Here’s What to Cook Every Night This Week (January 9 – 15)

When you’re craving comfort food, your mind probably turns to dishes like pot roast, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, beef stroganoff and pasta Alfredo. This week, we’re seeking to prove that plant-based dishes can give you the same warm, cozy feeling as their meat- and dairy-based predecessors. Read on for seven dinners starring seasonal produce and vegan alternatives that will change the way you eat this winter.

Plantains are starchy and slightly sweet, so the citrusy blender pesto is the ultimate foil. Feel free to substitute broccoli or even cabbage steaks for cauliflower if you’d prefer.

Don’t sweat the rolling and special tools—this fish-free take on sushi is made in a muffin tin instead of on a sushi mat. Serve them with miso soup or yakisoba to make the meal even more filling.

Homemade cashew cream is the key to this chowder’s decadent texture. Top your bowl with everything from vegan cornbread croutons and chives to plant-based bacon and smoked tofu.

Polenta doesn’t need to be drenched in melted butter and cheese to be delicious. Here, it’s stirred with avocado oil and topped with tender, golden-brown mushrooms and pesto instead.

If you want the “wings” to be as close to the real thing as possible, use melted butter if you’re vegetarian (or dairy-free butter if you’re vegan) in the sauce instead of olive oil. And if you want to minimize the spice, use sweet chile sauce in place of hot sauce.

Behold the definition of vegan comfort food. The sauce doesn’t have a drop of dairy in it: As it turns out, butternut squash makes a rich, uncanny substitute that any cheese stan will fall for.

The Colonel is shaking in his boots. You won’t believe how satisfying this seitan (a high-protein, wheat-based dough) is, thanks to an impeccably spiced coating and a chickpea-based batter that crisps up like a charm when fried.

_{Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.}