Winter is here and it’s the perfect time to binge on good food and enjoy the cold weather. But no one likes spending time in the kitchen peeling, cooking, and chopping. So, sit back because we bring you easy dinner recipes that are hearty, delicious, and don’t require too much effort. And remember to make a big batch because having leftovers for lunch will save you from the effort of cooking the next day.
Related: Who Said Vegan Is Boring? 8 Easy Recipes To Spice Up Your Next Meat-Free BBQ
1. Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients:
1 onion
5 carrots
5 stalks celery
1 cup wild rice
3 cups chicken broth
500 grams chicken breast (cut into small pieces)
10 tbsp butter (divided)
Salt, to taste
4 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
3–4 cups cubed bread (dry, sturdy, or day-old bread)
Method:
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees, chop the onion, carrots, celery, and place them in a large baking dish. To this, add the wild rice and broth and cover them neatly with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. When the rice is almost done, melt four tbsp of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. To this, add the flour and salt, and cook for one minute. Then slowly add the milk whisking continuously to form a thick, creamy sauce without any lumps.
You can melt the remaining butter and mix it with the bread crumbs. When the rice is done, remove the foil, add raw chicken and creamy sauce, and stir to combine. Arrange the bread in a layer on top. Then turn the heat up to 450 and bake uncovered for another 20-30 minutes until chicken is no longer pink and the bread cubes have turned golden brown. Lastly top it with salt, pepper, and/or parsley for a pop of green colour and fresh taste. Serve warm and enjoy this easy and hearty dinner recipe.
2. Garlic Butter Chicken and Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs (skin on or off)
500 grams brussels sprouts (cut in half)
Sea salt, to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup chicken stock
2 tsp butter
3 garlic cloves (very finely minced)
Method:
Add the chicken to a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, skin side up. If you are using skinless thighs, add a teaspoon of oil. Sprinkle half the salt and pepper over the chicken and let it cook for about five minutes, or until it is brown on the bottom. Flip the chicken over and sprinkle the remaining salt and pepper. Then cook until the skin is crispy or the top is brown for about 6-7 minutes. Once done, remove the chicken from the pan.
While the chicken is cooking, cut the brussels sprouts in half and add them to the pan. Let them cook until they are brown on one side for about five minutes, then push them to the side of the pan, and leave the chicken on the other side of the pan. Then pour the chicken stock into the pan and let it simmer until the pan is dry and the chicken is fully cooked for about 15 minutes. Pile the brussels sprouts on one side of the pan and add the butter and garlic. Let the garlic cook for two minutes then spoon some garlic butter over the top of the chicken. Mix the rest of the garlic butter into the brussels sprouts. Lastly, sprinkle some pepper and serve hot.
3. Instant Pot Sweet Potato Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
For tortilla soup:
Half an onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 can (800 grams) fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
6 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp chilli powder
A dash of chipotle powder
1–2 cups sweet corn (optional)
For tortilla strips and toppings:
12 corn tortillas
Oil for frying
1/2 avocado
Cotija or feta cheese
A handful of cilantro
1/2 red onion
1-2 lime wedges
Method:
Start with making the soup and place all soup ingredients in an Instant Pot. Cook it on high pressure for about three minutes and then quick-release the steam. Next, cut the tortillas into small strips. Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat. Then, working in batches, add tortilla strips and fry them in the hot oil for a few minutes until golden and crispy. Remove the strips with tongs, drain them on paper towels, and sprinkle with salt. Then stir about half of your tortilla strips into the soup and reserve the remaining half for topping. Top individual bowls with toppings and serve this delicious easy dinner recipe this fall season.
Related: Slurp, Slurp, Slurp! Quick And Comforting Soup Recipes To Warm Your Soul
4. Hidden-Veggie Spaghetti with Ricotta
Ingredients:
Method:
In a big saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. To this, add garlic, and cook and stir for one minute. Then add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, cauliflower, carrot, Italian seasoning, salt, fennel seeds, and red pepper. Bring it to a boil and then reduce heat and let it simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook and drain spaghetti according to package directions. Once done, serve the cooked pasta topped with sauce and a dollop of ricotta cheese. You can also garnish it with black pepper, a dash of olive oil, and some fresh parsley.
