Hygge recipes to braise, bake and slow cook for a cozy night at home

Family recipes, simple slow cooked meals or deliciously saucy pots of pasta are all wonderfully comforting during fall and winter when the season calls for cozy kitchen vibes.

Hygge, the Danish and Norwegian term used to describe that feeling of coziness, comfort and contentment, can go beyond bundling up in big fluffy blankets and apply to appetizing beverages, braises and baked goods.

Check out our round up of hygge recipes below to try in your home all cozy season long.

Crockpot Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Ingredients
3 cups half-and-half
3 cups whole milk
6 cups strong coffee
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Cinnamon stick, optional (for more a spice flavor)

Directions
Whisk all ingredients together in a Crockpot and cook on high for 1-2 hours.
This can be kept warm in the Crockpot for a party. This recipe can also be cut in half.
For a thicker, creamier drink, use 6 cups half-and-half, but no milk. For a lighter drink, use all milk, no half-and-half.
Flavors can be adjusted as necessary; use more coffee for a stronger drink; add more syrup for a sweeter drink, etc.

Recipe reprinted courtesy of Maria Provenzano.

Instant Pot Lasagna Soup Recipe

Food personality, restaurant partner and recipe creator Rosalynn Daniels shared her recipe for slow cooker soup, with a stove top option too, which she said is "guaranteed to be a family favorite."

Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4-6 Servings

Ingredients
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1 white onion, diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces tomato paste
24 1/2 ounces tomato sauce
6 cups broth of choice (I use chicken broth, usually)
2 cups lasagna noodles, loosely broken

Directions
Place your pressure cooker or Instant Pot on sauté mode. Toss the Italian sausage, diced onion, Italian seasoning, salt, sugar, white pepper and Worcestershire in the sauce.
Stir until most of your meat is brown. Stir in the minced garlic. Turn off the heat.
Add your tomato paste, sauce and broth into the pot, and stir until completely combined.
Break your lasagna noodles to your desired sizes and add into the pot. Stir until your noodles are fully submerged.
Press the pressure cook option on your Instant Pot and set the timer to 3 minutes. Lock on your instant pot hood and turn your vent to close.
Once your timer goes off, safely open the vent and let the pressure release. Once the pressure is released, carefully open your Instant Pot.
Serve your lasagna soup immediately and top with a shredded mozzarella cheese, a dollop of ricotta and fresh parsley.

Stove Top Directions
In a large pot or dutch oven, sauté your diced onion until it begins to get tender.
Add your Italian sausage to the pot, along with your Italian seasoning, salt, sugar, white pepper and Worcestershire sauce.
Once your sausage starts to brown, stir in your tomato paste until completely combined with your sausage. Pour in your tomato sauce and broth and stir until completely combined. Bring to a simmer.
Add your broken pieces of lasagna noodles to the pot and continue to simmer until noodles are tender. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
Serve your lasagna soup immediately and top with a shredded mozzarella cheese, a dollop of ricotta or mascarpone and fresh parsley.

Recipe reprinted with the permission of Rosalynn Daniels.

Half Baked Harvest Creamy Brown Butter Mushroom Chicken

Half Baked Harvest creator Tieghan Gerard first shared this recipe in partnership with Breckenridge Brewery to make cooking at home just as special as dining out.

The beloved Colorado-based home cook turned food blogger and cookbook author developed a depth of winter flavor using ingredients like vanilla porter, mushrooms, shallot and thyme.

Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
4 chicken cutlets or 2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally
kosher salt and black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons salted butter
3 cups shiitake or cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup Breckenridge Brewery Vanilla Porter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound fettuccine pasta

Directions
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the flour and garlic powder in a shallow bowl and dredge the chicken through the flour mix, pressing to adhere.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and sear on both sides until golden, about 3-5 minutes per side. Add 1 tablespoon butter and allow the butter to brown around the chicken,about 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the mushrooms to the skillet. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes or until golden. Add 3 tablespoons butter, the shallots, garlic, thyme, and a pinch each of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook 4-5 minutes, until fragrant. Spoon half the mushrooms out of the skillet and onto the plate with the chicken.
Pour in the beer and broth. Cook 10-15 minutes until reduced slightly, then pour in the cream. Add the chicken to the skillet and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until warmed through and thickened slightly. Spoon the reserved mushrooms over thechicken.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Serve the chicken and sauce over bowls of pasta. Top with fresh thyme or parsley.

