Cold Weather Dinners

December 16, 2013

Ward off the winter chill with warming soups and stews, hearty braised meats, and rich pasta dishes.

Cassoulet au Canard — This duck-lover's version of the classic southern French casserole includes the bird in the form of rich sausages, bone-in legs and thighs, breast meat, and the traditional confit.Penny De Los Santos

Beer-Braised Pork Belly — This chile-rubbed, beer-braised pork belly is cooked until tender and served atop arugula and pears. Get the recipe for Beer-Braised Pork Belly Salad »Penny De Los Santos

Red Lentil and Squash Soup (Shorabit Jarjir) — Protein-rich red lentils and hearty butternut squash are transformed into a smooth, fragrant soup that's a perfect, simple meal served with flatbread.Penny De Los Santos

Cheesy Crab Gratin — This Swedish gratin of shredded crabmeat is traditionally made using Västerbotten, a salty aged cows' milk cheese, but parmesan works well as a substitute. See the recipe for Crab Gratin with Anchovies and Västerbotten Cheese »Penny de Los Santos

This thick, tangy soup from Ludivine restaurant in Oklahoma City gets additional depth of flavor from smoked tomatoes. Add a grilled cheese and you've got a perfect weeknight meal. See the recipe for Smoked Tomato Soup »James Roper

Shepherd's Pie — In this pub staple, gravy is added to minced meat, onions, and any vegetables on hand and topped with a buttery mound of mashed potato is dolloped on top. Get the recipe for Shepherd's Pie »Penny De Los Santos

Chicken Pot Pie — Classic, comforting pot pie gets an elegant boost with the addition of shaved black truffles.Landon Nordeman

South Indian Onion Stew (Sambar) — In South India, rice and sambar is a daily meal. A stew made from chana dal (yellow split peas), sambar is a spicy medium for vegetables from miniature eggplants to okra to pearl onions. South Indian sambar is bolstered by sambar powder—coriander seeds, red chile, fenugreek seeds, and curry leaves, among other spices, that are coarsely ground together—as well as spices typically found in garam masala.Penny De Los Santos

Portuguese Tomato Soup with Poached Eggs (Sopa de Tomate) — Portuguese home cook Conceição Louro of Estremoz infuses tomatoes with smoky bacon and sausage in this rich tomato soup served with poached eggs.Todd Coleman

Kale and Sausage Penne with Lemon Cream Sauce — This is a pasta dish of strong flavors: dark, earthy kale is offset by bright lemon cream and a warm, aromatic heat from crushed red chiles and garlic.Maxime Iattoni

These German bread dumplings spiced with nutmeg are served in beef-marrow enriched broth for a warming winter soup.Todd Coleman

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo — A thick, dark roux and heaps of okra combine with chicken and sausage in this classic Cajun stew.Maxime Iattoni

Beef meatballs and fresh escarole lend sweet depth to this comforting Italian-American soup. See the recipe for Escarole Soup »Todd Coleman

Rigatoni with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Spicy Sausage — For a riff on classic pasta alla norma, try adding spicy Italian sausage to pasta laden with eggplant and sweet tomatoes.Helen Rosner

Beef and Potato Thai Curry — The dried spices in this complex, coconut-enriched Thai curry from chef Andy Ricker of Pok Pok reveal its South Asian origins. Ricker's advice, from his October 2013 article The Star of Siam: "Follow the recipe exactly the first time, then adjust the seasonings and the coconut milk. Put your stamp on it. After all, that's what the Thai do." See the recipe for Kaeng Kàrìi (Yellow Curry with Beef and Potatoes) »Penny de Los Santos

Gascon-Style Beef Stew (Daube de Boeuf À la Gasconne) — A rich beef and root vegetable stew is made with armagnac, chocolate and, traditionally, Madiran wine. We use pinot noir instead for a lighter, more nuanced version.Penny De Los Santos

The recipe for this spicy, cheese-topped meat loaf comes from home cook Matt Gibbs of Houston, Texas. See the recipe for Southwestern Turkey Meat Loaf »Todd Coleman

Garbure Gersoise — Loaded with root vegetables and sweet Savoy cabbage, this robust white bean soup from southwestern France is enriched with smoky bacon and duck confit. See the recipe for Garbure Gersoise (Cabbage and White Bean Soup with Duck Confit) »David Yoder

No one will miss the meat in this creamy, vegetable-laden lasagne with perfectly al dente noodles.Andre Baranowski

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