A hearty bowl of soup, delectable latte, or ooey-gooey grilled cheese sandwich has the power to warm you from the inside out. From soups to warm beverages, we’ve rounded up our favorite cold-weather recipes for you to try this winter.
Soup Recipes for Cold Weather
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Creamy White Chicken Chili is a favorite for the cold, winter months. Cream cheese and heavy cream meld together in a velvety sauce with shredded chicken and great northern beans. Cumin, chili powder, and oregano give this chili its familiar smokey taste. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, and sliced avocado.
Easy Savory Pumpkin Soup
Easy pumpkin soup made of our favorite winter squash, is savory, rich, and creamy. Perfect for a cold night this soup is made with chicken broth, caramelized onions, bacon, carrots, and 100% pure pumpkin puree.
Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup
If you’re in the mood for a meatless meal, look no further than our Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup. Even though it’s vegan, our minestrone soup is hearty and filling, plus it’s full of healthy, fresh ingredients. With an olio of legumes (kidney and northern beans), celery, zucchini, carrots, diced tomatoes, green beans, and pasta, dry red wine is an optional ingredient that adds depth of flavor.
Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Our one-pot Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup is hit with the whole family. Who can resist the cheesy, creamy, goodness? Tender broccoli, onions, and carrots add some freshness to this rich soup. Serve with a small salad or french baguette for a wonderful meal.
Classic Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken noodle soup evokes memories of childhood. A can of Sprite, a sleeve of saltines, the Price is Right, and a bowl of this beloved soup usually made everything alright. Okay, maybe we weren’t as sick as we let on. Either way, our homemade chicken noodle soup is a classic and freezer friendly, so make a big pot and save for quick weeknight meals.
Cold Weather Crock Pot Recipes
Simple But Tasty Taco Soup
When the temps start dropping, it’s time to bust out the crockpot. One of our favorite slow cooker cold weather recipes is taco soup because it’s the best of both worlds: tacos and soup. The combination of two of our favorite foods will have you coming back for seconds. After cooking the beef, combine ingredients in a large pot and let simmer for around 30 minutes. Garnish with shredded cheddar and sour cream and serve with tortilla chips.
Delicious Crockpot Loaded Potato Soup
Another one of our favorite crockpot cold weather recipes is loaded potato soup. It’s like a warm hug you didn’t know you needed. For our recipe, we use Yukon gold potatoes, but russets would work just as well. A slow cooker is used for this recipe, but you can make it on the stovetop too. You’ll mash the potatoes in this soup during the cooking process to make the soup creamier.
Easily customizable, you can add different spices, like cayenne pepper, allspice, or rosemary for different flavor profiles. Top with your favorite cheese, chives, and extra bacon bits to finish this mouthwatering soup.
Instant Pot Recipes For Cold Weather
Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Our Instant Pot French Onion Soup is a rich, delicate soup that is done in half the time of the traditional soup. Gruyere cheese and a french baguette slice sit atop this beautifully savory soup. Caramelized onions in a mixture of chicken and beef stock and red wine will thicken up as the instant pot cooks. Toast your baguette with the cheese before placing on top of this delectable soup.
Dinner Recipes for Cold Weather
Cheesiest Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Like our French onion soup, OOLA’s Cheesiest Grilled Cheese Sandwich features some amazingly delicious cheese and bread combinations. We chose Gruyere, pepper jack, American, and cheddar cheese to make our sandwich, but feel free to choose whatever you like.
Sourdough is a great bread for grilled cheese because it toasts nicely but still keeps a bit of chewiness. You can switch up your type of bread and add extras to your sandwich. Bacon, avocado, arugula, and tomato slices all go nicely on a warm, toasty, grilled cheese.
Prime Rib Roast
Cooking tender prime rib to perfection doesn’t have to be intimidating. This rich and flavorful cut of meat hits the spot on a cold winter’s day.
Rich, Flavorful Braised Beef
Whether it’s for a sandwich, a morning hash, or just to eat alongside some mash potatoes, braised beef is a juicy, flavorful cut of meat. So tender it falls apart in your mouth, braised beef is a quintessential cold-weather beef recipe.
Hot Drink Recipes
Delicious Peppermint Mocha Latte
A mixture of cozy chocolate and bright peppermint make warm peppermint mochas the perfect cold-weather beverage. No worries if you don’t own an espresso machine, this mocha can be made with strong coffee. Add whatever type of milk you enjoy, and bring everything to a boil in a saucepan. Top it off with some homemade whipped cream, crushed candy canes, and/or chocolate shavings.
Slow Cooker Mulled Wine
Mmmm.. a winter version of sangria, you say? Yes please! Mulled wine is such a comforting beverage warms you to the bone. With a mixture of cabernet sauvignon and brandy, it packs a punch, but hey, we’re staying home anyway. If cold weather cocktails recipes are your thing, check out 17 Boozy Drinks to Keep You Warm This Winter.
Hot Chocolate Bombs
Kick your classic cocoa up a notch with our hot chocolate bombs. Filled chocolate balls are dropped directly into warm milk. Once the chocolate melts, the bomb bursts open to reveal hot cocoa powder and marshmallows, instantly transforming a warm mug of milk into a rich, decadent treat.
Cold Weather Dessert Recipes
Easy Baked Apples
Our easy baked apple recipe is a combination of delicious Gala apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, and nutmeg. Baked together in a bath of apple juice, brandy, or apple cider the liquid keeps the apples moist and protects them from charring on the bottom of the pan.
Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
There are few things more Southern than a bourbon pecan pie. If you’ve never had the pleasure of enjoying this decadent treat, well, bless your heart. Sweet brown sugar, earthy pecans, and a rich blend of dates and maple syrup create a decadent flavor that’s sliced right down the middle by a sharp bite of Kentucky bourbon. Perfect any time of year, this pecan pie is bound to leave anyone as full as a tick.
