A Week of Big-Batch, Family-Friendly Winter Dinners

Even if you’re not cooking for a big family of six or eight, a few roommates, or a group of friends throughout the week, I’ve always thought there’s something about winter that makes it the perfect fit for big-batch dinners, like casseroles, soups, and chilis.

This week of winter dinners for a crowd checks all the boxes. These dinners are cozy, comforting, and lend themselves to being stashed in the freezer. Each meal is ample enough to feed up to eight.

In my opinion, lasagna is always better the day after it’s cooked. Prep and cook the lasagna on Sunday, then reheat what you’ll need for dinner and freezer the leftovers for later. Partner dinner with a simple arugula salad for something light and green.

Get the recipe: Easy Lasagna

It doesn’t get more comforting on a cold winter night than a bowl of classic chicken noodle soup. If you’re not serving the soup immediately or planning to save some of the soup for later, it’s a good idea to cook the noodles separately (rather than in the Instant Pot), then add them to the soup as needed. Otherwise, they’ll swell up and fall apart.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Just dump everything in your slow cooker first thing in the morning, then at the end of the day purée the soup right in the slow cooker with your immersion blender. Top off your bowl with a dollop of Greek yogurt, a generous squeeze of lemon juice, and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.

Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Golden Chickpea Soup

Even if you’re not following Whole30, it’s a good idea to keep a pot of easy beef and vegetable chili in your meal plan rotation. Set out toppings, like avocado, scallions, and fresh cilantro on the table so everyone can garnish their own bowls. If there’s leftovers, keep it in the fridge for a weekend lunch, stash it in the freezer, or use it to round out tomorrow’s dinner.

Get the recipe: Easy Whole30 Chili

Nothing caps off the week quite like a big tray of loaded nachos. The recipe calls for shredded rotisserie chicken, and you can always increase the amount to stretch dinner a little further. Alternatively, if you have leftover chili, feel free to go ahead and use that in place of the chicken.

Get the recipe: Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos

This post was originally published on Kitchn. Read it there: A Week of Big-Batch, Family-Friendly Winter Dinners