19 Cozy Dinners to Make All Winter Long for Better Blood Sugar By Camryn Alexa Wimberly Camryn Alexa Wimberly Camryn Wimberly is EatingWell's Editorial Fellow. As a food and mental health blogger, Camryn explores how food and cooking can help improve mental health and also be an avenue to connect with one's culture and heritage. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 17, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is the senior nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Close Credit: Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Sally McKay, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Spice up your night with one of these comforting dinners. From a cozy bowl of vegetarian chili to roasted chicken and veggies, these recipes highlight the best winter produce, like kale, winter squash, potatoes and more. Plus, each serving of these dinners focuses on complex carbs, like whole grains, that are high in fiber, which helps improve your blood sugar levels. Additionally, they're low in saturated fat and sodium, two nutrients people with diabetes should be more mindful of. Recipes like our Chicken Parmesan Soup or Lemon-Garlic Sheet-Pan Salmon with Potatoes & Green Beans are tasty ways to end the day. Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, your new, free recipe box for EatingWell. 01 of 19 Chicken Parmesan Soup Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood, Food Stylist: Sally McKay View Recipe Save This dish combines the rich flavors of a traditional chicken Parm—juicy seasoned chicken, tangy marinara sauce and savory Parmesan cheese—with the warmth and comfort of a soup. It’s perfect for those chilly days when you crave something familiar with a fun, innovative twist! 02 of 19 Lemon-Garlic Sheet-Pan Salmon with Potatoes & Green Beans Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Sally McKay, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood View Recipe Save With tender salmon, crispy potatoes and fresh green beans drizzled with lemon, this dinner is not only delicious but also easy to prepare and clean up. It’s the perfect solution for busy nights when you want a nutritious meal without the hassle. 03 of 19 Creamy White Chili with Sweet Potatoes & White Beans Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Sally McKay, Prop Stylist Hannah Greenwood View Recipe Save A bowl of creamy white chili with sweet potatoes is the perfect comfort food to warm you from the inside out. This hearty plant-based dish blends white beans and the subtle sweetness of sweet potatoes in a rich, flavorful broth, with chopped green chiles to add warmth. 04 of 19 Chicken Fajita Soup Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel View Recipe Save This tasty soup features the vibrant, smoky flavors of traditional fajitas for a versatile dish that is perfect for a cozy dinner. Make it your own by adding a chopped jalapeño to kick up the heat or swapping the chicken for another protein like leftover steak or tofu. 05 of 19 General Tso’s Cauliflower Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek View Recipe Save This plant-based version of General Tso’s Chicken is the perfect weeknight meal, swapping chicken for cauliflower with a boost of vibrant green color and gut-healthy fiber coming from edamame. Serve it over brown rice or whole-wheat noodles to sop up any leftover sauce. 06 of 19 Honey-Garlic Chicken Casserole Photographer: Stacy k. Allen, Props: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Lauren Odum View Recipe Save This honey-garlic chicken casserole is the perfect option for when you want a stir-fry with less mess to clean up. To keep prep to a minimum, we use precooked brown rice. Look for it in pouches at the store or whip up this one-pot meal when you have leftovers to spare. 07 of 19 Spiced Couscous-Stuffed Peppers Courtesy Photo View Recipe Save These stuffed peppers are flavorful, with a delicious pilaf-style filling of couscous and lentils. To take things up a notch, drizzle everything with a fresh yogurt sauce for a dish that will make any plant- or meat-eater happy. 08 of 19 Spiced Cauliflower Chraime Micah Siva View Recipe Save Chraime is a spicy North African fish stew, popular with Sephardic Jews for Rosh Hashana, Passover and Shabbat. This meatless version highlights cauliflower, stewed until tender, studded with plump and juicy golden raisins and drizzled with date syrup. 09 of 19 Chickpeas alla Vodka Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser View Recipe Save This Chickpeas alla Vodka is the ultra-quick, fiber-packed dinner you’ve been waiting for! Chickpeas are swimming in a creamy vodka sauce that gets enhancements from sautéed garlic, onion and vibrant green baby kale. Crispy, toasted whole-wheat bread is perfect for dipping. 10 of 19 Harira (Moroccan Tomato, Lentil & Beef Soup) Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco View Recipe Save Harira is a tomato-based soup featured at the center of many Moroccan tables during the month of Ramadan. This version features chickpeas, lentils, beef and noodles in a fragrant tomato broth, but there are endless variations on the soup. 11 of 19 Sheet-Pan Gnocchi with Broccoli & White Beans Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell View Recipe Save This effortless dish comes together on two baking sheets for easy preparation and a fast cleanup. A blend of lemon and broccoli mixes with tender gnocchi and rich cannellini beans, all brought together with a generous drizzle of olive oil. 12 of 19 Slow-Cooker Three-Bean Chili Mac Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell View Recipe Save Chili meets mac and cheese in this fix-it-and-forget-it slow-cooker dinner. Hot tomato sauce, a Mexican canned tomato sauce that also includes spices and chiles for heat, kicks up the flavor. 13 of 19 Spaghetti with Creamy Lemon-Spinach Sauce Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle View Recipe Save Loosely inspired by the flavors of classic pesto, this vibrant pasta packs in plenty of spinach and basil with a garnish of nutty walnuts and savory Parmesan cheese. Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil and a green salad on the side. 14 of 19 Sheet-Pan Beef & Cabbage Noodles Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell View Recipe Save This stir-fry comes together in only 20 minutes on one baking sheet under the broiler. Making sure your ingredients are spread out well on the pan will ensure that everything cooks evenly. 15 of 19 Creamy Lemon-Dill Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Casserole Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless View Recipe Save Imagine this simple recipe as the casserole version of classic chicken noodle soup! Using a high-quality broth or homemade chicken stock enhances the flavor along with fresh, grassy notes of dill. 16 of 19 Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Skillet Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle View Recipe Save This savory, meaty dish is prepared in a skillet and baked, capturing the essence of the classic dish while simplifying the process. To expedite prep, we recommend using precooked microwaveable brown rice, making it ideal for hectic weeknights when time is limited. 17 of 19 Lemony Chicken & Rice Soup Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Shell Royster View Recipe Save The Greek lemon-chicken soup avgolemono is the inspiration for this 20-minute recipe. Eggs and lemon are tempered into the broth to add richness and creaminess. 18 of 19 Creamy Chicken & Penne alla Vodka Casserole with Peas Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food stylist: Annie Probst, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco View Recipe Save This cheesy casserole is perfect for a busy weeknight when you need a fast and easy dinner with minimal cleanup. Vodka sauce adds a creamy note to the sauce. If you don’t have vodka sauce on hand, add a few tablespoons of cream to regular marinara. 19 of 19 Eat-the-Rainbow Vegetable Soup Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Shell Royster View Recipe Save This vibrant and wholesome soup recipe helps support your well-being. It’s packed with a variety of colorful vegetables, like tomatoes, which contain lycopene, a phytochemical that may help reduce inflammation. Explore more: Healthy Recipes Health Conditions Diabetes-Friendly Diabetes-Friendly Dinner Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit