Relaxing Recipes

Simmer down and loosen up while creating these scrumptious good-mood recipes. With a list that includes everything from enchiladas to cocktails, there’s a recipe to help you relax and unwind on any given day.

First up is our French Onion Soup. French onion soup is such a simple dish that the ingredients and the way they’re cooked make all the difference. It’s worth the effort to make your own stock for this simple soup, but if you want to save time, you can use store-bought unsalted beef stock or lower-sodium broth.

For a denser, creamier texture, cool the cake in the oven one hour with the oven door ajar instead of closed. Make a day ahead since the cooled cake needs to chill overnight. Serve cake with seasonal fruit: Berries, cherries, and sliced stone fruit are all good options.

Serve this savory caramelized onion, Gruyère, and bacon spread with crackers or bread slices. If you can't find Gruyère, substitute raclette, fontina, or Swiss cheese.

Chili is almost an American symbol of winter comfort—or a fun football night. Like most chilis, this one tastes even better the next day, once the flavors have had a chance to mingle and meld.

A lighter take on the classic croque monsieur—there’s no egg dip, and they’re served open-faced—these sandwiches are equally kid friendly and adult pleasing.

A soft-cooked egg coats the pasta and adds rich flavor to this rustic dish. The key to success with the eggs is to plunge them quickly into ice water to stop the cooking.

An Italian dish based on creamy rice, risotto is perfect when you want to curl up with a bowl of something warm and soothing.

To save time creating this delectable dish, you can make all of the components ahead and simply assemble the enchiladas just before baking.

Many grits lovers say the most flavorful variety is stone-ground yellow grits, which will also take longer to cook (but can be worth the wait). Take your pick before preparing this recipe: Stone-ground grits are more coarse than regular grits; instant grits have been precooked and dehydrated.

Challah is a rich, traditional Jewish bread; substitute Hawaiian bread if challah isn’t available. Maple and apples make this a comforting, warming meal.

Bread pudding becomes a main dish inspired by the flavors of a loaded baked potato. Preparing the puddings in individual ramekins gives them a dressier feel and shortens cook time.

Dried peaches make this dessert a year-round option. Keeping dough ingredients chilled ensures a crisp, tender crust, which is baked rather than fried.

The perfect mix of sweet maple, tart lemon, and the warmth of bourbon makes this cocktail a keeper. For an extra hit of maple, dip wet glass rims in maple sugar.

Serve a rich and hearty cheesy soup as part of a comforting cool-weather meal. When making this soup, stir in the cheese and remove from heat as soon as it melts to prevent curdling.

Update a childhood favorite by adding walnuts and chickpeas to tuna salad. Here, the cheese goes directly on the bread (instead of on top of the sandwich) to help keep the bread from getting soggy.