Looking for winter recipes? Want to make the best comfort food? Try our hearty mains like beef stew, chilli or roast chicken. Tuck into a cosy winter dessert with our crumble recipes or self-saucing puddings. Pair your feast with one of our winter cocktail recipes.

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Best winter recipes

Beef and red wine stew

Cook beef shin in red wine, stock and herbs until meltingly tender, then serve with creamy mash for a crowd-pleasing weekend meal.

Beef and red wine stew in a pot

Rosemary salt roast chicken

Try our expert recipe for the most golden roast, crisp-skinned chicken – the perfect Sunday lunch.

Rosemary salt roast chicken

Pork shoulder and sage hotpot

Let slow-cooked pork shoulder shine in this cider-flavoured hotpot recipe, made hearty with root veg and double cream.

Pot of pork stew topped with sliced potatoes with a wooden spoon lying next to it

Slow-cooker sausage casserole

Give your slow cooker some love with this winter warmer, packed with hearty ingredients including sausages, bacon and borlotti beans.

Pot of sausage casserole next to a tea towel and spoon

Poutine

Curl up with this Canadian comfort food dish of chips topped with gravy and cheese – for an effortless version, use oven chips instead of making your own.

A white platter filled with chips topped with gravy and cheese, next to a small pot of extra gravy

Vegetarian cassoulet

You can’t get a dish more comforting than a warming cassoulet, with this meat-free version made rich with mushrooms.

A casserole dish filled with mushroom stew and topped with a golden brown breadcrumb topping

Braised beef and mushroom pie

This golden-crusted, rich braised beef and mushroom pie makes for next level comfort food. Enjoy with your favourite greens and buttery mash and drown in gravy.

Pie with a chunk missing next to greens, mash and a glass of red wine

Smoky sausage and greens tortellini broth

Packed with greens and a deeply savoury broth, this is a real winter warmer – use the best quality sausages you can find.

A large bowl of tortellini soup with a spoon in it

Bread pudding

Embrace chilly evenings with this comforting old-school dessert, making great use of left-over stale bread.

A square ceramic dish filled with bread pudding next to a smaller bowl containing a serving of pudding and an ice cream scoop

Braised lamb boulangère

Make this comforting dish from Bottle + Rye chef Ben Hughes-Gage, where tender chunks of lamb are layered up with potato and finished with a crisp, butter-brushed top.

A small oven proof dish filled with Bottle + Rye’s braised lamb boulangère with a golden crisp top

Venison, thyme and port lattice pie

Craft the ultimate winter pie featuring succulent venison in a port gravy, all snugly encased in buttery, flaky pastry. Prepare in under an hour for a warming meal.

A large lattice pie with one serving scooped out of it

Apple and rhubarb crumble

British comfort food at its finest: we’ve combined apples with rhubarb to take the classic crumble one step further.

A bowl of crumble and ice cream next to a baking dish of crumble and stack of bowls

Whole braised chicken with lemon and olives

Juicy, tender and infused with subtle flavour, this comforting dish sees chicken cooked with ginger, turmeric, cumin and saffron in a bath of stock and olive brine.

Chicken in a pot surrounded by vegetables an topped with herbs

Provençal poussins with Épices Rabelais, shallots and dates

Use classic French seasoning to flavour Provençal-style poussins, cooked here in fragrant spiced butter, orange juice and vermouth.

A platter of cooked poussins topped with sage

Pork belly with beans with pistou

Slow-cooked pork belly is the height of comfort, and here we’ve paired it with silky cannellini beans and a herby pistou sauce.

Pork belly with beans and pistou in a deep baking dish

Roast parsnip soup

Serve this comforting parsnip and paprika soup with sobrassada, a spreadable chorizo-like sausage from Spain.

A bowl of parsnip soup with a spoon and toast on the side

Spiced pumpkin tart

A slice of this spiced pumpkin pie on a cold and rainy evening makes a fitting autumnal treat.

Spiced pumpkin tart on a grey plate with a red background

Apple strudel

Make this Austrian apple strudel on a rainy winter afternoon for a comforting classic.

An apple strudel dusted with icing sugar on a wooden board

Mulled hot chocolate

Use leftover red wine to create a drink that marries two of the best winter warmers – mulled wine and hot chocolate. Quick, easy and guaranteed to keep you toasty.

Red Wine Hot Chocolate Recipe

Hot buttered rum

Wind down after a long day with a hot buttered rum, made with golden rum, soft light brown sugar, unsalted butter and festive spices.

Two mugs filled with hot buttered rum, topped with a cinnamon stick

White hot chocolate

Comfort in a mug: this velvety white hot chocolate comes garnished with white chocolate fingers, mini marshmallows and whipped cream.

Two mugs of white hot chocolate topped with white chocolate fingers, mini marshmallows and whipped cream

Eggnog latte

Take some time out to make this warming eggnog latte, made with eggnog or Advocaat, milk, espresso and a pinch of nutmeg for dusting.

Two mugs filled with creamy eggnog latte, served on a metal tray

Vegan hot chocolate

Silky, sweet and topped with whipped plant-based cream, you really have to try this dairy-free hot chocolate this winter.

Two glass mugs of hot chocolate topped with cream and cocoa powder on a grey concrete background

Turmeric latte

Get more of the spice into your diet this winter by whipping up this golden latte at home – it works well as part of a breakfast spread.

