28 Cozy February Dinner Ideas to Cook Every Night This Month
Why does the shortest month of the year always feel so unbearably long? February gets a bad rap for being dreary, cold and causing way too much stress on the 14th. But look on the bright side: It's also a great time to stay in and cook hearty, comforting dishes that will make you legitimately grateful for winter weather. So order a grocery delivery, throw on your favorite sweats and cozy up to 28 February dinner ideas to cook every night this month, from soups to pastas to skillet dishes.
73 Hearty Winter Dinner Ideas That Take 1 Hour or Less
February 1: The Ultimate Pasta Pie
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Found: Your kids' new favorite dinner. It's as easy as layering rigatoni marinara, crumbled Italian sausage and mozzarella cheese in a springform pan and baking to perfection.
February 2: Winter Red Cabbage and Apple Soup
Issy Croker/One: Pot, Pan, Planet
Thanks to red wine vinegar and caraway seeds, this vibrant soup has unexpected zing and an earthy edge. Finish your bowl with a swirl of Greek yogurt or plant-based crème fraîche.
February 3: Gena Hamshaw’s Balsamic Tempeh
Ashley McLaughlin/The Vegan Week
This six-ingredient vegan main can be paired with rice, greens, broth or pasta. Don't skip the steaming step: It mellows the tempeh's bitterness and helps it absorb as much marinade as possible.
February 4: Hash Brown Fish
Michelle Tam and Henry Fong
Even alleged fish haters will have nothing negative to say about this crispy, 25-minute masterpiece. It's Paleo-friendly, high in protein and loaded with brain-boosting omega-3s.
February 5: Cacio e Pepe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Warning: Once you’ve mastered this pasta dish, you just might never want to eat anything else for dinner again (especially since it only takes 20 minutes to prepare).
February 6: Creamy White Beans
Matt Armendariz/What's Gaby Cooking: Take It Easy
Mild white beans are brought to life by smashed garlic, Calabrian chile, fennel seeds and fresh rosemary. (You'll want to drizzle the spicy herb oil over everything from soup to sandwiches, BTW.)
Get the recipe
February 7: Cheater’s Sicilian-Style Pizza with Jalapeños and Honey
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Warm up with hot peppers and honey, the best pizza toppings on the planet (if you ask us, anyway). Don't knock it 'til you've tried it, friends.
February 8: Goat Cheese Pasta with Spinach and Artichokes
Colin Price/Two Peas & Their Pod
Consider this a preview of the greens you’ll eat in the spring, but in a dish that’s easy to make in any cold month. (The artichokes are canned, after all.) We dare you not to devour the entire pot in one sitting.
February 9: Sweet Potato Chowder
Photo/Styling: Katherine Gillen
Starring sweet potatoes, kale and a generous amount of bacon, because life is about balance, people. Finish your bowl with a dash of fancy vinegar or a flourish of crushed red pepper flakes.
February 10: Soy-Ginger Salmon Bowls with Coconut Rice
Katherine Gillen
This dinner is loaded with protein, topped with crunchy veggies and ready in 35 minutes flat—what's not to like? The soy-ginger glaze would taste divine on chicken, pork or tofu too, in case fish isn't your style.
February 11: Mini Mason Jar Chicken Potpies
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
It's basically an Insta-worthy, adorable cold weather twist on meal prep. (You’ll want to start collecting mason jars ASAP, trust us.)
February 12: Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Erin McDowell
If you don't have Buffalo sauce on the table, is it even Super Bowl Sunday? Chicken meatballs are so much easier to tackle than wings. Stick 'em with toothpicks for easy noshing during the game.
February 13: Antoni Porowski’s Lazy Pierogi with Wild Mushrooms, Cabbage and Prunes
Paul Brissman/Antoni: Let's Do Dinner
Can you believe you only need 35 minutes to pull off these fresh Polish dumplings, smothered in earthy veggies, brown sugar-y prunes and fresh herbs? You'll never go back to the frozen kind.
February 14: Lobster Risotto
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Happy Valentine’s Day! No matter who you’re cooking for or with, this indulgent lobster risotto is worth staying in for. Don't forget the chardonnay (or dessert).
February 15: Lasagna Soup
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Lasagna can be tedious to layer and bake. Skip the work *and* satisfy your cravings with a bowl of soup that boasts all the essentials. We're talking noodles, ground beef, crushed tomatoes, ricotta and mozz.
February 16: Cheddar Biscuit Chili Pot Pies
Katherine Gillen
Behold: the definition of comfort food. The chili quickly comes together in a skillet instead of a Crockpot or Dutch oven, so the recipe isn't nearly as time-consuming as you may expect.
February 17: Ina Garten’s Creamy Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Thyme
Quentin Bacon/Go-To Dinners
Fetch your finest chambray shirt to prepare this dinner party-worthy dish. The crispy chicken thighs are nestled in a wine-kissed sauce of onions, leeks, lemon and thyme.
February 18: Puff Pastry Pizza Bundles
Katherine Gillen
Picky eaters will have no complaints about this nostalgic, seven-ingredient meal. Dunk to your heart's content in pizza sauce, pesto or garlic butter.
February 19: Chicken and Waffle Sandwiches
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Breakfast for dinner is always a good idea, especially when it’s as decadent as these cheesy waffles topped with fried chicken. Now, would you like hot sauce or syrup (or both)?
February 20: Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
There's no such thing as too many noodle soup leftovers. Ward off any pending winter sicknesses with this feel-good classic that blows the canned kind way out of the water.
February 21: Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Sausage and Kale
Nisha Vora
How does a plant-based soup achieve a decadent texture without the help of cream, you ask? This dish's richness is courtesy of soaked cashews.
February 22: 5-Ingredient Smoked Gouda-Thyme Mac and Cheese
Photo: Michael Marquand/Styling: Caroline Lange
Save the boxed mac for another night. We cut back on the cook time here by cooking the orecchiette in milk instead of waiting for a separate pot of water to boil.
February 23: 30-Minute Cheater’s Beef Stroganoff
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Buttery noodles. Succulent beef tenderloin. Tangy Dijon-sour cream sauce. Pair it with a glass of red wine and let the compliments roll in.
February 24: Whole Roasted Chipotle Chicken
A New Way To Food
Winner, winner, the coziest, most soul-warming, chipotle-seasoned chicken dinner. It only requires four ingredients, including flavor-packed chipotles in adobo sauce.
February 25: Swedish Meatballs
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Sorry, IKEA. We've got it covered. Might we suggest serving these savory, creamy meatballs over 20-minute mashed potatoes?
February 26: Roasted Broccoli and Aged White Cheddar Soup
Photo/Styling: Katie Wayne
This cold-weather favorite calls for all the aged white cheddar cheese, butter and garlicky breadcrumbs. The sourdough bread bowl merely gilds the lily.
February 27: Skillet Gnocchi Bake with Sausage and Kale
Katherine Gillen
For your skillet's next trick, it'll transform store-bought pasta into something spectacular and decidedly drool-worthy. Did we mention it only takes 45 minutes to prepare?
February 28: Spiralized Winter Vegetable Gratin
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, fresh herbs and two types of gooey cheese? How fast can we get to the grocery store?
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Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.
