5 Winter Dinner Recipes You Can Cook in 30 Minutes or Less (2024)

Happy Winter!

Okay who am I kidding. Winter sucks. I’d take Pina Coladas on the deck over fuzzy socks and hot cocoa. ANY.DAY.OF.THE.WEEK.

But Winter does have one thing going for it.

FOOOOOOD!

That’s right. BIG.HOT.HEARTY bowls of yum. You know that’s basically code for pasta and cheese, right?

To help you (and me. Maybe mostly me) stay happy this Winter, I’ve pulled together a list of my favourite YTGT winter dinner recipes. And the best part? Thanks to every recipe being loaded with veggies, they’re all kinda healthy-ish. Plus, they’re quick and easy. I’m talking 30 minutes or less to cook. Start to finish, prep time included.

So, you know what we’re going to do. Together. We’re going to make Winter great again. Who’s with me?

Healthy Mac n Cheese

Mac n Cheese….ULTIMATE WINTER COMFORT FOOD. I’m talking, pasta with a creamy melted cheese sauce, finished under the grill so It goes all crispy and crunchy. Because if there’s anything better than melted cheese, it’s melted cheese with crispy bits on top. And thanks to a big dose of hidden veg (I won’t tell anyone about the pumpkin puree if you don’t). My version of mac n cheese is almost healthy and definitely so much better for you than the boxed stuff.

You want to cook this, you know you do. Grab the recipe here.

Hearty & Healthy Tortellini Soup

This winter soup recipe is the ACTUAL best because, it’s not just soup, it’s also pasta. And because pasta is life, you won’t even notice that this soup is actually kind of good for you. Even though it’s loaded with veg, it’s soup that you ACTUALLY want to eat and it’s satisfying. I mean, how cool is that? A soup that actually fills it up. Plus, it’s super weeknight friendly, I’m talking basically a dump and stir scenario. You can have the whole thing cooked and on the table (or, if your like me, balanced on your knee in front of the telly) in less than 20 minutes.

Grab the ultimate in quick and easy soup recipes here.

Chicken Curry in a Hurry

Put down the takeout menu. You can cook a flavour packed curry at home. In your PJ’s. Seriously no one is going anywhere. It’s cold, it’s dark and my Chicken Curry in a Hurry is so much better than Indian take out. Here’s why:

  • It’s ain’t called Chicken Curry in a Hurry for nothing. With a 20 minute cook time, this thick, creamy curry will be ready, before you can even say Uber Eats.
  • It’s loaded with veg. A veggie bonanza you’d never find in a takeaway curry. Be smug people. Be smug.
  • Gluten free…unless you add Naan bread, which you definitely should, if you can.
  • With only a hint of spice, this chicken curry is family friendly, but still super tasty.

Guaranteed to warm the soul, this is one of my favourite winter dinner recipes. Get the easy Chicken Curry in a Hurry Recipe here.

Easy Cazuela Recipe

This may look like a boring ole’ bowl of chicken and vegetables, but it’s not. It’s a hug in a bowl. South American comfort food at its finest. It’s chicken, It’s veggie’s, It’s soup, It’s rice. It might even get you thinking. This winter thing…not so bad after all.

And I know what your thinking. Cazulea usually takes ages to cook. But, not this recipe. It is my quick and easy (it may not be super authentic, but it’s still totally delicious) version of Cazulea. Grab the 30 minute winter dinner recipe here.

Creamy Mushroom Baked Gnocchi

I probably don’t need to tell you too much about this recipe. I mean one look at this Creamy Mushroom Baked Gnocchi and you just know. You HAVE to have it. But in case you were wondering why I love it so much, here’s my top 3 reasons:

  1. This is not the type of creamy sauce that is going to make you feel heavy and blah. It’s made with milk instead of cream. It’s thick and creamy but not heavy. It’s the cream sauce you didn’t think existed, but it does. It’s real and delicious. And you may want to use this sauce on EVERYTHING you cook from now on…just saying.
  2. In case you didn’t know. Gnocchi has a superpower. It only takes 3 minutes to cook. And, if you ask me, that makes gnocchi better than regular pasta. I mean, save me time. Taste delicoius, I’m yours forever.
  3. Gnocchi is actually potato. Soft little pillows of potato that melt in your mouth, to be exact. And, that’s probably all I need to say about that.

This Creamy Mushroom Baked Gnocchi is everything a hearty winter dinner recipe should be. Grab the recipe here.

Now since, we’re in this thing together. Tell me. What are your go to Winter warmer recipes? You know the kind of Winter dinner recipes, that make you forget it’s actually winter because they’re like sunshine on a plate. You’ll be helping me. You will be helping us all.

If you make any of my 30 minute (or less) winter dinner recipes remember to share them with me on Instagram. I love seeing and sharing your creations. Plus, one lucky reader each month will win their own You Totally Got This grocery bag. You can find me@youtotallygotthis– don’t forget to set your account to public and use the hashtag #youtotallygotthis so I can find you.

P.S Want a whole weeks worth of dinners just like this? Grab your FREE quick and easy weeknight dinner plan righthere.

5 Winter Dinner Recipes You Can Cook in 30 Minutes or Less (2024)

FAQs

What can I cook in 5 minutes? ›

25 healthy recipes you can cook in 5 minutes or less
  • Pea and broad bean couscous.
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  • Porridge.
  • Pasta with cherry tomatoes and rocket.
  • Home-made hummus.
  • Smashed avocado and wilted spinach.
  • Cucumber (or potato) raitha.
  • Quick pitta pizzas.

What's for dinner in winter? ›

From cheesy pasta bakes, like our Extra-Easy Lasagna or our Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole, to fresh Instant Pot options, like our Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast, we've pulled together some hearty winter dinner ideas the whole family will enjoy.

What can you cook in 40 minutes? ›

30 - 40 Minute Meals
  • Creamy Chicken and Pasta.
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What can you cook in 3 minutes? ›

Three-Minute Meals
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What food is most eaten in winter? ›

Winter Seasonal Food List
  • mushrooms, “wild”
  • nuts (chestnuts, walnuts, pecans)
  • potatoes.
  • root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, yams, turnips, etc.)
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  • sunchoke (jerusalem artichoke)
  • canned, dried and frozen vegetables you bought in the summer and fall for winter meals.
Jan 13, 2015

What is the best food for winter? ›

The most warming vegetables that are good for your body are root vegetables like carrot, potato, onions, garlic, radish, yams, sweet potatoes, beets, turnips, etc, and hearty winter greens like palak, methi, sarson, muli, pudina, etc.

How to cook dinner in 30 minutes? ›

30-minute meal recipes
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What is lazy cooking? ›

It means making smart or clever adjustments that make cooking quicker and easier. Think of it as pandemic cooking 2.0—good, healthy food made convenient. It's all about sheet pan dinners, pressure cookers and any meal you can make in one vessel. It likely involves fewer steps and fewer ingredients.

What meat is easy to cook? ›

Which cuts of meat cook quickly?
  • Sirloin. Often sold as slices of meat, this cut is a large piece of meat taken from the middle of the animal's back, next to the fillet. ...
  • Rump. A good value steak that has much more flavour than a fillet or sirloin as the muscle that it comes from works harder in the animal. ...
  • Fillet. ...
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What cooks food quickly? ›

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