In this post, I’m sharing a list of incredible healthy winter dinner ideas that bring on the cozy, comfort-food feels without weighing you down.
All the recipes are made with real-food ingredients, are easy to prep, and leftovers reheat great.
Winter Foods
Recipes like soups, stews, roasted meat, and veggies make perfect winter recipes that warm up the kitchen and fill hungry bellies. Few things compare to a home-cooked meal on a chilly day.
Below you’ll find a variety of recipes made with easy-to-find seasonal ingredients in a variety of flavors. Most of these recipes are comfort-food meals made healthier with fresh ingredients and minor tweaking.
However, you’ll find a few dishes with that stick-to-your-ribs flavor, like my creamy chicken pasta and a cheesy chili mac recipe.
Easy Winter Dinner Recipes
If you’re looking for dinner ideas you can whip up quickly and please a crowd, these are it! Here, you’ll find one-skillet meals, epic pasta recipes, and even a killer breakfast for dinner option.
Korean Chicken Bowls
A take-out inspired recipe made with baked chicken in a tangy-sweet sauce and fresh cabbage slaw over cooked rice.
Skillet Chicken Thighs with Potatoes & Carrots
An elegant and delicious dinner awaits with this recipe for braised chicken thighs and veggies. All you need is a skillet with a fitted lid and simple ingredients.
Spaghetti Carbonara
In this recipe, I show you how to make the best carbonara sauce and toss it with cooked spaghetti for a simple dinner that comes together in less than 20 minutes.
Maple Miso Glazed Salmon
How does tender baked salmon in a savory-maple glaze with oven-roasted cabbage and tangy cucumber pickles sound to you? This dish ranks as a 5-star meal in my house and comes together in less than 30 minutes.
- Melt in Your Mouth Chicken
- Instant Pot Chili Mac
- American Beef Goulash
- Eggnog Pancakes
- Chicken Cordon Bleu
Healthy Winter Dinner Ideas
With meals like an easy pork roast, meatless meatballs, and veggie-filled fried rice, you’ll see that comfort food can be both healthy and satisfying. Most importantly, your family (kids included) will have no trouble enjoying the foods that are good for them.
Brown Sugar Dijon Pork Roast
An impressive sheet-pan dinner that can feed a crowd for a holiday gathering or your family on a busy weeknight! Pork loin is basted with a Dijon and brown sugar topping and baked to tender perfection with roasted carrots, sweet potatoes, and apples.
Meatless Meatballs & Spaghetti
You’re in for a delicious surprise with these “meatballs”. They’re super hearty and have the flavor of artichoke stuffing topped with marinara and served over pasta. To this date, it’s one of my favorite meatless recipes.
Shrimp Fried Cauliflower Rice
Our favorite Chinese take-out made lighter with cauliflower rice and plump jumbo shrimp. You can make this recipe with cauliflower rice for a low-carb version or swap it for 3 cups of cooked white rice.
- Roasted Vegetable Salad with Chicken
- Beef & Broccoli Bowls
- Healthy Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya
- Sheet Pan Sausage & Peppers
- Pizza Chicken
Winter Side Dishes
Having a variety of winter side dishes to choose from, like roasted veggies or creamy cheesy polenta, make busy nights a breeze when a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is the only dinner plan you have.
The winter season is filled with holiday events and good thing these side dishes are perfect options for both occasions!
Winter Salad
Roasted butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and beets tossed in a tangy Dijon Maple Vinaigrette with winter greens, pecans, and pomegranate seeds. It sounds and tastes like poetry.
Parmesan Polenta
Never made polenta? It’s basically corn grits cooked with milk, butter, salt, and cheese until thick and creamy. How does it taste? Dreamy.
Roasted Radishes & Carrots
A little olive, seasonings, and twenty minutes in the oven are all it takes to turn these forgotten vegetables into a slightly addictive side dish you’ll want to make on repeat.
- Balsamic Roasted Beets
- Roasted Parsnips
- Easy Peas & Carrots with Potatoes
- Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
- Savory Butternut Squash with Garlic & Parmesan
Winter Soups
These winter soups never disappoint with their rich texture, filled with protein and veggies, and where leftovers taste even better the next day!
Grab your largest pot and see which recipe you’ll want to try first. My vote? The Chicken Stew- it’s soul-soothing and delicious.
Chicken Stew
Tender chicken and vegetables in a light, creamy broth is the kind of comfort food that makes you feel good.
Chicken Udon
This chicken noodle soup is a different take on the classic recipe with hearty udon noodles, cabbage, and carrots simmered in a soy-ginger broth.
Vegetarian Minestrone Soup
An incredibly delicious meal made entirely with pantry staples and vegetables. It’s a combination of vegetables, beans, and pasta simmered in a robust tomato broth.
Winter Meal Prep
You can easily winter meal prep recipes like soups, roasted vegetables, breakfast foods, pancake batter, smoothies, and grains to save time in the kitchen.
The winter season can be a very busy and bustling time of year, even after the holidays, with kids going back to school. Having a meal plan has truly helped me create great-tasting meals, like the ones in this post, on those busy weeknights.
And if dishing out home-cooked meals is something you want to make a regular routine, you don’t need to wait until the new year.
In the video below, you can watch how I put a week of recipes from one of my family meal plans into practice. I take you step-by-step on how to use the prep guide to prep ingredients and entire recipes so you can make the most of mealtime with your family.
And be sure to get your week of this dinner meal plan here so you can meal prep alongside me.
Print30+ Winter Dinner Ideas
Incredible winter dinner ideas that bring on the cozy, comfort-food feels without weighing you down. Plus, how to meal prep in winter!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 65 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
Ingredients
- Oil or cooking spray, for greasing
- 3-pound pork loin roast
- Salt and pepper, for seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, divided
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and tops removed
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into wedges
- 3 Granny Smith apples, cut into thick wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a large baking sheet or 13 x 9-inch roasting pan with olive oil or cooking spray.
- Season the pork generously with salt, pepper, and 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning. Place it, fat side up, in the center of the pan.
- Spread the Dijon mustard over the top and sprinkle ⅓ cup of the brown sugar over the mustard to create a crust.
- In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with ½ teaspoon salt and Italian seasoning. Add the carrots and sweet potatoes to the bowl and toss to coat.
- Transfer the veggies to the baking sheet and spread in an even layer around the pork loin.
- Bake for 30 minutes before removing the pan from the oven. Add the apple slices to the veggies and sprinkle them with brown sugar.
- Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145F and the vegetables are tender.
- Remove the pan from the oven and cover with foil for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Equipment
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Notes
At 375F, the cooking time for the pork is about 20 minutes per pound. Cut sizes will vary, so calculate roasting time accordingly. At this temperature, vegetables will take about 45 minutes to roast.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 482
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 606.2 mg
- Fat: 15.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.4 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 51.9 g
- Cholesterol: 142.8 mg
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