Healthy Quick & Easy Winter Dinner Recipes

Find healthy, delicious quick & easy winter dinner recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Easy Italian Wedding Soup

Rating: Unrated
4
Forget the marble-size meatballs you find in many versions of this soup. In this easy recipe, they're full-size, full-flavored and plenty filling.
By Robin Bashinsky

Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms

Rating: Unrated
14
Whether you scored wild mushrooms at the farmers' market, found cultivated maitake or shiitake at the supermarket or just have some baby bellas on hand, this healthy creamy chicken recipe is delicious with any of them. Serve over whole-wheat egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
By Carolyn Malcoun

White Bean & Veggie Salad

Rating: Unrated
5
This meatless main-dish salad combines creamy, satisfying white beans and avocado. Try mixing it up with different seasonal vegetables.
By Katie Webster

Cheesy Spinach-&-Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Rating: Unrated
16
This spaghetti-squash-for-pasta swap slashes both carbs and calories by 75 percent for a delicious, creamy casserole you can feel good about eating. It's worth roasting the squash versus cooking it in the microwave if you have the time: the flavor gets sweeter and more intense.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Tortellini Primavera

Rating: Unrated
24
This creamy tortellini and vegetable pasta is a real crowd pleaser. To make it even quicker, use frozen chopped vegetables instead of fresh. Serve with: A green salad and whole-grain baguette.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Chicken Thighs, Potatoes & Scallions with Herb Vinaigrette

Rating: Unrated
1
Roasting chicken thighs directly on top of the vegetables bastes the scallions and potatoes with delicious drippings in this healthy dinner recipe. Serve with steamed broccoli, sautéed spinach or a mixed green salad.
By Carolyn Casner

Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing

Rating: Unrated
14
Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic 5-ingredient lunch for one!
By Katie Webster

Black Bean-Quinoa Buddha Bowl

Rating: Unrated
4
Treat your Buddha bowl to a vacation south of the border! This black bean and quinoa Buddha bowl has the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the greasy fried bowl. We've loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top.
By Katie Webster

Creamy White Chili with Cream Cheese

Rating: Unrated
9
This rich and creamy chili comes together in a flash thanks to quick-cooking chicken thighs and canned white beans. Mashing some of the beans acts as a fast thickener when your soups don't have a long time to simmer. Cream cheese adds the final bit of richness and a hint of sweet tang.
By Robin Bashinsky

Mediterranean Tuna-Spinach Salad

Rating: Unrated
7
This tuna salad recipe gets an upgrade with olives, feta and a tahini dressing. Served over baby spinach, this is the perfect easy and light lunch or dinner salad.
By Sara Haas, R.D.N., L.D.N.

Chickpea & Quinoa Buddha Bowl

Rating: Unrated
4
It seems Buddha bowls have as many variations as there are stars in the sky, and there is no wrong way to build one! But we prefer to keep things classic and simple with hummus, quinoa, avocado and loads of veggies!
By Katie Webster

Creamy Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms

Rating: Unrated
20
Sliced Brussels sprouts and mushrooms cook quickly and cling to the pasta in our fall version of pasta primavera. Look for presliced mushrooms to cut prep time. Serve with a tossed salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Inspiration and Ideas

26 Cozy Winter Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less

26 Cozy Winter Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less

Each dinner is packed with hearty proteins and nutritious vegetables to create a balanced meal
22 Easy Winter Dinners for When You’re Sick of Cooking

22 Easy Winter Dinners for When You’re Sick of Cooking

These winter dinners are hearty, take just 25 minutes from start to finish and have three steps or fewer.
Italian Fish Stew

Italian Fish Stew

Rating: Unrated
4
Adobo Chicken & Kale Enchiladas

Adobo Chicken & Kale Enchiladas

Rating: Unrated
8
Chicken & White Bean Soup

Chicken & White Bean Soup

Rating: Unrated
15
Mediterranean Cod with Roasted Tomatoes

Mediterranean Cod with Roasted Tomatoes

Rating: Unrated
2

Ravioli & Vegetable Soup

Rating: Unrated
47

Fresh or frozen ravioli cook in minutes and turn this light vegetable soup into a main course. Look for whole-wheat or whole-grain ravioli in the refrigerated or frozen section of the supermarket. Tortellini can be used instead of ravioli as well. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

All Healthy Quick & Easy Winter Dinner Recipes

Garlic Shrimp with Cilantro Spaghetti Squash

Rating: Unrated
18
Garlicky shrimp are served on top of buttery, cilantro-flecked spaghetti squash in this quick, healthy dinner recipe inspired by shrimp scampi. Pair with a side of sautéed greens, such as kale, collards or spinach.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Crispy Cod Sandwich

Rating: Unrated
1
Skip frying but keep all the crunch with this healthy baked fish sandwich recipe. The wire rack ensures both sides of the baked cod get crispy.
By Hilary Meyer

Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

Rating: Unrated
2
In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cauliflower, Pancetta & Olive Spaghetti

Rating: Unrated
1
Don't ditch your pasta-cooking water! The flavorful liquid retains a touch of the pasta's starch, which helps your sauce cling to the pasta in this healthy pasta recipe.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sicilian Olive Chicken

Rating: Unrated
4
This saucy one-skillet chicken dish is full of tomatoes, spinach, olives and capers. Try Kalamata olives in place of the green Sicilians or a combination of both. Serve over whole-wheat egg noodles with a mixed green salad on the side.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Easy Butternut Squash Soup

