These seasonal dinner recipes are delicious and easy options for cold nights. From warm soups to cozy pastas, these comforting winter meals take just 20 minutes or less to prepare, so you can have dinner on the table in no time. Recipes like our Garlic-Butter Mushroom Steaks and 20-Minute Udon Noodle Soup with Buttery Tomato Broth are healthy and tasty dinners that will be sure to keep you warm.
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Garlic-Butter Mushroom Steaks
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jasmine Smith, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser
Garlic-butter mushroom steaks are a savory and delicious plant-based dish perfect for mushroom lovers and steak enthusiasts alike. We pair juicy portobello mushroom “steaks” with a buttery garlic sauce flavored with rosemary, for a mouthwatering combination that’s sure to impress. Swap out the rosemary for another woody herb like sage or thyme for a different twist. Serve over your favorite whole grain or pasta.
20-Minute Udon Noodle Soup with Buttery Tomato Broth
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
The scents of cinnamon and star anise add big flavors to this quick soup. Butter adds body and a silky texture. Fresh udon noodles take only a few minutes to cook, but dry udon noodles work well here too. There’s no need to strain the broth to remove the spices. You can simply remove the spices with a slotted spoon when you pour the broth over the noodles, if desired.
Sheet-Pan Beef & Cabbage Noodles
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell
Forget the wok and all that stirring! This stir-fry comes together in only 20 minutes on one baking sheet under the broiler. The trick to a perfect sheet-pan stir-fry is making sure your ingredients are spread out well on the pan so everything cooks evenly.
20-Minute Creamy Mushroom Soup with Sherry
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
This quick creamy mushroom soup is loaded with earthy wild mushrooms enhanced by the flavor of dry sherry. To keep prep to a minimum, look for sliced wild mushrooms in packages, or slice your own using whatever combination you prefer.
Mushroom-Ricotta Tartines
Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Addelyn Evans, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco,
Enjoy the art of presentation with a tartine—a sandwich that’s a feast for the eyes and taste buds, served open-faced. Here, we slather a thick slice of good crusty whole-wheat bread with a creamy pesto-ricotta spread and top it with golden-brown sautéed mushrooms. Any tender, quick-cooking mushroom would work for this recipe. Oyster mushrooms, chanterelles and shiitake mushrooms would all be delicious. Enjoy it as is or take it to the next level by adding a poached or fried egg on top.
Lemony Chicken & Rice Soup
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
The Greek lemon-chicken soup avgolemono is the inspiration for this 20-minute recipe. Eggs and lemon are tempered into the broth to add richness and creaminess. You can use microwaveable brown rice or use 1 cup leftover rice if you have it on hand.
Chicken Carbonara
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Joseph Wanek
This chicken carbonara has the classic all-yolk sauce, which yields a rich and creamy texture. For some carbonara recipes, the residual heat and starch from the pasta are enough to thicken the yolks, but we prefer the double-boiler method to gently cook the egg yolks to a custard-like texture without the risk of overcooking them to a scramble.
15-Minute Spicy Ramen
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
This spicy ramen will be on your table faster than the time it takes to get food delivered. We ditch the spice packet that comes with the soup mix in favor of our own savory broth that strikes the perfect balance between salty and sweet while keeping sodium in check. Crushed red pepper brings on the heat.
Pistachio-Crusted Halibut
Ali Redmond
A layer of pistachios combined with panko breadcrumbs on top of the halibut fillets provides a delicious crunch. We like the firm texture and mild flavor of halibut, but cod, haddock or tilapia can be used in its place. Serve with a simple side salad.
Sea Bass with Citrus Salsa
Dinner-party elegance in a 20-minute dish? It’s possible, when you start with great ingredients that require little embellishment. Here, we use sea bass, a tender, mild-flavored fish with a lovely buttery quality but any white fish will take well to the bright flavors of the simple grapefruit-and-orange topping. Pair with your favorite salad recipe.
20-Minute Creamy Chicken Skillet with Italian Seasoning
Jason Donnelly
Chicken cutlets cook quickly and are highlighted with a creamy sauce made with tomatoes, zucchini and Italian seasoning. This recipe is sure to become a new weeknight favorite the whole family will love. Serve it with whole-wheat pasta or rice to make it a meal.
Chickpeas alla Vodka
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser
This Chickpeas alla Vodka is the ultra-quick, fiber-packed dinner you’ve been waiting for! Chickpeas are swimming in a creamy vodka sauce that gets enhancements from sautéed garlic, onion and vibrant green baby kale. Crispy, toasted whole-wheat bread is perfect for dipping. You can customize this dish easily by using chard or spinach in place of kale.
Skillet Pork Chops with Peas, Carrots & Pearl Onions
This superfast one-dish dinner is full of classic flavor and is such a crowd pleaser that you’ll want to work it into your regular weeknight dinner rotation. We call for bone-in pork chops to maximize flavor, but boneless pork chops are a fine substitution. To round out this meal a little more, serve with rice or mashed potatoes.
Garlic, Sausage & Kale Naan Pizzas
We love sausage, but it can be high in sodium. In this fast, healthy dinner, we make our own turkey sausage with crushed red pepper, garlic, fennel seeds, paprika and just a touch of salt.
Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Take taco night to a new level with sweet potato taco “shells.” Tender sweet potatoes pair perfectly with spicy taco meat, creamy cheese and crisp lettuce. Let everyone customize their taco potato with their favorite toppings.
BBQ Shrimp with Garlicky Kale & Parmesan-Herb Couscous
In the U.S., dry whole-wheat couscous has been partially cooked, making it a quick-cooking (5 minutes!) whole-grain weeknight dinner champ. And when you buy peeled shrimp, plus a bag of prechopped kale and bottled barbecue sauce, the savings in prep time helps to get this healthy dinner done in a jiff.
Teriyaki-Glazed Cod with Cauliflower Rice
This healthy fish recipe comes together fast with just three ingredients you can always have on hand in your freezer and fridge. Store-bought teriyaki glaze makes a great marinade for cod that doubles as a sauce for the cauliflower rice.
Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole
This easy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare, meaning that seared steak can be a weeknight meal. Cooking herbs in the pan with the steak releases their aroma, infusing it into the meat while creating a crispy garnish. After the steaks and herbs are pan-seared, the escarole is cooked in the same skillet, so this healthy dinner requires minimal cleanup too.
Butternut Squash Ravioli with Chicken Sausage & Kale
What’s the secret to making store-bought butternut squash ravioli even more delicious? Add apple-chicken sausage, tender greens and lots of caramelized onions for an easy dinner that’s ready in just 20 minutes.
Chhole (Chickpea Curry)
This healthy Indian recipe is an authentic chickpea curry that you can make in minutes. If you want to add a vegetable, stir in some roasted cauliflower. Serve with brown basmati rice or warm naan.