Melissa Clark's Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Why make macaroni and cheese in an electric pressure cooker when it's so easy to do on the stove? You're not necessarily going to save any time with this method, but cooking it all in one pot does make things more convenient. Plus, the cream cheese in the sauce makes this version particularly rich and creamy.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups whole milk, plus more as needed
1/4 cup heavy cream
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 garlic clove (optional)
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch of grated nutmeg
8 ounces macaroni pasta
8 ounces grated sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Directions
Brush 1 tablespoon of the butter over the bottom of the pressure cooker.
In a blender, blend the milk, cream, cream cheese, remaining 1 tablespoon butter, garlic, dry mustard, salt, pepper, cayenne and nutmeg.
Add the cream cheese mixture and the macaroni to the pressure cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.
Release the pressure manually. Stir the noodles, and if they look dry, stir in more milk to taste. If the noodles are too al dente to your liking, stir in the cheddar, then cover and let the pot sit for 5 to 10 minutes; the noodles will cook a little more just sitting in the pot. Otherwise, stir in the cheese and serve immediately.

Reprinted from Dinner in French. Copyright © 2020 by Melissa Clark. Photographs copyright © 2020 by Laura Edwards. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.

Instant Pot or Slow Cooker White Bean Pumpkin Chili

Rena Awada, a mother of five and founder of Healthy Fitness Meals, shared her savory seasonal recipe that can be prepared on the stove, in an Instant Pot or with a slow cooker.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 stalks celery finely chopped
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
3 small carrots finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/2 tablespoon red chili paste or 1 tablespoon of chili powder
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken, turkey, or beef (We like to use lean ground turkey)2 tablespoons fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried15 ounces unsweetened pumpkin purée1/4 cup peanut butter
30 ounces cannellini beans two cans, drained
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional toppings: fresh thyme, chopped avocado, green onions, shredded cheese
Optional seasoning: 1 tbsp of (cumin powder, onion powder, and garlic powder)

Directions

Finely chop the onion, carrots, celery and garlic cloves.

Stovetop
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Stir in the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more until fragrant.
Next, add in the carrots and celery, stirring occasionally until slightly softened.
Add in the ground meat, smoked paprika, red chili paste, black pepper and salt. Continue cooking until meat is no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes.
Next stir in the fresh thyme, pumpkin puree, peanut butter, beans and vegetable broth. Give it a good stir.
Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper according to your taste.
Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl. Top with your favorite topping and serve immediately.

Crockpot or slow cooker
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté until garlic is fragrant.
Stir in the chopped veggies, meat, and spices, cook until veggies are soft and meat is browned.
Transfer the browned meat mixture into the slow cooker. Add beans and fresh thyme. Pour in the pumpkin purée, peanut butter, and broth. Stir well.
Cover with lid and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
Add your favorite topping on top and serve immediately.

Instant Pot
Set the pressure cooker to sauté mode. Heat oil and sauté onion and garlic until slightly golden brown.
Add in the chopped veggies, meat and spices. Mix well, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon until it is in small crumbles. Cook until browned, about 7-8 minutes.
Add in the remaining ingredients. Cover and pressure cook for 10 minutes.
Once finished cooking, allow the cooker to release pressure naturally, about 15 minutes.
Unlock the lid and transfer to a large serving bowl. Top with desired favorite topping and serve warm.

Recipe reprinted courtesy of Rena Awada from Healthy Fitness Meals.

