To start things off, this classic casserole dish is a perfect pick for when it’s particularly chilly outside. Even if you don’t usually make this at home, this recipe may take you back to the lunchroom cafeteria in high school! In any event, it’s simple to make and it ends up tasting amazing. Here’s how you do it:

1 package of chicken stuffing mix
2 cups of cubed chicken (cooked)
1 cup of thawed broccoli florets
1 can of condensed broccoli cheese soup
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare the chicken stuffing according to the instructions on the package (use 1 1/2 cups of water).
3. Get out a large mixing bowl and combine your chicken, broccoli and soup before pouring it all into a greased baking dish.
4. Cover the dish and bake it for 20 minutes.
5. Take the cover off and bake it for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until it’s heated all the way through.

When it comes to hearty dishes, potatoes are indispensable. They are the foundation of all kinds of different meals, many of which are delicious—and this one is no different. This simple recipe for creamy beef and potatoes packs plenty of flavor and is so easy to put together. The whole family is guaranteed to love it. Here’s how you make it:

4 cups of frozen O’Brien potatoes
1 tablespoon of water
1 pound of ground beef
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
2 cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup
2/3 cup of milk
2 cups of shredded cheese

1. Begin by putting your potatoes and water together in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and cook in the microwave for eight to 10 minutes on high, stirring it up twice.
2. Get out a Dutch oven and cook your beef in it over medium heat for six to eight minutes.
3. Break the beef into crumbles and drain the fat. Add salt and pepper and stir.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the soup and milk until they’re well-combined.
5. Stir in the potatoes and add cheese.
6. Turn the heat down to low before covering the Dutch oven. Cook until the cheese melts and serve.

If we’re talking about hearty and hot meals, it doesn’t get much better than a piping hot bowl of chili. If you’re going to make one of these recipes, we suggest this one. It packs plenty of meaty and delicious flavor and is sure to fill your stomach and boost your spirits on the coldest of days. Here’s how you do it:

1 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves of minced garlic
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
1 1/2 tablespoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of ground oregano
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 can of kidney beans, drained
1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
green onions, sliced
salt
black pepper
shredded cheddar (topping)
sour cream (topping)

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot.
2. Add onions and cook for five minutes until they turn soft.
3. Add the garlic and stir it in, cooking for a minute. Add tomato paste and stir again.
4. Add the ground beef and cook it through, draining the fat out.
5. Add your chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper, stirring it up.
6. Pour in the beans and crushed tomatoes as well before bringing the chili up to a boil. After that, turn the heat down and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary, otherwise serve in bowls and top with cheddar and sour cream!

Lasagna is about as good as it gets when it comes to comfort food. As it turns out, it’s also a perfect meal to make when it’s cold outside. To add just a little bit of variety to a familiar recipe, why not try to make it in a roll-up variety? Like every other recipe on this list, it couldn’t be easier to make and it ends up tasting incredible. Here’s how you make it:

1/2 box of lasagna noodles
1 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
10 ounces of baby spinach
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
2 cups of ricotta
1 egg
1 cup of grated parmesan
1 cup of marinara
2 cups of mozzarella
salt
black pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In the mean time, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook your lasagna noodles. Drain them when they’re done.
2. Next, heat some oil over medium heat in a skillet and add onion and garlic. Season it with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
3. Cook everything for five minutes until the onions are soft. Add your spinach and cook it until it wilts.
4. Stir in the lemon zest as well and take it off the heat.
5. Get out a large bowl and stir in your ricotta, egg and half a cup of parmesan. Season it with salt and pepper.
6. Spread the ricotta mix onto one side of the lasagna noodles. Top it off with marinara and spinach before sprinkling mozzarella on top.
7. Roll each one up tightly and pour some marinara in the bottom of a baking dish.
8. Add your rolled up lasagna noodles and scoop more sauce on top of all of them.
9. Sprinkle additional mozzarella and parmesan on top of everything.
10. Bake everything for 20 minutes and add parsley on top when you’re ready to serve!

If you’re looking for a meal that’s less beef-based, why not try out this white chicken chili? This recipe is a personal favorite and includes has a perfect combination of light spice, creaminess and savory flavor. If you try this recipe once, you’re sure to make it again and again. Here’s how you do it:

1 tablespoons of olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
2 cans of green chilis
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (chopped into thirds)
5 cups of chicken broth
2 cans of white beans
1 1/2 cups of frozen corn
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/4 cup of shredded cheese
1/4 cup of crushed tortilla chips
salt
black pepper

1. Heat oil in a pot over medium heat before adding your onion and jalapeno.
2. Cook for five minutes until it turns soft and add garlic, oregano and cumin. Cook for a minute until it turns fragrant.
3. Add your green chilis, chicken and broth as well. Season it with salt and pepper and bring it to a boil.
4. Turn it down and cover it, letting it simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
5. Take the chicken out and put it on a plate to shred it with two forks. Put it back in the pot and add white beans and corn.
6. Bring it back to a simmer and cook it for 10 minutes.
7. Turn the heat off and stir in your sour cream. When it’s done, scoop your chili into bowls and garnish with cheese, cilantro and chips.

