Sarra Ina Garten winter recipes are built around slow-braised meats, bubbling gratins, creamy soups, and warm desserts that make cold nights feel like exactly where you want to be. This collection covers her best beef stews and braises, hearty pastas and casseroles, rich soups and chowders, and a few indulgent desserts to finish the season right.
1. Beef Stew
Beef chuck cubed and braised low and slow with carrots, celery, onions, garlic, tomato paste, red wine, and beef broth until everything is fall-apart tender and the gravy is thick and savory. Dried thyme and bay leaves round out the flavor without competing with the rich, wine-laced broth. About three and a half hours from start to finish for the kind of stew that gets better the next day.
2. French Onion Soup
Caramelized yellow onions cooked slowly in butter and olive oil until deeply golden, then simmered in beef broth with white wine, thyme, and a bay leaf for a broth that is rich and sweet all at once. Topped with sliced baguette, shredded Gruyère, and Parmesan, then broiled until the cheese is bubbly and crusty. About an hour and fifteen minutes for a bowl that warms you from the inside out.
3. Loaded Potato Soup
Creamy potato soup made with russet potatoes, chicken stock, butter, flour, and heavy cream, then loaded up with crispy bacon, shredded cheddar, sour cream, and fresh chives. The base is thick and velvety while the toppings add salty, tangy crunch in every spoonful. Done in about 50 minutes for a weeknight dinner that feels indulgent.
4. Chicken Stew and Biscuits
Tender chunks of cooked chicken simmered in a creamy gravy of butter, flour, chicken stock, heavy cream, onions, carrots, celery, and frozen peas, then topped with homemade drop biscuits and baked until golden. The biscuits soak up the rich, savory stew underneath while staying fluffy on top. About an hour and a half for the coziest chicken dinner of winter.
5. Winter Minestrone Soup
Butternut squash, carrots, celery, zucchini, kale, cannellini beans, ditalini pasta, and diced tomatoes simmered in chicken stock for a thick, hearty soup packed with vegetables in every bite. The squash melts into the broth, making it naturally creamy without any added cream. About an hour and ten minutes for a warming bowl with real depth.
6. Lobster Bisque
Rich bisque built from real lobster shells simmered with carrots, celery, onion, garlic, tomato paste, white wine, thyme, and bay leaf, then strained, blended smooth, and finished with heavy cream and a splash of brandy. The flavor is intensely savory and sweet from the shell stock alone. About an hour and thirty-five minutes for a special-occasion winter starter.
7. Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Slow-braised beef chuck roast cooked with onions, garlic, carrots, celery, tomato paste, red wine, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves until the meat is so tender it shreds with a fork. Baby potatoes added during cooking soak up all the rich, savory braising liquid. About eight and a half hours in the slow cooker for an effortless winter dinner.
8. Brisket
Fork-tender brisket braised with sliced onions, garlic, crushed tomatoes, beef stock, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, and Worcestershire until the meat practically falls apart. The sweet and tangy braising liquid reduces into a thick, savory sauce that coats every slice. About four hours and twenty minutes, most of it hands-off, for a centerpiece that feeds a crowd.
9. Chicken Pot Pie With Biscuits
Golden biscuit-topped pot pie filled with chicken, carrots, celery, onion, frozen peas, and a creamy gravy made with butter, flour, chicken broth, and heavy cream. The biscuits bake up fluffy and buttery right on top of the bubbling filling. Done in about an hour for one of her most comforting winter dinners.
10. Chicken Marsala
Pan-seared chicken breasts dredged in flour and cooked in olive oil and butter, then smothered in a sauce of cremini mushrooms, garlic, Marsala wine, and chicken stock that reduces into something thick and savory. The mushrooms turn silky and the wine adds a warm sweetness. Ready in about 40 minutes for an elegant winter weeknight dinner.
11. Spaghetti and Meatballs
Homemade meatballs made from a mix of ground beef, turkey, and veal with fresh breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, and egg, browned and then simmered in a slow-cooked tomato sauce with garlic, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil. The meatballs stay tender and juicy while the sauce clings to every strand of spaghetti. About an hour for a classic winter Sunday dinner.
12. Lamb Shanks
Fall-off-the-bone lamb shanks braised with onions, carrots, celery, garlic, red wine, crushed tomatoes, stock, tomato paste, rosemary, and thyme until the meat is impossibly tender and the braising liquid is thick and rich. The sauce gets better with every hour in the oven. About three and a half hours for a showstopping winter braise.
13. Mushroom Bolognese
Chopped cremini mushrooms cooked with onion, carrots, celery, garlic, oregano, red wine, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste until the sauce is thick, meaty, and deeply savory without any actual meat. The mushrooms break down into the sauce and give it a rich, earthy body. About 55 minutes for a vegetarian pasta that even meat lovers crave.
14. Grown Up Mac and Cheese
Sharp white cheddar and Gruyère melted into a creamy béchamel sauce with butter, flour, warm milk, and nutmeg, tossed with elbow macaroni and topped with crispy pancetta and toasted breadcrumbs. The cheese sauce is smooth and savory while the crunchy top adds golden texture. About an hour for a mac and cheese that is far from the boxed version.
15. Mushroom Lasagna
Layers of no-boil noodles, sautéed mushrooms with garlic and thyme, creamy béchamel with nutmeg, ricotta, Gruyère, Parmesan, and mozzarella baked until bubbly and golden on top. The mushrooms add an earthy, savory depth to every bite while the cheese layers stay rich and melty. About an hour and twenty minutes for a vegetarian lasagna with serious flavor.
16. Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Yukon Gold potatoes boiled until tender, then mashed with buttermilk, butter, salt, and pepper for a tangy, creamy side that goes with everything. The buttermilk adds a subtle brightness that keeps the potatoes from tasting heavy. Done in about 35 minutes for the easiest, most reliable winter side on this list.
17. Root Vegetable Gratin
Thinly sliced sweet potatoes, Yukon Golds, parsnips, and turnips layered with heavy cream, milk, garlic, Gruyère, and Parmesan, then baked until the vegetables are tender and the top is deeply golden and crispy. Each layer soaks up the garlicky cream while staying distinct. About an hour and twenty-five minutes for a stunning winter side dish.
18. Maple Roasted Carrots
Maple-glazed carrots tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and optional fresh thyme, then roasted until caramelized and sweet with crispy edges and a tender center. The maple syrup deepens the natural sweetness of the carrots without making them taste like dessert. Done in about 30 minutes for a simple side that adds color to any winter plate.
19. Gingerbread Cake
Warm, spiced cake made with dark molasses, butter, brown sugar, buttermilk, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg for a deeply flavored crumb that fills the kitchen with the smell of winter. The cake is moist and dense with a sticky-sweet top and a warm bite from the spices. About 50 minutes for a dessert that pairs perfectly with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
20. Brownie Pudding
Gooey, fudgy dessert made with butter, eggs, sugar, Dutch cocoa powder, flour, and vanilla that bakes into a dense, molten brownie on top with a warm, pudding-like layer underneath. Served warm with ice cream or whipped cream, it’s rich, chocolatey, and deeply satisfying. About an hour and ten minutes for the most indulgent way to end a winter dinner.
