Recipes to Cook During a Snowstorm

When the winter winds blow, those of us at New York Times Cooking like to whip up something warm and delightful. Here are the cozy dishes our staff turns to when we’re stuck inside and hungry.

I love Samantha Seneviratne shepherd’s pie. I add frozen peas because that’s how we made shepherd’s pie at my summer camp, in a big Dutch oven over a campfire. (Unreal.) It’s so warm, delicious and extremely hearty. I also love how Sam mixes ground lamb with ground beef. I’ve never heard of that before and it’s out of this world. Making this is always a task. We took our time so it was fun, and gave us something to do besides watch movies. SHANICE BLAND

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When it’s too cold to go anywhere, I want shepherd’s pie. Specifically, Samantha Seneviratne’s, which calls for half ground lamb, half ground beef. (I can’t choose, and I don’t have to!) The aged Cheddar takes the mashed potatoes to the next level. We like an equal meat-to-mash ratio in our house, and this recipe delivers. I like to add some frozen peas to the meat mixture, but that’s because I love peas. Do you. SHARON ATTIA

Recipe: Shepherd’s Pie

I make Julia Moskin’s Texas chili every time. Just make sure you have a bag of Fritos in the pantry. KIM SEVERSON

Recipe: Texas-Style Chili

I made goulash (on autopilot, not consulting a recipe but I knew I had to use at least a tablespoon of the paprika). Served it with the noodles, buttered and dressed with poppy seeds, and sour cream. Perfect for a snowy night, with leftovers served with mashed potatoes and stretched with some more tomato the next night. And because nobody was driving my host opened a bottle of 2017 Amarone, a hefty wine and a perfect pairing! FLORENCE FABRICANT

Recipe: Hungarian Goulash

The prompt for this was “What do you make when it’s very wintry outside,” which is essentially the forecast for November through April where I live. Still, I appreciate not having to go to the grocery store when it’s 12 degrees outside (actual temperature as I type this) because I always have the ingredients on hand. The chicken thighs are in the freezer; the soy sauce and vinegar — the $7 Datu Puti set that comes wrapped together at my local Asian grocer — are in the pantry. Garlic, black peppercorns, bay leaves — check, check, check. Chicken adobo is delicious anytime of year, but those rich, salty-sour flavors really cleave through all that winter snow. MIA LEIMKUHLER

I always have the ingredients on hand, and it’s something that comes together so quickly but lasts the entire weekend. LEE MANANSALA

Recipe: Chicken Adobo

I finally made our Dijon and Cognac beef stew during the storm! Used beef shin and chuck, and a gremolata on top for zip. JULIA MOSKIN

Recipe: Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew

When I made this brown butter cornmeal cake, I failed to clock on the initial read-through that you need to let the batter rest and hydrate for at least 12 hours before baking it. No matter, though: I made my thick, brown-buttery, cornmeal-nubby batter on a too-cold Sunday afternoon, then baked it the next day on a still-cold Monday night. It was wonderful. (By the way, this cake lasted all of 48 hours in my two-person household.) MIA LEIMKUHLER

Recipe: Brown Butter Cornmeal Cake

It is a self-imposed rule that if I’m going to be stuck inside all day, I need something meaty slowly stewing in my oven. Long, blustery snow days are the perfect excuse for long-form cooking projects that would normally test my patience, like these tangy braised short ribs. I love that you can easily pair these with different sides to keep the good vibes going with your leftovers. I’ve made them alongside coconut rice and broccoli, or spooned the meat into warm flour tortillas with cilantro and diced onion, or over a bed of garlic mashed potatoes. Every time, it’s worth the wait. LAUREN L’AMIE

Recipe: Tangy Braised Short Ribs

It uses all pantry ingredients so I don’t have to step outside. It’s comforting and warm and lasts throughout the week! NATASHA JANARDAN

Recipe: Toor Dal (Split Yellow Pigeon Peas)

Like the rest of us, I like to have something savory and simmering inside when it’s blustery and cold outside, and that’s usually some sort of beef stew. This one from Mark Bittman is a household favorite, which I toss into our slow cooker before heading out with the kids for a sledding sesh at the neighborhood hill. The prunes practically dissolve and add a sticky, earthy sweetness to the dish. I like to serve it over mashed potatoes or pearl couscous. MARGAUX LASKEY

Recipe: Beef Stew With Prunes

Cake! There’s nothing better in a snowstorm than a sweet slice of cake. And when it contains fruit, it’s basically the same as a smoothie, right? Laurel Kratochvila’s szarlotka is a Jewish apple cake with a tender, vanilla-scented crumb holding big chunks of soft apples under a crisp cinnamon sugar topping. It’s as soothing as a warm throw, but much more delicious. MELISSA CLARK

Recipe: Szarlotka (Jewish Apple Pie)

Sorry, one more. A pound of chicken feet costs me about $4, but the stock they’ll make tastes like a million bucks. If you don’t want or can’t find feet, you can use some other bony chicken parts for Samin Nosrat’s beautiful stock, which simmers on the stove for hours and fills your home with warm chickeny smells. Before you pack all of your stock away for future use, be sure to sip some from a small bowl and take pride in your richly flavored, golden elixir. MIA LEIMKUHLER

Recipe: Chicken Stock

I like to make Japanese curry with a store bought brick, but if you don’t have one, turn to this recipe from Kay Chun. It can be made with curry powder, and it is equally delicious and warming. EMILY FLEISCHAKER

Recipe: One-Pot Japanese Curry Chicken and Rice

If you’re going to be stuck inside for a few days, take advantage of it by making the iconic cookies from Jacques Torres. The dough requires a 24 to 36 hour resting period, which yields a uniquely chewy-crisp cookie that is more than worth the wait. I like to use a mix of bittersweet and milk chocolate, and sometimes I add a ¼ cup of cacao nibs for crunch. MARGAUX LASKEY

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Is there anything better than Melissa’s Scotch broth with kale? All the rich flavor of a long braise, but blessedly sane in its demands of you. No stock needed. No sautéing here. You just combine bone-in lamb, barley and root vegetables (I like to add parsnip and celery root and skip the potato), and simmer until everything is tender and melded and deeply comforting. ADINA STEIMAN

Recipe: Scotch Broth With Kale

Before the last storm I ran out and bought some russet potatoes for baking. Sometimes I put smoked fish, sour cream and scallions on top, but the last time I did it with an American Gouda, chopped wilted baby spinach, another layer of cheese and sour cream. Lots of salt on the outside of the potato and some inside, too. This is not everyday food for me but it hits the spot in single-digit temperatures. PETE WELLS

Recipe: Baked Potatoes

This is over-the-top, to be sure, but I once bought a bunch of duck legs in advance of a snowstorm and made duck confit. Keeping the oven on all day doubled as a space heater, and that rich duck over a bowl of polenta was just dreamy. BECKY HUGHES

Recipe: Easy Duck Confit

Do you love soup and pasta? How about together, in the same dish? Well then, this one is for you. I’m always cold, so, naturally, I’m addicted to consuming soup. This tortellini soup recipe is perfect after a frigid, wintry day. If you’re having it for leftovers, be sure to keep additional broth on hand as the tortellini can soak up a lot of the liquid. ROSS LAING

Recipe: Tortellini Soup

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