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Fun fact — there’s an entire bag of coleslaw hiding in this cozy sausage orzo soup. And it’s SO GOOD. ♡

I’ve been using bagged coleslaw as a time-saving hack for years whenever I need shredded cabbage fast (hello, 20-Minute Egg Roll Bowls!). But it only recently dawned on me to try the same shortcut with cabbage soup. Now, I’m hooked! The thin shreds of cabbage and carrots melt right into the broth, adding natural sweetness and heartiness with zero chopping. And when paired with savory Italian sausage, a rich scoop of tomato paste, tender orzo pasta, a handful of kale for extra greens, and a sprinkle of Parmesan and lemon to finish, you end up with a bowl that’s satisfying and hearty, yet still tastes refreshingly light and fresh.

It’s a 30-minute, one-pot, nourishing meal that has become a favorite in our house for busy weeknights. Let’s make some!

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Is there anything cozier than a warm bowl of Italian wedding soup?

This classic dish is the perfect blend of hearty and wholesome ingredients, featuring tender homemade meatballs and delicate pasta simmered in a rich garlicky broth infused with herbs. I love adding some pancetta (or bacon) too for an extra layer of smoky, savory flavor that makes every spoonful irresistible. And of course, when finished with a generous shower of freshly-grated Parmesan and served with crusty bread for dipping, this soup absolutely heavenly. Comfort food at its finest!

Fun fact — Italian minestra maritata isn’t actually served at weddings! Its name just refers to the “marriage” of delicious flavors in this delicious, nourishing soup. The traditional recipe has evolved over generations, especially here in the States, where tiny meatballs have become the signature Italian-American choice for protein. I highly recommend making the simple homemade meatballs included in the recipe below, which so flavorful and worth the effort. But if you’re short on time, just grab a package of your favorite frozen meatballs and you’ll be good to go!

However you make this soup, it’s guaranteed to warm you up on a chilly day. Let’s make a batch!

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Every December, photos pop up on my TimeHop reminding me of the magical Christmas we spent in England many years ago celebrating some dear friends’ wedding. Amongst so many other fun memories, it was the trip where I fell in love with British pub culture — ducking into charming bars to escape the winter chill, cozying up with a pint or warm mugs of mulled wine, savoring some of the country’s famous comfort foods, and soaking in the lively folk music and cheerful pub vibes. It was such a special and delicious trip. And I’ll always remember it was there that I had my first taste of classic bangers and mash. ♡

This simple dish is the epitome of British comfort food — hearty, humble and absolutely packed with flavor. Savory sausages are browned up in a skillet and then served atop a warm bed of creamy, buttery mashed potatoes. Then they’re topped with a generous ladle of onion gravy, and usually served with a sprinkling of sweet green peas on the side. It’s one of those simple, straightforward dishes that always ends up being greater than the sum of its parts. And on a cold winter’s day, it’s always guaranteed to warm you up through and through.

There are all sorts of ways that you could customize this dish if you’d like, adding in some extra veggies or seasonings, or making it gluten-free or even vegetarian (with your favorite plant-based sausages). But the classic here is honestly hard to beat, in my opinion. So the next time you’re craving some comfort food, I highly recommend picking up your favorite sausages and giving this one a try!

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This cozy, one-pot, 30-minute meal is everything I’m craving right now. ♡

Pillowy potato gnocchi and zesty Italian chicken sausage nestle together in a bubbly tomato-basil sauce until perfectly tender. Then each serving bowl is finished with a very generous shower of freshly-grated Parmesan, adding the perfect pop of salty, nutty flavor to each bite. It’s a high-protein, low-fuss meal that can be ready to go stat — one of those perfect back-pocket recipes for busy weeknights or anytime you’re craving some Italian comfort food!

Feel free to switch up the protein, toss in some extra veggies, or add a splash of heavy cream to the sauce if you’d like. This recipe is endlessly adaptable and pretty much guaranteed to be a hit no matter how you make it. So the next time you’re craving a quick and cozy dinner, grab some chicken sausage and gnocchi and let’s make a batch together!

