Best Warm ‘Em Up Main Dishes for Winter
It’s that time of year again where we see lots of snow and often experience wind chills of over 25 degrees below zero here in Michigan! I’d say it is a perfect time for some warm ’em up winter dishes. Here are some of my favorites:
Oven-glazed Orange Chicken
Super simple and unique. Serve with rice to soak up the extra sauce. You can substitute peach or apricot jam for the orange marmalade.
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Ingredients
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 18-ounce jar orange marmalade
- 2 envelopes dry onion soup mix
- 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the chicken in a greased 9 x 13-inch pan.
- Mix the marmalade the with soup mix and spread evenly over the chicken.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake 15-20 minutes longer or until no longer pink. Remove from oven.
- Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/4 C cold water and stir into the sauce in the bottom of the pan to thicken the sauce. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
You can substitute peach or apricot jam for the orange marmalade.
Servings: 8
Spaghetti Pie
I have been making this recipe for decades and my family has never grown tired of it. Serve with a hearty salad and some crusty bread and dinner is done!
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Ingredients
- 6 ounces dry spaghetti noodles
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 pound ground turkey sausage (or any ground sausage) (Make it vegetarian by using 2 cups sautéed mushrooms)
- 1/3 cup onion chopped
- ¼ cup green pepper minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 2 ½ cups spaghetti or pasta sauce (I use Whole Foods 365 Organic Marinara)
- 1 ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cups Italian blend cheese (mozzarella, asiago, provolone, Romano, and Parmesan)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook spaghetti noodles in boiling water according to directions.
- Drain noodles and mix in a large bowl with the Parmesan cheese. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a pan and brown the sausage, onion, and green pepper. Drain off excess liquid.
- Next, add beaten eggs to the noodle mixture, stirring well.
- Spray a 10-inch-deep dish pie pan with cooking spray and pat the noodle mixture in the bottom and up the sides, pressing well.
- Add the spaghetti sauce to the browned, drained sausage mixture. Stir in the sour cream.
- Spread the sausage mixture on top of the spaghetti, making sure it reaches all the way to the sides of the pan.
- Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Italian cheese blend.
- Return to the oven and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the cheese becomes lightly golden and bubbly.
- Let cool slightly before cutting into wedges.
Notes
This recipe can be made ahead! Just assemble it the day before and cover tightly before refrigerating. Then, when you’re ready to bake it, simply pop it in the over and extend the baking time by 5 minutes or so.
Servings: 6
Cheddar Stuffed Meatloaf
This riff on a classic gives a cheesy nod to our neighboring state of Wisconsin. Serve with au gratin potatoes and a leafy green salad.
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- 1 cup saltine crackers, crushed
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup barbecue sauce, divided
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup mustard
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- ⅓ cup real maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉
- Mix beef, crackers, eggs, onion, salt, pepper, ½ cup barbecue sauce, ketchup, mustard, and milk.
- Press half of the mixture in a lightly greased loaf pan or casserole dish. Using a mixing spoon, gently press the meat mixture against the side of the loaf pan, forming an indentation in the middle large enough to accommodate the shredded cheese.
- Place the shredded cheese in the indentation that you formed.
- Top with the remaining meat mixture, making sure to seal around the edges of the cheese. The cheese should be completely inside the loaf of meat–this will keep it from oozing out while it cooks.
- Cover with foil and bake at 350℉ for 1 hour.
- While the meat bakes, mix the remaining ingredients–½ cup barbecue sauce, 2 tablespoons mustard, and ⅓ cup maple syrup.
- Remove the foil and baste with the barbecue sauce mixture.
- Bake uncovered, for 15 minutes more, or until done.
Servings: 8
Stove-Top Beef Stroganoff
An easy classic that doesn't need the oven. Simply serve over Amish-style noodles.
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds beef for stew, cubed
- 1 10–ounce package fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup onions, sliced
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon beef stock paste (or one bouillon cube)
- 3 14.5–ounce cans cream of mushroom soup
- 3 cups sour cream
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or deep skillet heat the olive oil and sauté the beef, mushrooms, and onions.
- Add the water and beef stock paste. Stir well.
- Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Add soup and mix well.
- Just before serving, add sour cream and mix thoroughly.
Servings: 6
Cabbage Roll Casserole
A shortcut that even those who think they don't like cabbage rolls are sure to love! Serve with a hearty bread and a crisp salad.
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup cooked rice (or uncooked Minute Rice)
- 2 16–ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups tomato or V8 juice
- 3 cups shredded cabbage
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325℉.
- Add the oil to a Dutch oven or large skillet. Brown the meat and onions.
- Add the remaining ingredients except the cabbage to the meat mixture. Mix well.
- Place the cabbage in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.
- Pour the meat mixture over top of the cabbage. Do not stir!
- Bake 1 ½ hours at 325℉. If it looks to be getting dry, pour a little more tomato juice on top.
- Top with a dollop of sour cream and fresh herbs if desired.
Servings: 6
What are some of your favorite main dishes for winter?
If you enjoyed this recipe, you can find more like it in my cookbook “Come and Get It!” Available on Amazon.
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Orange chicken — it’s soooo good!
I’ve tried the oven-glazed orange chicken and the spaghetti pie already and LOVED them! Making the meatloaf tomorrow… Thanks a ton for the recipes and dinner inspiration!
These do all look doable. Will have to give them a go :)
Yummy! Thanks for sharing Karen. I always look forward to the recipes you share. Sending you a hug. Stay warm!
Excellent! Thank you for sharing your warm and scrumptious looking recipes. Blessings!
Wow, these all sound fabulous. THANKS. will try alllll of them :)
Thanks! Am looking forward to trying some of these, the cabbage roll casserole especially intrigues me.