Nothing warms me up to the idea of classic comfort foods than just having spent the last weekend brr-ing our way through a hockey tournament 😉 Life is feeling fast & full again, and while we’re VERY grateful for every bit of goodness that’s been allowed back into our world, all those slow-cooked meals we enjoyed when things were on pause feel fewer & far reaching. Here are some of our favourite Easy Cold Weather Classic Meal Ideas we’re leaning back into that keep us warm & satisfied as the weather temps dip that are also quick to prepare we think your family will love as much as we do!
10 Easy Cold Weather Classic Meal Ideas – La Cucina di Kerrs
Autumn Harvest Chicken Bake
Chicken a la sheet pan is one of our go-to meals for the Fall/Winter seasons. Grab all your favourite seasonal veg & your poultry of preference for this quick and hearty weeknight dinner idea. We used peppers, brussels sprouts, potatoes & onions simply because this is what we had on hand, but there are no rules here. Other Autumn season veg like cabbage, squash, sweet potatoes and/or broccoli, eggplant, zucchini & cauliflower would taste amazing in this recipe too. For our American friends/family who may be having a smaller Thanksgiving gathering & want an alternative recipe to cooking the big bird, this is it…just swap the chicken for turkey!
Add your fave poultry & seasonal veg to make this hearty sheet pan chicken bake!
Roasted Apple Squash Soup
Thick and chunk soup lovers will enjoy slurping this Roasted Apple Squash one right up. The sheet pan roast of apples, carrots, onion, garlic & butternut squash gives this recipe a nice flavour upgrade. This soup pairs nicely with your Autumn Chicken Bake as a starter or with your family’s favourite artisan bread to make it a meal all it’s own.
Sheet pan roasted the veg first gives this Apple Butternut Squash soup it’s flavour upgrade!
One-Pan Butternut Squash + Turkey Gnocchi
This dish is filled with the flavours of the season & uses some “cheats” like packaged gnocchi over homemade to simplify. It’s so delish & FILLING and the best part? It takes under 15 minutes to make. It’s definitely one of our favourite fancy without the fuss meals this time of year.
So hearty & filling, this One-Pan Butternut Squash & Turkey Gnocchi is delish!
Potato Leek Soup – Lightened Up
We love this recipe for using up potatoes starting to shrivel and the fact it’s mostly made with simple, affordable ingredients from your pantry.
Most Potato Leek Soup recipes have a heavy cream added (which no doubt is delicious), but we prefer this lightened up, broth-based version instead.
No cream added to this lightened up Potato Leek Soup recipe – still SO delish!
One-Pot Pasta e Fagioli
Looking for a one-pot dinner that provides the comfort of pasta and the warmth of soup? Our one-pot pasta e fagioli pantry recipe is sure to become a fan favorite. Classic, authentic Italian pasta e fagioli recipes vary depending on seasonal ingredients’ availability. The only required ingredients are pasta and beans. For a heartier version, add some beef or pancetta.
A one-pot twist on a classic Italian meal, this one-pot paste e fagioli will warm your family’s hungry hearts (and souls) right up!
Turkey White Bean & Kale Soup
Add this delish soup for the soul as the starter to your holiday menu or seasonal soup must-try! Swap the turkey sausage for turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving or leave out altogether for a vegetarian option.
A recipe with kale that is far from boring, we make this one on repeat to warm ourselves up through the cold weather seasons!
To liven up your soups this season with a bit of crunch, try our Homemade Italian Croutons. A great way to clear the frozen bits of bread in your freezer or near-stale bread from your countertops this season!
Liven up your soups with our Homemade Italian Ciabatta Croutons!
Old School Mac n’ Cheese
The ultimate comfort carbs classic dish, this Old School Mac n’ Cheese has just four simple ingredients, no fussy fillers & tastes just like Nana’s version!
No fillers, just 4 simple ingredients to make this Old School classic Mac n’ Cheese!
Smashed Potato Shepherd’s Pie
Combining a spin Grandma Kerr’s mashed potatoes she always made for holiday meals & Nana D’s smashed potato version with the classic Shepherd’s Pie cooking method, this easy and filling dinner idea may get a repeat slot on your meal rotation!
Mexican Tortilla Soup
For soup recipes that call for lots of ingredients, we love pre-packaged artisan mixes you can customize with your favourite add-ins. We made this Mexican Tortilla Soup using our favourite artisan soup mix {*Made in Canada*} and combination cooking with a few simple, fresh ingredients. SO delish!
Penne Pasta Al Forno
One of our family’s favourite pasta leftover makeovers & great recipe to clear out cooked veggies from the fridge!
We hope one of these easy cold weather classic meal ideas has helped avert some dinner panic this week. We love seeing you cook one of our recipes up in your Cucinas with your own families, so tag us if you try @House_of_Kerrs.
MORE FAMILY RECIPES & RESOURCES TO ALLIEVIATE SOME WEEKNIGHT DINNER STRESS!
For our Meal-Planning Mavens, 101 Meal Planning Ideas to liven up your meal rotation!
Or try 17 Pantry Recipes your family will love for dinner & can turn into a school lunch winner, including chili, soups, casseroles & more!
For over 800+ other Easy Meal Ideas, check out fellow family foodie recipes on our Pinterest Board.
For tons of simple seasonal meal ideas we don’t always have time to get polished for the blog, visit our La Cucina di Kerrs, Easy Recipes & Food + Recipes Highlights on Instagram.
Keep well, eat well,
Love these recipes.