It’s a Hard Winter ❅ Stick-to-Your-Ribs Recipe Roundup

It Ain't Barbecue Season │ © Life Through the Kitchen Window.com

Oh, what a winter it’s been, and it’s only January. It started in November and it seems it’s hardly let up. Sure, we’ve had a few mild days here and there, but they’ve been overshadowed (snowed in, so to speak) by relentless, no-holds-barred winter weather.

We’ve seen it all. Lake effect snow and streamers that ran over us for days, dumping deep snow. Widespread ice storms (we were spared, thank goodness). Cold weather alerts. Wind chill warnings (a numbing -40 polar vortex is no treat). School and business closures. Blowing snow warnings. Whiteouts. Road closures, airport delays, transportation mayhem. Plows depositing walls of snow boulders at the end of the driveway.

Radar: Streamers Off the Lake

And did I mention my old nemesis, black ice? We had some of that in the thaw/freeze cycle after the November snow storms, but the worst is yet to come when spring approaches in fits and starts.

All in all, a good old-fashioned Canadian winter. The kind we used to have when I was a kid.

It’s not all bad. After all, when you’re not shovelling it, stuck in it or driving in it, the snow is pretty. It makes a great backdrop for food photography and the air is clean and fresh. Best of all, this is the perfect weather for hearty, stick-to-your ribs comfort food. You know the kind: stews and pasta dishes, hot, full of flavour and satisfying. Just the thing to last us through the hibernation until spring.

Here are 22 recipes to help you forget that the barbecue’s engulfed in a snowdrift.

Winter Driving │ © Life Through the Kitchen Window.com

Beef Stews & Other Comfort Dishes

Beef Curry with Potatoes, Red Pepper & Spinach

Beef Stew with Red Wine

Beef & Spaghetti Dinner

Braised Beef Shanks

Ginger Orange Beef Stew with Chinese Five Spice

Hamburger Skillet Dinner with Potatoes & Tomatoes

Hungarian Goulash

Middle-Eastern Inspired Beef Stew

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Poultry Comfort Dishes

Chicken Curry with Spinach

Chicken/Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash

Traditional Punjabi Chicken

Pasta Dishes (Meatless)

Pasta with Garlic, Red Chili and Lime

Pasta with Olive Oil & Cremini Mushrooms

Pasta with Potatoes, Cabbage & Cheese

Pork Winter Goodness

Italian Pork Stew

Spicy Sausage & Tomato Sauce

Hearty & Satisfying Vegetable Dishes

Fragrant Red Lentil Dahl

Panchphoran Aloo Indian Potatoes in Whole Spices

Indian Style Cauliflower & Sweet Potato

Quinoa & Red Pepper Chili

Rustic Potato & Tomato Casserole

Kitchen Memories

One Year Ago: Homemade Soup to Soothe – Chili-Seasoned Corn & Cauliflower Soup with Chickpeas and Spinach

Two Years Ago: Mise en … whoops!

4 comments

  1. What a delicious roundup! Hope you are keeping warm. I adore winter and the comfort foods that we get to eat. It’s summer here and I have to say, while we haven’t been eating such heavy meals, we haven’t been eating many salads either. There is something very satisfying about a big pot of deliciousness bubbling away on the stove.

    • Thanks for stopping by, Bunny! Oh, the cold continues. We’re under another wind chill warning right now. I just spent the evening canning apple butter, so it’s good and warm in here, alright. I know what you mean about hot food in the warm weather — we eat a lot of soup when we’re on vacation at the beach in the summer. So good, even on a hot day, and so easy!

  2. It will definitely be a winter to remember, we are in the midst of yet another snowstorm with more than a foot predicted and another one on the way in a couple of days that all they are saying now is it will be significant. Each and every dish you mentioned is perfect for this weather. And yes, snow is pretty when all you have to do is look at it which seems like most of the time this winter. 🙂

    • It’s been snowing all day here too. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of this prettiness for this year! That said, I’ll be making my Hungarian Goulash this afternoon to counteract the effects of falling and blowing snow.

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