Here is a list of perfect cold weather meals that will warm you up on autumn and winter days! These are the meals my mama most commonly made, and I found the recipes that are the closest to what she did (since she rarely used a recipe for these traditional-style meals).
So, these are not exactly what my mama made, but pretty close! I noted any major differences from my mama’s recipes and what we would traditionally serve with them.
Favorite Resources For Cold Weather
Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook: 1400 Best Slow Cooker Recipes!
Instant Pot DUO80 8 Qt 7-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and WarmerCrock-Pot 7-Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker, Stainless Steel The Instant Pot® Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook: Easy Recipes for Fast & Healthy Meals50 Ounce BPA Free Red Copper Tea Pot Stove Top Coil Handle
These are special to me because my mama passed away from cancer in 2007 at the age of 51. Enjoy this taste of my childhood and ideas for simple comfort food this fall & winter!
Perfect Cold Weather Meals
Beef Stew/Soup – We don’t add cornstarch, so it is more like a soup. Serve with homemade bread and ketchup.
Pasty – We do NOT add MSG… seriously, why would that be an ingredient?? Serve with ketchup.
Oven Pot Roast – This was how my mom made roast sometimes in the later years. But, she most often just put a beef roast in the roasting pan, well seasoned with Lawry’s seasoning salt, added a couple of inches of water, covered, and slowly roasted for a handful of hours. It smelled wonderful! Pair this with mashed potatoes, gravy, and a veggie… YUM.
Hamburger Pie – this is very similar to what my mom always made when I was a kid! Sprinkle with chili powder and serve with dill pickles and homemade bread with butter. We always skipped the whole baking-it-in-the-oven and simply served the mashed potatoes with the tomato soup/green bean/ground beef mixture on top like gravy!
Creamy Soups – You can be creative and use whatever kind of meat and veggies you like! Serve with crusty bread and a salad.
Chili – Another one you can be creative with! Serve with buttered garlic toast and topped with shredded cheese and chopped onions. My mom’s chili was usually made very liquid-y, but I prefer it thicker now.
Meatloaf – This recipe sounds just like something my mama would have made! Serve with baked potatoes topped with sour cream/butter and canned green beans.
Scalloped Potatoes & Ham – We have never added peas or cheese to the casserole dish, but have often paired it with peas and added shredded cheese on top!
BBQ Meatballs – We make one similar to this recipe, but my mom’s homemade “BBQ sauce” is different (I love my mom’s BBQ sauce recipe)! Pair with boiled, cubed potatoes (with the skins on) and canned peas.
Sweet Ham – Serve with mashed potatoes, “sweet gravy”, and corn. My mom always added brown sugar to the gravy to make it sweet (gravy made from meat drippings, potato water, beef bouillon, and cornstarch).
What are your favorite cold-weather meals to make and serve your family?
Homemaking Resources
Homemaker’s Friend Daily Planner is my top recommendation for a physical/hard copy planner!
Proverbial Homemaker Planner & eCourse – digital Resources I recommend!
You just listed most of my favorites! 🙂 We use potato starch or tapioca starch to thicken stews though, we find tapioca can get gluey so use more potato starch(found in the kosher section usually) . My Mom taught me to cover the top of the pot roast with horseradish(we grate it and keep a jar in the fridge). I know it sounds awful, but during the slow cooking the horseradish cooks away and it simply makes the beef very rich flavored! Thanks for listing, I think I am feeling inspired for dinner tomorrow now! 🙂
The horseradish on beef raost sounds delicious! I like horseradish, but nobody else here does.
Good ideas…thanks for sharing!
Many of those are similar to our favorites as well. Turkey/Chicken Pot Pie, One-Dish Chicken and Stuffing, and Chili are probably the three top favorites at my house.
My mom made baked goulash: browned ground beef, cooked elbow macaroni, combined with home canned tomatoes poured into a large deep casserole. Then she would put chunks of velveeta down into the casserole and slices of velveeta over the top. She would bake it at 325 degrees until bubbly and the cheese on top was browned.
Sounds so comforting!! Yum!