Dutch Oven Braised Chicken in Vermouth

France-based food writer, columnist and cookbook author Rebekah Peppler shared this delicious update to the classic one-pot chicken dish that uses the ultimate cooking vessel.

Peppler suggests using bone-in dark meat chicken to make the dish even richer and thicker and to serve it with plenty of crusty bread to dip in the aromatic sauce perfumed with vermouth.

Ingredients
3 pounds chicken legs and thighs
Fine sea salt
Ground white pepper
4 ounces lardons or bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
1 medium yellow onion, quartered and thinly sliced
4 medium carrots, cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch diagonal slices
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 1/2 cups dry vermouth
2 tablespoons unsalted European butter
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions
Season the chicken with salt and white pepper.
In a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat, add the lardons and cook, stirring occasionally, until very well browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the lardons to a plate. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer to the pot, working in batches as needed, and cook until well-browned on both sides, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to the platter with the lardons.
Add the onion and carrots to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and the carrots start to soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, mushrooms and thyme sprigs; season with salt. Cook for 5 minutes, then pour in the vermouth and increase the heat to medium-high. Return the chicken and lardons as well as any juices on the plate to the pot, nestling them into the vegetable mixture. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and cook, basting occasionally, until the chicken is very tender and cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Remove the lid, transfer the chicken to a platter, and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes, then stir in the butter and lemon juice. Once the butter is melted, return the chicken to the pot for a few minutes to rewarm. Season with salt and white pepper as needed. Serve warm.

Recipe reprinted courtesy of Le Creuset from Peppler's "À Table: Recipes for Cooking and Eating the French Way."

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

This tangy, spicy slow cooked chicken is perfect to stuff baked sweet potatoes, but check out The Real Food Dietitians' tips for freezing and reheating and other uses for the buffalo braised poultry on their blog here.

Ingredients
2 pounds boneless chicken breast or thighs (recommend 1 pound of each)
1 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Whole30 diet-compatible Frank's Red Hot or Sriracha, which is not Whole30-compatible)
1/3 cup ghee, coconut oil or butter (butter, not Whole30-compatible)
3 tablespoons coconut aminos
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional, adds more heat)
8 small baked sweet potatoes (about 7 ounces each, raw)
Ranch dressing (homemade or store bought)

Directions
Place chicken in a slow cooker set on low.
In a small saucepan on medium-high heat, combine the hot sauce, ghee, coconut aminos, garlic powder and optional cayenne. Stir together and heat until ghee is melted.
Pour the sauce into the slow cooker. Cook for 4 to 6 hours on low or until chicken is tender.
Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Return shredded chicken to slow cooker and toss with sauce.
Turn slow cooker to warm (or remain on low) until ready to serve.
Serve chicken in baked sweet potatoes and drizzle with buffalo sauce and ranch, if desired.

Instant Pot directions
Place chicken in a single layer in your Instant Pot.
In a small saucepan on medium-high heat, combine the hot sauce, ghee, coconut aminos, garlic powder, and optional cayenne. Stir together and heat until ghee is melted. Alternatively, use a pre-made buffalo sauce.
Pour sauce into the Instant Pot, covering the chicken.
Lock the lid into place and make sure the valve is set to seal.
Set the Instant Pot for 15 minutes on high pressure.
When the time is up, naturally release for 10 minutes before unlocking the lid and shredding.

Pumpkin Pie Mug Cake

Jamika Pessoa shared this simple recipe that tastes like pumpkin pie and can use pumpkin or sweet potato puree.

Serves: 1

Ingredients
2-3 tablespoons crushed cookies (graham crackers, gingersnaps, biscuit cookies)
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon half and half
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt

Directions
Place crushed cookies in the bottom of a microwavable mug.
In a bowl, mix remaining ingredients until smooth. Spoon pie mixture into mug. Microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes, checking every 30 seconds. Carefully remove from the microwave and allow pie to slightly cool as it sets. Serve with whipped cream on top and enjoy.