There is nothing more fulfilling than cozying up during a cold January night with a hot bowl of—wait, what on earth would be perfect for that memorable occasion? Why is it difficult for us to pinpoint exactly what we want to be in the mood for, especially if it’s something to warm us when our houses get drafty and the fireplace needs lighting? Why are our automatic dinner choices chicken and fries, pizza or spaghetti when a bounty of delicious recipes is waiting to be made?

When it comes to making dinner, especially later in the day when the sky grows darker and the outside world grows colder, a dinner recipe to conjure up the warmth in our hearts is a top priority! Listed below are mouth-watering, hot to the touch and scrumptious recipes to turn those cold dinner nights into comfortable dinner memories.

CHILI

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of ground beef
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cans (16 ounces each)
• tomatoes with liquid, chopped 3 beef bouillon cubes
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 can (15 to 16 ounces) kidney beans, undrained

Instructions:

• In a large kettle, brown ground beef.
• Drain and set aside. In the same kettle, heat oil; sauté garlic and onions over low heat until onions are tender.
• Stir in green pepper and seasonings.
• Cook for 2 minutes, stirring until well mixed. Add beef and tomatoes. Dissolve bouillon in water and add to soup.
• Simmer, covered, for about 1 hour. Add kidney beans; simmer 30 minutes longer. Yield: 8-10 servings (about 2-1/2 quarts).

GUMBO

Ingredients and Instructions provided by The Kitchn

Ingredients:

• 1 medium green bell pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 3 stalks celery
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1/2 bunch fresh parsley (optional)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons salt-free Cajun seasoning (see Recipe Notes), divided
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more as needed
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 1 rotisserie chicken
• 11/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 11/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 14 ounces andouille sausage
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil, such as canola or vegetable, divided
• 6 cups (48 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons filé powder (optional, see notes below)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions:

• Cut the vegetables: Prepare the following, placing each in the same medium bowl as you complete it: Trim and dice 1 medium green bell pepper (11/2 cups), 1 medium yellow onion (1 3/4 cups), and 3 celery stalks (1 1/2 cups).
• Prepare the remaining aromatics: Prepare the following, placing each in the same small bowl as you complete it: Mince 6 garlic cloves; coarsely chop the leaves from 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, if using, u​​n​​til you have about 1/2 cup; add 2 tablespoons of the salt-free Cajun seasoning, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 2 bay leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; stir to combine.
• Cut the chicken: If using raw chicken, dice 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces.
  Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, and the remaining 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning. If using rotisserie chicken, pick the meat and shred (about 4 cups); discard the skin and bones. (No need to season the rotisserie chicken meat.)
• Cook the sausage: Cut 14 ounces andouille sausage crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Cook in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the sausage is browned all over and releases its fat, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate.
• Brown the chicken: If using raw chicken, add 1 tablespoon of the neutral cooking oil and the chicken to the pot. Cook, stirring often, until the chicken is browned all over, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the plate of sausage. (Skip this step if using rotisserie chicken.)
• Cook the roux: Reduce the heat to medium. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, the remaining 1/4 cup neutral oil, and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. Cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot with the wooden spoon, until the roux resembles the color and texture of melted milk chocolate, 10 to 20 minutes. It will go from smelling like flour to toasted popcorn to nutty coffee. Don’t turn your back on the roux or it will burn!
• Add the aromatics and meat: Increase the heat to medium-high and add the bell pepper mixture. Stir to coat in the roux. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic mixture and return the sausage and chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Simmer: Add 6 cups of low-sodium chicken broth. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until the gumbo is thickened slightly and the flavors have melded 35 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice 1/2 bunch of scallions and cook white rice for serving if desired.
• Serve: Taste and season with more kosher salt as needed. (You’ll likely need to add more salt if starting with rotisserie chicken.) The gumbo can be served immediately or the day after (which is when it tastes best). Serve with a scoop of cooked white rice, scallions, a dash of Crystal hot sauce, and filé powder as desired. Filé powder adds herbal notes and thickens the gumbo a bit.

For more details on this recipe, visit the link provided: Classic Cajun Gumbo

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken
• Thyme (about ½ a teaspoon)
• Cut up pieces of onion
• 2-4 carrots slices to your preference
• 3 stalks of celery (the same size as the carrots)
• Green beans (fresh or frozen; if fresh, cut them in 3)

Instructions:

• Skin the chicken before boiling it to save time from having to remove the chicken fat from the stock. Use scissors and a little pairing knife.
• Put chicken in a big pot with onion, 1 celery stalk, and two carrots. Add just enough water or stock, or both to cover the chicken by about an inch.
• Boil the chicken until the chicken is falling apart.
• Remove the chicken from the bones and shred the meat.
• Strain off veggies from the stock.
• In the water boiled from the chicken, add the rest of the carrots and celery and boil until the vegetables are just starting to get tender
• Add the green beans and as much chicken as you want; let that boil until the vegetables are almost completely tender and add your dumplings.
• For the dumplings, a key recipe is used from the box of Bisquick
• Drop big soup spoon full-size dumplings into the soup; IMPORTANT: boil or simmer for 10 minutes uncovered then 10 minutes covered.

While these are just a few of the amazing recipes you can make, you are not limited to them! Provided below are some favorite dishes the SSA girls adore. Click a dish to see the recipe!

Winter Yummy Warm Food