The 14 Recipes We Can’t Wait to Make This January

Simple Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Looking for a way to lighten up breakfast as well? Mix in small-curd cottage cheese to a batch of these pancakes, and you’ll get the best of both worlds. A satisfying stack the whole family will enjoy with extra protein to boot.

Carrot, Potato, and Cabbage Soup

There’s nothing like a hot bowl of soup to help keep things cozy in wintertime. This vegetable soup, packed with cabbage, carrots, and potatoes, does the trick (and then some). It only requires a few ingredients and comes together in under an hour.  And since it’s so hearty, you don’t even have to serve it with anything if you don’t want to.

Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup

Another soup that is just as hearty and delicious is a spin on a classic dinner favorite. Take the ingredients you would normally gather to make cheeseburgers and throw them in your slow cooker instead for an easy yet comforting dish. Just note, as recipe creator Juliana Hale suggests, “Don’t skip the toppings—they make the soup!”

Bang Bang Salmon

This salmon recipe from Allrecipes Allstar Nicole Russell (aka Soup Loving Nicole) is an easy meal for the new year that’s both quick and full of flavor. Coat the fish with a spicy-sweet sauce and pop it in the oven on a sheet pan while you throw together a fresh salad of cucumber and avocado. Convenience has never tasted so good.

Spring Roll Bowl

This newcomer to the site is not to be missed this month. As recipe developer Emily Nienhaus explains, “This delicious spring roll bowl is full of crisp and crunchy vegetables, shrimp, and vermicelli noodles, topped with peanut sauce and served with Vietnamese Nuoc Cham sauce—the perfect light lunch or dinner.” While spring may be a long way off, this dish will surely help brighten our moods.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice

Let your slow cooker take care of dinner with this cozy meal fully loaded with chicken, rice, carrots, peas, and more. As the recipe page states, “Make sure you use converted rice, otherwise it gets mushy—and don’t skip the Parmesan cheese.”

Italian Sausage Tortellini

Mushrooms, spinach, garlic, and Italian sausage complement tortellini in a cozy, extra-delicious one-pot meal, finished with creamy Alfredo sauce. “This is in our regular rotation!” says one of the five-star reviews. It’s about to be in ours, too.

Tip: Make this vegetarian-friendly by swapping the sausage for asparagus, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, peas, or your favorite extras.

Million Dollar Baked Beans

Baked beans are never a bad idea, and this new recipe takes things up a notch—to millionaire status—with bacon, sausage, and lots of spices. “You’ll never eat them plain again,” according to recipe creator Kathryn Hendrix, RDN, LD.

Green Beans Almondine

Judging by its fancy-sounding name, you might think this side dish has an elaborate preparation. Thankfully, it only calls for a few ingredients and comes together in minutes. Microwaving the green beans makes for a helpful shortcut. The reviews say it all, “Green beans at their best” and “Compliments from everyone!”

Kale Sweet Potato Salad

We have Allrecipes Allstar Brenda Venable to thank for our next January must-make. As she describes, “This kale sweet potato salad has something for everyone—sweet, salty, crunchy, tangy—and your mom will be so happy you are eating kale!” She also adds a tip: “Roast the sweet potato and onion a day ahead, if you like, to save time.”

Cottage Cheese Bread

Save some cottage cheese from the pancakes to make a versatile homemade loaf to go with any meal. It will be the “toast” of the town. Take it from editor Diana Moutsopoulos, who says, “This bread is so easy to make and is a great high-protein breakfast that the whole family enjoys. Super good toasted. I will be making it again and again!”

Cinnamon Nutmeg Coffee Cake

Erin Jeanne McDowell ensures, “This coffee cake is classic and so simple to make,” and is a perfect snacking cake. Nutmeg adds a little something extra to the crumble. We’ll be making this on repeat all winter long.

Bananas Foster

If you have a special celebration in January, whip up a classic that editor Corey Williams says is a “showstopping dessert that will impress everyone at your table—but [is] surprisingly simple to make!” Sliced bananas and rum sauce are served over vanilla ice cream. If you really want to impress, don’t skip the tableside flambé for extra flourish.

Pomegranate Fizz

Dry January or not, this festive drink will brighten any glass. Creator France Cevallos adds it’s “a refreshing and vibrant mocktail that balances the tartness of pomegranate juice with the herbal notes of fresh basil, while a hint of agave adds a touch of natural sweetness. With a bubbly finish from a splash of club soda, this drink is light and effervescent.” Cheers to that, and Happy New Year!