Although you can make this recipe right out of a can as well, homemade chicken noodle soup is one of the best dishes you can make. Although this is a dish that’s guaranteed to make you feel good regardless, it’s especially good for anyone coming down with a cold or the flu. Fortunately, it’s also simple to make. Here’s how you do it:

1 teaspoon of olive oil
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 cup of diced onion
2 diced carrots
1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
2 diced celery stalks
32 ounces of chicken stock
1 cup of egg noodles
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
salt
black pepper

1. Heat oil in a pot over medium heat and add onions, celery and carrots.
2. Cook it for six minutes before adding garlic and thyme. Cook it for a minute until it turns fragrant.
3. Shift the vegetables to one side of the pot and add the chicken to the other side. Season it with salt and pepper and cook it for six to eight minutes.
4. Add your chicken stock and a half cup of water and bring it to a boil.
5. Add noodles as well and cook them according to the package. Season it with salt and pepper before adding parsley and serving.

We already said that potatoes were a staple in this kind of cooking—and this recipe is just more proof of that fact. Instead of taking all the work to prepare the potatoes yourself, why not buy a bag of tater tots and make a casserole out of them? This recipe is so delicious that you’ll want to have it all year round. Here’s how you do it:

1 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of yellow onion, diced
2 minced cloves of garlic
2 pounds of ground beef
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons of flour
1 cup of chicken broth
2 cups of grated cheddar
1 1/2 cups of frozen peas
1 1/2 cups of frozen corn
1 pound of frozen tater tots
2 slices of bacon, cooked and cut into half-inch strips
sliced scallions
salt
black pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
2. Get out a cast-iron skillet and heat oil over medium-high heat, adding onions and cooking for three minutes.
3. Add your garlic and keep cooking for another minute, seasoning with salt and pepper.
4. Add ground beef as well and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook all the pink out, for about six minutes. When it’s done, drain the fat and put it back on the heat.
5. Add cayenne and flour and stir for another minute before adding broth.
6. Bring the whole thing to a boil before letting it simmer for two minutes. Fold in a cup of cheese, peas and corn.
7. Transfer everything to a baking dish and top it off with another cup of cheese. Spread tater tots and bacon on top in a layer.
8. Bake the casserole until the cheese melts and the tater tots turn golden brown, for 27 to 30 minutes.
9. Let the dish cool for two to three minutes before topping with scallions and enjoy!

Although a basic homemade chicken noodle soup is a classic recipe as well, this cajun version adds just a little bit more spice and uniqueness. Even if you’ve never made it before, it uses a bunch of simple ingredients and couldn’t taste more delicious when it’s done. Here’s how you make it:

1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 pound of chicken breast
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 cup of diced onion
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 cup of diced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
32 ounces of chicken broth
1 cup of pasta rings
1/4 cup of chopped parsley

1. Heat your olive oil in a pot of medium heat.
2. Season your chicken with salt and cook it for five minutes on each side, until it turns golden brown.
3. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool off and chop it into half-inch cubes. Keep any extra drippings.
4. Put the pot back on medium heat and add more olive oil along with garlic and onions.
5. Cook it all for four to five minutes before adding celery, red bell pepper, cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and salt. Cook it all for three to four minutes.
6. Add lemon juice, broth and half a cup of water, bringing everything to a boil.
7. Add pasta and cook it according to the package as well.
8. Add your chicken along with the leftover drippings back into the pot with parsley. Heat it through and serve!

If you haven’t noticed our theme yet, hearty soups are a nearly perfect food to eat when it gets cold outside. To that end, this sausage and white bean soup is a great option for someone looking for a meal that’s a little lighter than a full chili but still with some meatiness to it. Here’s how you do it:

1/2 pound of sausage (casings removed)
1/2 teaspoon of fennel seed
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 cup of diced onion
1/2 cup of dry white wine
2 cups of marinara
32 ounces of chicken stock
1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of pasta
3 cups of baby spinach, washed and dried

1. Start by heating a big pot over medium-high heat. Add your sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon.
2. Add in fennel seed, garlic and onions and cook it all for four minutes, stirring occasionally throughout.
3. Next, deglaze your pan with wine and season everything with salt and pepper, simmering it all for another two minutes.
4. Add your marinara and stock and bring it to a boil. Next, turn it down and let it simmer for three minutes.
5. Add your beans and pasta, cooking the noodles according to the package instructions.
6. Add a little bit of chicken stock or water if the soup is too thick. When you’re ready to serve, add fresh spinach and let it wilt. Stir until it’s warmed through and serve!

Last but not least, this cheesy and delicious recipe is another dish that’s sure to stick to your ribs and satisfy the whole family. If you’re at all a fan of broccoli cheddar soup, this casserole twist on that familiar recipe is sure to be a new favorite as well. Here’s how you do it:

1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup of sour cream
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, sharp
1 can of french-fried onions
2 packages of frozen broccoli florets, thawed

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
2. Get out a big saucepan and combine your soup, sour cream, a cup of cheese and one and a quarter cups of onion.
3. Heat everything over medium heat and keep stirring until it’s well-blended, for about four to five minutes.
4. Add your broccoli as well, stirring everything up.
5. Transfer the entire mix to a greased baking dish and bake it for 25 to 30 minutes.
6. Sprinkle your leftover cheese on top along with the rest of the onions. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes and serve!

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Sources: Delish, Bon Appetit, Taste of Home