23 Cozy Recipes to Make on a Snow Day (2024)

Whether it's a light dusting of snowflakes or a full-on blizzard, a snowy day calls for staying inside, cranking up the heat, and turning to comforting dishes. Brown-butter banana bread, hearty beef chili, or fried rice would all do the trick—of course, a steaming mug of hot chocolate would be welcome, too. Read on for even more of our favorite snow-day recipes.

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Super-Rich Hot Chocolate with Coconut Cream

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Coconut milk makes this hot chocolate extra rich and velvety.

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Pork-and-Ricotta Stuffed Jumbo Shells

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Food & Wine's Justin Chapple amps up the filling in stuffed shells by including ground pork. Make sure to use your favorite prepared tomato sauce here.

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Praline Brownies

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Pastry chef Kelly Fields of Willa Jean in New Orleans makes her delicious fudgy brownies with brown sugar, dark chocolate and cocoa powder, and studs them with crunchy bites of nutty pecan praline.

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Milk-Chocolate-Chip Cookies

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Chocolate chip cookies are the ultimate snow day baking project: easy and delicious. These are crunchy on the outside, soft in the center and loaded with milk-chocolate chips instead of the usual semisweet kind.

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Sausage and Red Onion Sheet Pan Quiche

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At Convivial in Washington, D.C., Cedric Maupillier's foot-long quiche takes this breakfast classic to the next level. This version, prepared in a rimmed baking sheet, makes plenty for the whole family.

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Braised Oxtails with Carrots and Chiles

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Oxtails—a deeply beefy cut full of connective tissue—practically melt when braised, resulting in savory, tender meat and a rich and glossy gravy. Novelist Bryan Washington's recipe, an homage to his mother's, is perfumed by plenty of warming spices, hot Scotch bonnet chiles, and fresh thyme, while sweet carrots and creamy beans round out the dish.

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Caramelized Onion and Bread Soup with Brûléed Blue Cheese

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In their book Wine Food, sommelier Dana Frank and recipe developer Andrea Slonecker pair funky, bright wines with flavorful, vegetable-forward dishes. In this vegetarian version of classic French onion soup, blue cheese and oloroso sherry bring new layers of flavor and depth. Notes of toasted nuts and fruit compote in the sherry pair well with caramelized onions, and its briny acidity cuts through the richness of the cheese.

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Chicken Pot Pie with Leeks and Thyme

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This classic chicken pot pie comes together in just about an hour and uses only one skillet. Come for the patchwork of crispy, golden-brown puff pastry; stay for the comforting, classic flavors of the filling. Leeks and thyme lend a cozinessy to this dish, while Dijon mustard adds a subtle, unexpected punch.

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Biang Biang Noodles

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For Jing Gao, owner of the cult Sichuan food company Fly by Jing, making these fresh hand-pulled noodles, doused in garlic, ginger, chile, and cumin, is as natural as breathing. A final pour of sizzling-hot oil is all you need to bloom the flavor of the seasonings. Watch Jing make this dish (and more!) in her episode of Chefs at Home.

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Tempered Curry-Ginger Sweet Potatoes

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"While my mother made this dish with russet potatoes or Yukon golds, I like using sweet potatoes because they are both firm and forgiving, making them ideal for soaking up the chile-and-spice-laden oil," Sam Fore writes.

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Sourdough Pancakes with Maple-Molasses Strawberries

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At Little Goat Diner in Chicago, 2011 F&W Best New Chef Stephanie Izard makes fluffy pancakes using sourdough starter and tops them with oat streusel and fruit. Here, we use molasses-steeped strawberries, making a breakfast that's balanced with sour, sweet, and bitter flavors.

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Brown-Butter Banana Bread

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Brown butter adds a deep, caramel-like note of nutty richness to this decadent make-ahead banana bread. To hit the proper note, 2020 F&W Best New Chef Lena Sareini insists on waiting until your bananas are extremely ripe—very speckled and mushy. "Be patient," she says. "That's the only way the banana flavor is going to show through." For an easy next-level topping, make this Banana-Caramel Sauce.

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Kimchi Fried Rice with Spicy Shrimp-and-Sesame Sauce

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Chef Roy Choi's Kimchi Fried Rice is the best way to reinvigorate day-old rice with spicy, potent kimchi. The kimchi actually sweetens when heated and adds not only its signature funk, tang, and spice but also a delicious crunch. The briny, spicy dipping sauce is the perfect punchy accompaniment.

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"Everybody" Potato-Leek Soup

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You can serve this soup so many different ways: with a dollop of crème fraîche and smoked salmon, topped with roasted broccoli florets and shredded cheddar cheese, or simply plain, as it has a mellow, delicious flavor on its own.

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Hina Auntie's Chana Masala with Puri

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Toasting and grinding whole spices instead of relying on pre-ground spice powders adds unparalleled depth of flavor to this spicy chickpea dish from western India. This dish is a specialty of Hina Mody, Restaurant Editor Khushbu Shah's auntie who emigrated from the Indian state of Gujarat.

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Cast-Iron Cornmeal Cake with Buttermilk Cream

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Pouring the batter into a hot skillet ensures a perfectly cooked, dark golden–bottomed crust with a fluffy, golden interior. To check for doneness, rely on the visual cues for browning—a cake tester will come out clean before the cake is cooked through.

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Buttermilk Macaroni and Cheese with Baby Kale

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A quick sauté renders baby kale leaves perfectly tender, allowing them to almost melt into the buttermilk-enriched béchamel in chef and cookbook author Alexander Smalls' riff on mac and cheese. For a smooth sauce, make sure all of the dairy is at room temperature.

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Roast Chicken with Hot Honey

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Pre-seasoning these chicken legs with salt at least an hour before cooking ensures flavorful, juicy meat. Drizzle leftover hot honey on a cheese plate or pizza.

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Pretzel Schnitzel with Mustardy Brussels Sprouts Slaw

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"On a trip to Germany many years ago, I had a thing with schnitzel," Andrea Slonecker writes. "I ordered it at almost every restaurant I visited to try it with the various sauces and accompaniments. Potatoes and spaetzle are of course delicious, but my favorite pairing was the contrast of a bright green salad with the crispy, pan-fried cutlets. At home, that may be arugula, simply dressed with lemon and olive oil, but in winter, I find this heartier shaved brussels sprouts salad with mustard dressing and sharp pecorino cheese perfectly fits the bill."

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Yayla Çorbası (Turkish Yogurt Soup) with Velibah

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Although most Turks will opt for a pillowy square of pide bread to accompany this soup of yogurt, barley, and dried mint, buttery-crisp velibah stuffed with feta and potato is a go-to for editor Oset Babür's family, who hail from Ossetia, a state in the South Caucasus.

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Classic Beef Chili

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This chili recipe comes together in just under an hour, with three simple steps. Don't forget to have some toppings on hand—we like shredded cheddar cheese, sliced jalapeños and radishes, and sour cream—for the finishing touch.

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Tuna Melts with Pickled Chicories

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Pickled chicories amp up this tuna melt, a lunchtime classic, and are a great use for leftover mixed chicories. The pickles can add a pop of tangy sweetness to salads or be served as a condiment with grilled or roasted meats.

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Knife-and-Fork Grilled Cheese with Honey

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Chef Chris Cosentino's buttery, crisp grilled cheese is filled with luscious Taleggio, then drizzled with honey and sprinkled with flaky salt and coarsely ground black pepper. It's so simple, but also jaw-droppingly good.

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