Warming Winter Meals||Warming Winter Meals||Warming Winter Meals

Ingredients

It's cold out, and we want warm, filling dinners to perk us up in the evenings. But we sure aren't in the mood to work even harder during a busy weeknight, and we aren't about to sacrifice good tasting food either. Fortunately, there are a ton of warming winter dinners out there that are perfect for lazy chefs and only take a few minutes to prep. Here are some of our favorite winter dinners that are equally easy and hearty:

1. Garlic Cheddar Chicken Bake

This incredibly easy dish just requires that you cube whatever kind of chicken you have on hand and bake it with rice, cheese and a few other delicious ingredients. It sure tastes like you spent way more time on it than you did, so it's our favorite kind of weeknight dinner. Bonus: roast your favorite veggies while baking the chicken for an easy side.

2. Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

This is a tricky soup. Not because it's hard to make -- no, you just dump all your ingredients into the slow cooker and let it do its thing -- but because when you have a spoonful of this warming, flavorful soup, you'll have no idea that it's actually low-calorie.

3. Bacon-Cheddar Waffles

Dinner is always the right time for breakfast. With a few savory tweaks, transform your standard waffle into a dinner masterpiece. Want to go to town and load it up? Turn your waffles into a sandwich. Breakfast ingredients, fried chicken, grilled cheese, or even a full-on burger topped with a fried egg would be perfect here.

4. Coconut Peanut Noodles with Shredded Chicken

Not only will this dish fill you right up, but it's also the perfect use for leftover meat. We love it with yesterday's roasted or rotisserie chicken, but you can use just about anything you want. Leftover pork would work beautifully, too.

5. Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwich

French Dip might sound fancy and elaborate, but it's actually pretty easy. All you really need to do is slow-cook some brisket with broth and veggies and then sandwich it when you're done.

6. Baked Barley Risotto With Butternut Squash

No, you do not need to sweat over the stove for hours, stirring your risotto. Make this healthy, rich version of the dish by stirring for just a few minutes and then chucking the whole thing into the oven to finish up. By the way, you can totally replace the butternut squash with pretty much any other squash or yam, if you want.

7. Vietnamese Beef Stew (Bò Kho)

Want something a little spicy, filling and jam-packed with fresh, bright flavors? Vietnamese beef stew might be just what you are looking for. It will come out delicious whether you make it in your pressure cooker, plop it in your slow cooker, or simmer it on the stove.

Instructions

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It's cold out, and we want warm, filling dinners to perk us up in the evenings. But we sure aren't in the mood to work even harder during a busy weeknight, and we aren't about to sacrifice good tasting food either. Fortunately, there are a ton of warming winter dinners out there that are perfect for lazy chefs and only take a few minutes to prep. Here are some of our favorite winter dinners that are equally easy and hearty:

1. Garlic Cheddar Chicken Bake

This incredibly easy dish just requires that you cube whatever kind of chicken you have on hand and bake it with rice, cheese and a few other delicious ingredients. It sure tastes like you spent way more time on it than you did, so it's our favorite kind of weeknight dinner. Bonus: roast your favorite veggies while baking the chicken for an easy side.

2. Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

This is a tricky soup. Not because it's hard to make -- no, you just dump all your ingredients into the slow cooker and let it do its thing -- but because when you have a spoonful of this warming, flavorful soup, you'll have no idea that it's actually low-calorie.

3. Bacon-Cheddar Waffles

Dinner is always the right time for breakfast. With a few savory tweaks, transform your standard waffle into a dinner masterpiece. Want to go to town and load it up? Turn your waffles into a sandwich. Breakfast ingredients, fried chicken, grilled cheese, or even a full-on burger topped with a fried egg would be perfect here.

4. Coconut Peanut Noodles with Shredded Chicken

Not only will this dish fill you right up, but it's also the perfect use for leftover meat. We love it with yesterday's roasted or rotisserie chicken, but you can use just about anything you want. Leftover pork would work beautifully, too.

5. Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwich

French Dip might sound fancy and elaborate, but it's actually pretty easy. All you really need to do is slow-cook some brisket with broth and veggies and then sandwich it when you're done.

6. Baked Barley Risotto With Butternut Squash

No, you do not need to sweat over the stove for hours, stirring your risotto. Make this healthy, rich version of the dish by stirring for just a few minutes and then chucking the whole thing into the oven to finish up. By the way, you can totally replace the butternut squash with pretty much any other squash or yam, if you want.

7. Vietnamese Beef Stew (Bò Kho)

Want something a little spicy, filling and jam-packed with fresh, bright flavors? Vietnamese beef stew might be just what you are looking for. It will come out delicious whether you make it in your pressure cooker, plop it in your slow cooker, or simmer it on the stove.

Shortcuts Included: 7 Easy, Warming Winter Meals

It's cold out, and we want warm, filling dinners to perk us up in the evenings. But we sure aren't in the mood to work even harder during a busy weeknight, and we aren't about to sacrifice good tasting food either. Fortunately, there are a ton of warming winter dinners out there that are perfect for lazy chefs and only take a few minutes to prep. Here are some of our favorite winter dinners that are equally easy and hearty:

1. Garlic Cheddar Chicken Bake

This incredibly easy dish just requires that you cube whatever kind of chicken you have on hand and bake it with rice, cheese and a few other delicious ingredients. It sure tastes like you spent way more time on it than you did, so it's our favorite kind of weeknight dinner. Bonus: roast your favorite veggies while baking the chicken for an easy side.

2. Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

This is a tricky soup. Not because it's hard to make -- no, you just dump all your ingredients into the slow cooker and let it do its thing -- but because when you have a spoonful of this warming, flavorful soup, you'll have no idea that it's actually low-calorie.

3. Bacon-Cheddar Waffles

Dinner is always the right time for breakfast. With a few savory tweaks, transform your standard waffle into a dinner masterpiece. Want to go to town and load it up? Turn your waffles into a sandwich. Breakfast ingredients, fried chicken, grilled cheese, or even a full-on burger topped with a fried egg would be perfect here.

4. Coconut Peanut Noodles with Shredded Chicken

Not only will this dish fill you right up, but it's also the perfect use for leftover meat. We love it with yesterday's roasted or rotisserie chicken, but you can use just about anything you want. Leftover pork would work beautifully, too.

5. Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwich

French Dip might sound fancy and elaborate, but it's actually pretty easy. All you really need to do is slow-cook some brisket with broth and veggies and then sandwich it when you're done.

6. Baked Barley Risotto With Butternut Squash

No, you do not need to sweat over the stove for hours, stirring your risotto. Make this healthy, rich version of the dish by stirring for just a few minutes and then chucking the whole thing into the oven to finish up. By the way, you can totally replace the butternut squash with pretty much any other squash or yam, if you want.

7. Vietnamese Beef Stew (Bò Kho)

Want something a little spicy, filling and jam-packed with fresh, bright flavors? Vietnamese beef stew might be just what you are looking for. It will come out delicious whether you make it in your pressure cooker, plop it in your slow cooker, or simmer it on the stove.