A cup of turmeric late on a stone saucer with a gold teaspoon alongside

Apple crumble

Check out this really easy old-school apple crumble. You can’t go wrong with this foolproof recipe, sure to be a family favourite.

Apple crumble in an oval baking dish

Slow-cooker chilli with jalapeño cheddar cornbread

A bit of everything goes into this chilli – dark chocolate, lager and Worcestershire sauce, along with plenty of herbs and spices. Throw all the ingredients into a slow-cooker and let the mince soak up the flavours.

A large pot of slow-Cooker beef chilli, served with Jalapeño cheddar cornbread

Mulled wine winter puddings

Looking for individual festive desserts that are easy to make? Try our mini winter puddings with mulled wine – perfect for feeding hungry mouths over Christmas.

Easy Warm Winter Puddings with Mulled Wine

Slow-cooker Irish stew

This hearty, traditional stew is just the ticket as the winter months roll in. Put the lamb and veggies in a slow cooker and leave for four hours.

A pot of slow cooker lamb stew with vegetables

Steak and blue cheese pie

A golden-crusted puff pastry pie, stuffed with braising steak, blue cheese, brown ale and thyme. Perfect for a comforting meal on chilly winter nights.

A rectangular steak pie cut open with a small bowl of chips on the side

Glühwein

We've added rum to this winter classic to compensate for the evaporation of alcohol during cooking, but it’s not essential. Cheers!

Glühwein in glasses served on a tray

Celery and stilton soup

This comforting, velvety soup is full of flavour and simple to make. You'll need a wedge of stilton, a bunch of celery and a healthy glug of cream for this bowlful of deliciousness.

A bowl of golden-coloured soup with crumbled cheese and celery fronds on top

Spiced toffee apple and ginger cake

The apple sauce makes this cake deliciously squidgy. Serve warm as a pudding with cream or ice cream, or at room temperature with a hot drink.

Toffee Apple Tray Bake Recipe with Ginger

Pork belly and potatoes baked in milk, bay and smoked paprika

This recipe is inspired by an Italian dish that would usually use rolled loin. Pork cooked in milk is tender and succulent – this recipe is more about the meat than the crackling. For optimum crackling, cook for longer at the higher temperature before reducing.

Roast Pork Belly Recipe With Potatoes Baked in Milk

Rich cottage pies with cheesy mash

Put a cheesy twist on this classic crowd-pleaser with these individual pies topped with creamy cheddar mash.

Rich Cottage Pies in individual pie dishes

Venison steaks with stir-fried sprouts

Serve delicate slices of seared venison with a bubble-and-squeak-style hash made from Brussels sprouts, floury potatoes, walnuts and fruit for a satisfying supper for two.

A speckled plate of thinly sliced seared meat with brussles sprouts, potatoes and walnuts

Terry’s Chocolate Orange brownies

What could be better than scoffing a Terry's Chocolate Orange? Adding it to a brownie batter, of course! Try our deliciously decadent recipe, or check out our classic chocolate brownie recipe.

Chocolate Orange Brownies Recipe

Chickpea tagine

This fragrant tagine is flavoured with warming spices like cinnamon, cumin and turmeric to make a hearty, filling dinner that's full of the good stuff.

Two bowls of chickpea and potato tagine on a white linen table cloth

Slow-cooked brisket with red wine, thyme and onions

This simple slow cooker beef brisket recipe makes a perfect Sunday roast on a winter evening.

Slow Cooker Brisket Recipe with Red Wine, Thyme and Onions

Chinese congee

Simmer rice and garnish with your favourite toppings to make this Chinese congee, generally regarded as the ultimate comfort food.

Bowl of congee surrounded by garnishes

Mulled beer

Forget cider and wine – mulled beer is the thing to be drinking this festive season. Our recipe has wintry flavours of cinnamon, cloves, star anise and clementine.

Mulled Beer Recipe

Slow-cooker beef stew

This hearty stew is full of iron, protein and natural antioxidants. Pop beef shin, red wine and veggies into a slow cooker and leave for four hours.

Beef stew with vegetables in a pot

Baked spinach-and-ricotta-stuffed shells

Fill giant pasta shells with creamy ricotta and spinach for a simple vegetarian bake, on the table in under an hour.

Stuffed Pasta Shells Recipe with Spinach and Ricotta

Savoury spiced baklava

This bake is a savoury spin on the classic Middle Eastern dessert. It makes a fantastic vegetarian substitute for meat at a roast dinner.

Savoury Baklava Recipe for Vegetarians

Eggnog

Put a rosy glow in your cheeks with this classic winter cocktail, made with egg yolks, sugar, cream, sherry, rum and plenty of fresh nutmeg.

Eggnog in a glass on a snow-covered table

Grapefruit drizzle cake

Swap lemon for grapefruit to put a seasonal spin on drizzle cake – perfect when served with a hot cuppa.

A golden loaf cake drizzled with a grapefruit icing

Baileys pecan blondies

Take your blondies up a notch and top with a white chocolate Baileys ganache to give them a boozy, festive twist.

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Pecan Blondies Recipe with Baileys

Gingerbread latte

A fun winter coffee that's full of warming spices, follow expert barista Celeste Wong's step-by-step guide to making the perfect gingerbread latte, including how to make your own gingerbread syrup.

Two mugs of gingerbread latte on a wooden board with a dark slate background and plate of gingerbread bisciuts

Authors

Janine Ratcliffe Portrait
Janine RatcliffeFood director

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