With the chilly winter nights upon us, the urge to lose ourselves in the bottom of a big bowl of comfort food is all too tempting. But comfort food doesn’t have to be heavy, stodgy and artery-clogging.
Here are 25 tasty dinners that will warm the cockles of all at the table while still packing a nutritional punch.
Lamb and beef
Comfort food – minus the stodge.
1. Garlic lemon rosemary lamb fillet
As easy as it is tasty and healthy.
- See here for the Garlic lemon rosemary lamb fillet recipe.
2. Healthy meatloaf
This crowd-pleaser is packed with hidden goodness.
- See here for the Healthy meatloaf recipe.
3. Lamb, pumpkin and chickpea salad
Don’t feel that you can’t have salads in chillier months. This one’s substantial, filling and full of goodness.
- See here for the Lamb, pumpkin and chickpea salad recipe.
4. Moroccan lamb
Bursting with spices, veggies and flavour, this one’s perfect for a chilly night.
- See here for the Moroccan lamb recipe.
5. Super healthy cottage pie
Made with lean turkey and sweet potato, it’s comfort food that’s good for you!
- See here for the Super healthy cottage pie recipe.
6. Simple beef and vegetable casserole
Jam packed with winter veggies, just chuck it in the slow cooker before leaving in the morning.
- See here for the Simple beef and vegetable casserole recipe.
Asian de-lite
With their emphasis on fresh produce and zingy flavours, Asian dishes are ideal healthy winter warmers.
7. Healthy Thai fishcakes
The kids will love this and you’ll love that it’s sneakily upping their intake of Omega 3 fatty acids.
- See here for the Healthy Thai fishcakes recipe.
8. Beef and glass noodle stir fry
Tasty, easy, healthy. Win win win!
- See here for the Beef and glass noodle stir fry recipe.
9. Asian noodle omelette
Have this delicious and super-healthy meal on the table in just 15 minutes.
- See here for the Asian noodle omelette recipe.
10. Wonton soup
Get the kids to help you make wontons – it’s fun!
- See here for the Wonton soup recipe.
11. Asian salmon salad
A restaurant quality meal that oozes goodness.
- See here for the Asian salmon salad recipe.
12. Fast Hoisin chicken stirfry
Why order Thai takeaway when you can have this much healthier version on the table in half the time?
- See here for the Fast Hoisin chicken stir fry recipe.
Fabulous fish
Nothing beats fish when it comes to a healthy dinner – and these fish recipes are sure to keep the family satisfied.
13. Fish in foil
Made with lemongrass, chilli sauce, ginger and plenty of Asian greens, this will send those winter colds running for the hills!
- See here for the Fish in foil recipe.
14. Fish tacos
Bursting with fresh, healthy ingredients, the tacos in this recipe give it an irresistible crunch.
- See here for the Fish tacos recipe.
15. Oven baked salmon and pea risotto
No endless stirring required for this one!
- See here for the Oven baked salmon and pea risotto recipe.
16. Healthy tuna mornay
The ultimate comfort food gets a healthy makeover with delicious results.
- See here for the Healthy tuna mornay recipe.
Naughties made nice
These healthier versions of old family favourites can now be guilt-free.
17. Healthy nachos
Kids and nachos have always been close buddies … and this version couldn’t be healthier!
- See here for the Healthy nachos recipe.
18. Easy tortillas
A fun, ‘roll your own’ meal that will tempt even the staunchest salad haters.
- See here for the Easy tortillas recipe.
19. Rainbow fried rice
Full of colour, flavour and antioxidants, you’d better believe there’s no MSG in this one!
- See here for the Rainbow fried rice recipe.
20. Quinoa popcorn chicken
Now you can make the kids’ favourite dish without feeling a twinge of guilt.
- See here for the Quinoa popcorn chicken recipe.
Virtuous Vegetarian
These meat-free marvels still manage to be deliciously hearty while sneaking those nutrients in.
21. Lentil bolognese
A super-healthy option for those mums who find themselves cooking spag bol every other night. (You know who you are.)
- See here for the Lentil bolognese recipe.
22. Spicy chickpea meatballs and sauce
There’ll be no cries of “where’s the meat?” with this delicious filling fare.
- See here for the Spicy chickpea meatballs and sauce recipe.
23. Slow cooker vegetarian dahl
Come home to a house full of delicious aromas and a hearty dinner all ready to go.
- See here for the Slow cooker vegetarian dahl recipe.
24. Vegetarian lasagne
A fantastic meal for feeding a hungry army.
- See here for the Vegetarian lasagne recipe.
25. Butternut pumpkin and goat’s cheese pasta bake
It’s a little bit fancy and a big bit tasty.
- See here for the Butternut pumpkin and goat’s cheese pasta bake recipe.
You had me at Thai fish cakes! I remember I made something similar and I can’t believe I haven’t tried this again. Thanks for the reminder. Wontons are also a favourite in our household. Best of all is to make Wonton Noodle Soup. Perfect for winter nights.
Oh my, you are making me hungry!! Everything sounds so good, I love to try out new recipes and will be trying these!!
Yummy this has given me a bit of inspiration to try a few different things I just need to be a bit more organised to have all the ingredients at home and start a meal plan
Looks great especially the quinoa popcorn chicken – a much healthier version than takeaways 🙂
Ooh yummy, great range of recipes here! I felt myself getting into a bit of a cooking rut for our family so we infrequently purchase bargain boxes to brand out a bit and I will be saving some of these simple recipes to try too.
This is just the list I need to start working through. I have become so stuck in my same-four-or-so-meals-a-week rut! I’m going to try and add a few of these into the mix.
Yum these look delicious and nutritious for the winter season. Definitely will be writing down some of these great recipes.
Oh now I’m just getting hungry!! 🙂 Great looking recipes all of them – our slow cooker always gets a beating over the winter time, it’s just so easy and makes delicious meals and the whole house smells devine when you walk in the door after work. Plus you get to have yummy creamy mashed potatoes hehe