With comforting, hearty meals that are easy to prepare—and even easier to devour. We’ve loaded this week’s menu with seasonal produce and diverse proteins to keep busy weeknights interesting without stressing out the chef. Read on for seven tasty ideas, from sweet potato chowder to beef suya.

73 Hearty Winter Dinner Ideas That Take 1 Hour or Less


what to cook this week january 8-14: hands chopping a sweet potato on a wooden cutting board
Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

Shopping List

Produce
2 small onions
4 garlic cloves
3 medium sweet potatoes
4 large guajillo chiles
1 ancho chile
Two 1-pound delicata squashes
1 tomato
2 pounds sugar pie pumpkin or kabocha squash
Three 1-inch pieces ginger
1 lime
12 ounces Brussels sprouts
12 ounces butternut squash
1 small carrot
1 celery stalk
1 small red onion
1 bunch thyme
1 small bunch lacinato kale
1 bunch microgreens (such as arugula or radish)

Meat
4 ounces bacon
Four 4- to 5-ounce salmon fillets
4 large bone-in chicken thighs (6½ ounces each)
4 skinless chicken drumsticks (3½ ounces each)
1 pound ground beef
1 pound boneless short ribs

Dairy
4 ounces half-and-half
Cotija cheese, for serving
Crema Mexicana, for serving
8 ounces milk

Grains
6 ounces brown basmati rice
4 to 6 telera rolls
Cooked black or forbidden rice
1 pound pappardelle or other long pasta

Canned and Packaged Goods
64 ounces chicken stock
Gochujang
10 to 12 shiitake mushrooms (about 1 ounce)
Yellow curry paste
6 ounces white wine
2 ounces dry roasted, peeled peanuts

Pantry Ingredients: kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, white or yellow miso paste, unseasoned rice vinegar, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, extra-virgin olive oil, mayonnaise, cooking spray, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, tomato paste, ground ginger, cayenne, peanut oil, dried thyme

Monday: Sweet Potato Chowder

Not all spud soups are a liquid baked potato. This nine-ingredient soul-soother leans on sweet potatoes for a decidedly wintry flavor, along with tender kale and dry herbs. It cooks in a single pot on a base of savory bacon fat.

Tuesday: Miso-Glazed Salmon with Gochujang Rice

Miso paste, rice vinegar and sesame oil don’t need much help in the flavor department. They pack every flake of fish with zippy, nutty, umami-rich deliciousness. As for the rice, it can be as spicy (or mild, if you have picky eaters at the table) as you’d like.

Wednesday: Chorizo-Spiced Delicata Squash Tortas

All the chile-infused flavor of chorizo, minus the meat and grease. The recipe calls for using teleras, but any substantial soft roll will do. (Alternatively, swap bread for tortillas to make some simple vegetarian tacos.) Pass the cotija, por favor.

Thursday: Yellow Curry Pumpkin Rice Soup

This stick-to-your-ribs soup is so satiating that you’ll be shocked it’s vegan. Best of all, its ingredients are very flexible. Add or substitute carrots, potatoes and sweet potatoes for pumpkin if you feel so inclined, or swap in white or brown rice for forbidden.

Friday: Dijon-Maple Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash

Not only does this powerhouse contain 33 grams of protein per serving, but it also comes together on a sheet pan, meaning you’ll have minimal dirty dishes to wash after dinner. The maple syrup in the glaze turns caramelized and sticky in the oven, so prepare to swoon.

Saturday: Slow Cooker Bolognese

Let Crockpot season reign with this beefy pasta that requires minimal hands-on work to come to fruition (because we’re *not* an Italian nonna that has all day to babysit a simmering pot of sauce). Finish the set-it-and-forget-it gem with a flurry of freshly grated Parm and wash it down with a nice chianti.

Sunday: Beef Suya

Why wait for summer to grill your dinner—or serve it on a stick? These Nigerian skewers, which star a nutty, warming spice blend, can be served year-round with the help of a grill pan. Just be sure to leave yourself at least four hours to marinate the beef before cooking it.



taryn pire

Food Editor

  • Contributes to PureWow's food vertical
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  • Studied English and writing at Ithaca College