Rating: Unrated
3
Just a touch of brown sugar sweetens this simple soup that gets its creaminess from pureed squash and fat-free evaporated milk.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

5-Spice Chicken Noodle Soup

This Asian-inspired chicken soup recipe has soy, five-spice powder and ginger, which add a flavor punch without adding lots of calories or fat.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Easy Vegetarian Chili

Rating: Unrated
4
Canned beans and tomatoes make this quick vegetarian chili recipe ready to go in just 30 minutes. Serve over rice or couscous, or with tortilla chips for added crunch, and add extra toppings as you see fit--sliced scallions, chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado and sliced jalapeños are all tasty choices.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken with Roasted Zucchini

Rating: Unrated
2
We wrap tender chicken with strips of bacon that crisp up when placed under the broiler. It's a fast recipe for a satisfying, healthy meal.
By Carolyn Casner

Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wrap

Rating: Unrated
34
White beans mashed with ripe avocado and blended with sharp Cheddar and onion makes an incredibly rich, flavorful filling for this wrap. The tangy, spicy slaw adds crunch. A pinch (or more) of ground chipotle pepper and an extra dash of cider vinegar can be used in place of the canned chipotles in adobo sauce. Wrap these up to take as a healthy and portable lunch for work.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Seared Cod with Spinach-Lemon Sauce

Rating: Unrated
2
A citrus-laced spinach sauce zests up delicate cod in this healthy fish recipe. If you can find Meyer lemons, use their sweeter juice instead of the regular lemon and orange juices. Serve with roasted cherry tomatoes and zucchini with angel hair pasta.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Chicken & Winter Squash over Mixed Greens

Rating: Unrated
1
This hearty salad comes together with little effort, since the squash and chicken can roast together on the same sheet pan. Prep the dressing and the salad greens while the chicken is roasting.
By Andrea Kirkland M.S., RD

Roasted Veggie & Quinoa Salad

Quick, simple and packed with satisfying protein and fiber, this salad makes a perfect lunch or easy one-dish dinner.
By Victoria Seaver, M.S., R.D.

Chicken Thighs with Couscous & Kale

Rating: Unrated
7
One-pot meals, like this all-in-one chicken thigh, kale and Israeli couscous recipe, are perfect for nights when you want to keep cleanup to a minimum. Look for Israeli couscous--small pearl-shaped pasta made from semolina flour--near other Middle Eastern dry goods in well-stocked supermarkets or specialty-foods stores.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

Rating: Unrated
7
Fiber-rich sweet potato is used as the base for the cheese sauce in this healthy, homemade macaroni and cheese recipe. The bright orange color tricks your eyes into thinking this healthy macaroni and cheese recipe is loaded with cheese, but there's actually only about half as much cheese as compared to a traditional recipe.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Moo Shu Vegetables

Rating: Unrated
23
This vegetarian version of the classic Chinese stir-fry, Moo Shu, uses already-shredded vegetables to cut down on the prep time. Serve with warm whole-wheat tortillas, Asian hot sauce and extra hoisin if desired.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mixed Greens with Lentils & Sliced Apple

Rating: Unrated
1
This salad with lentils, feta and apple is a satisfying vegetarian entree to whip together for lunch. To save time, swap in drained canned lentils--just make sure to look for low-sodium and give them a rinse before adding them to the salad.
By Katie Webster

Almond-&-Lemon-Crusted Fish with Spinach

Rating: Unrated
13
Coating fish with nuts and baking it is an easy, foolproof way to cook it elegantly. And it is especially nice with a mild white fish like cod or halibut. The spinach turns a little yellowy because it's cooked with the acidic lemon juice, but what you lose in green color is more than made up for in great flavor.
By Melissa Pasanen

Creamy Vegan Cashew Sauce

Rating: Unrated
4
You'll never guess this creamy sauce is completely vegan, and actually made from pureed cashews. To keep it gluten-free, use tamari.
By Sylvia Fountaine

Grain Bowl with Chickpeas & Cauliflower

Rating: Unrated
3
This beautiful grain bowl is packed with healthy ingredients like quinoa, chickpeas, kale and cauliflower--all drizzled with a lemony tahini sauce. The fast one-bowl meal makes a satisfying weeknight dinner or packable work lunch. If you don't have za'atar, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander.
By Sylvia Fountaine

Rainbow Grain Bowl with Cashew Tahini Sauce

Rating: Unrated
2
This vibrant bowl is packed with nutrients to keep you full for hours. Look for precooked lentils in the refrigerated section of the produce department.
By Sylvia Fountaine

Salmon Alfredo

A low-fat white sauce, made with fat-free milk, coats the salmon, pasta, and broccoli in this complete 30-minute meal.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Easy Chicken Pasta

Rating: Unrated
1
This quick and easy recipe tops multigrain or whole-grain pasta with flavorful chicken, broccoli and diced vegetables. With 0 grams of saturated fat and 20 grams of protein per serving, this recipe has everything you need for a no-hassle dinner.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Roasted Honeynut Squash

Rating: Unrated
2
Honeynut squash looks just like mini butternut squash, but on the inside you'll find an even sweeter, deeper orange flesh. This winter squash has only been available at farmers' markets and in select grocery stores for a few years. If you see it, grab a few to try! This simple roasting method enhances the natural flavor of the squash with butter and spices.
By Carolyn Casner
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