5. Rosemary Chicken Lasagna
Ingredients:
For pasta:
250 grams chicken breast, cut into small bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
250 grams sliced mushrooms
1/2 onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh spinach (optional)
250 grams dry lasagna noodles or fresh pasta sheets
350 grams fresh or grated mozzarella, divided (keep 100 grams for the sauce)
500 grams whole milk ricotta
3/4 cup Parmesan, grated
1 tbsp lemon zest
Truffle oil (optional)
For the bechamel sauce:
4 tbsp butter or olive oil
4 tbsp flour
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp white pepper
Truffle oil (optional)
Method:
Make the filling:
Start by preheating the oven at 400 F. Then cut the chicken into 1/2 inch, bite-sized pieces and season with salt and cracked pepper to taste. Saute this in a skillet, on medium heat, with 1-2 tbsp of olive oil until golden brown, and cooked through, then place chicken in a bowl and set aside. Next, wipe out the pan and add a little more oil. To this, add mushrooms, onion, and saute until tender, on medium heat, for about seven minutes. Add garlic and rosemary, and saute for two more minutes. Season this with and lower the heat to medium-low, and saute until mushrooms release their liquid. Then add chopped spinach, stir until wilted, and add this to the chicken and set aside.
Make the bechamel sauce:
In a small pot, melt butter on medium-low heat, add flour, and stir for 2-3 minutes on medium heat until the flour is golden. Then slowly whisk in milk, one cup at a time. To this, add rosemary and bring to a gentle simmer, do not leave unattended, stirring constantly. Add 100 grams of mozzarella, stir until melted and thickened, followed by salt, nutmeg, and white pepper, and stir until incorporated, then set aside.
Assemble lasagna:
Butter or grease a 9 x 13-inch pan and pour 3/4 cups of bechamel sauce in the bottom and spread out. Lay down one layer of pasta or dry noodles. Then using a teaspoon, place teaspoon-sized dollops of ricotta, using up about half the container. Spread out 1/2 of the chicken mushroom filling, drizzle 1/2 cup bechamel, sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan, 100 grams of fresh mozzarella, and half of the lemon zest. Repeat the same steps for the rest of the pasta and sauce. At this point, you could drizzle a little truffle oil and top the last layer of pasta with the remainder of the bechamel, spreading evenly. To this add the final 1/4 cup of Parmesan and sprinkle with a little rosemary.
Bake the pasta by covering it tightly for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Then remove the foil and bake uncovered until the top is golden for about 15 more minutes. Let this rest out of the oven for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.
6. Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients:
Vegetarian shepherd’s pie filling:
2 tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, minced
500 grams fresh mushrooms, sliced
6 carrots, peeled and chopped
Fresh herbs to taste (sprig of rosemary, thyme, and a bay leaf)
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup red wine
2 cups veggie broth
Salt, to taste
2 cups frozen peas
Mashed Potatoes:
6 gold potatoes
1/2 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup butter or olive oil
Salt, to taste
Method:
Peel the potatoes, and boil them until fork tender. Then drain the excess water, mash the potatoes, and mix in yogurt and butter, and season to taste. Then in a large oven-safe pot, heat the oil over medium heat. To this, add shallots and sauté until fragrant, followed by mushrooms, carrots, and whole herbs. Sauté until carrots are softened. Next, add tomato paste and flour to the pot and stir. Pour in the red wine and scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Let the wine cook for a minute or two and then slowly add the broth, stirring it in until the gravy starts to form. Then season with salt and simmer over low heat to get it thickened even further.
Once done, remove the herbs, stir in the peas, spread the mashed potatoes on top, brush with butter, and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Lastly, serve this delicious and easy dinner recipe and enjoy the chilled weather.
7. Roasted Mushroom Kale Pizza
Ingredients:
2 cups shredded kale
200 grams mixed wild mushrooms, torn
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving
200 grams pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
1 tbsp fig preserves (optional)
4 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
100 grams crumbled goat cheese
1 cup shredded Havarti cheese
1 tbsp salted butter, thinly sliced into 3 pieces
Method:
Start by preheating the oven to 450 degrees F and grease a large baking sheet with olive oil. In a medium bowl, combine the kale, mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Massage the kale and mushrooms with your hands for a minute. Then on a lightly floured surface, push/roll the dough out until it is pretty thin. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and spread the dough with preserves. Add the sage, crushed red pepper, and goat cheese, then layer the kale and mushrooms over the cheese. Top with Havarti and thin slices of butter and transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted. Once done, top the pizza with fresh thyme and enjoy this delicious and easy dinner recipe!
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