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Cozy up, friends, because this creamy pumpkin pasta is about to become a new fall favorite. ♡

It’s made with a velvety, creamy, comforting pumpkin sauce that’s seasoned with garlic and lots of fresh sage. Then to balance the subtle sweetness of the pumpkin, we’ll toss the pasta with some zesty Italian sausage, fresh kale, and lots of salty Parmesan. It’s an absolutely irresistible mix of slightly-sweet and savory, fresh and earthy flavors that our entire family loved. You’ll definitely be going back for seconds!

As always, there are lots of options to customize this recipe to your liking, if you’d like to swap in a different protein, add some veggies, or make the recipe gluten-free or vegetarian. This creamy pumpkin sauce is just one that you’re definitely going to want to add to your repertoire. So the next time you’re craving some pasta, grab a can of pumpkin purée and let’s make this one together!

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Ok, I hesitate to add any more “marry me” recipes to the Internet at this point. But this soup honestly knocked my socks off. I have to share it with you! ♡

It’s made with the famously comforting combination of pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, cream and spinach that seems to have taken the internet by storm these past few years. (I mean, who can go wrong with this lineup?) But instead of using chicken as our protein — popular in most “marry me” recipes — I chose to brown a batch of Italian sausage to mix into this soup, which adds a major boost of complex, robust, savory flavor to each bite. I also added in some red bell pepper and lots of spinach for extra veg and color. And I insist that you finish each bowl with a generous shower of freshly-grated salty Parmesan and some chopped fresh basil — delish!

I made this soup on a chilly weekday when we had a bunch of family in town and I was looking for a simple meal to feed a crowd. We served it with a simple arugula salad and some crusty bread for dipping. And it ended up being such a hit. (Our au pair even said it was her favorite meal I’d made all year!) We’re already planning to make another batch this week. So I hope you might give it a try too!

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Every winter, I find myself craving some version of sausage and cabbage. But these noodles may be my favorite recipe yet! ♡

We’re going unapologetically BIG on savory flavors here, beginning with a rich sauté of smoky bacon and garlicky kielbasa. Then we’ll add in a huge pile of chopped green cabbage and cook it down until tender. Then everything everything gets tossed together with chewy egg noodles in a simple tomato-paprika sauce until each bite is evenly coated and bursting with flavor. It’s total comfort food and truly couldn’t be more delicious!

The recipe comes together quickly (especially if you chop as you go) and is easily adaptable with whatever type of sausage and noodles you love best. Feel free to also add in any other leftover veggies you have on hand that might sound good. And while I love the paprika and caraway included in the recipe below, you could also play around and take the seasonings in a Cajun or Italian direction instead if you prefer. There are lots of fun ways to customize this one.

So the next time you’re craving a hearty meal of sausage and cabbage, grab some noodles too and give this recipe a try!

Kielbasa and Cabbage Recipe | 1-minute video

Kielbasa and Cabbage Noodles Ingredients

Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients you will need to make this kielbasa and cabbage noodles recipe:

• Egg noodles: Egg noodles add chewy texture to this dish and perfectly soak up the flavors in the sauce. I’m partial to using curly wide egg noodles, but feel free to use any other variety of egg noodles or other type of pasta that you prefer.
• Kielbasa: This Polish sausage is famous for its garlicky, smoky flavor. Slicing it diagonally helps to maximize the surface area of each piece, adding even more flavor as it cooks and browns.
• Cabbage: Green cabbage softens as it cooks and soaks up the flavors of the smoky bacon and seasonings. I prefer roughly chopping the cabbage into bite-sized pieces, but you can also shred it (or purchase pre-shredded cabbage) if you prefer a different texture.
• Bacon: Bacon adds delicious extra layers of smoky, salty flavor to the dish. To maximize flavor, I recommend sautéing the other ingredients in the leftover bacon grease. But you’re welcome to sub in olive oil if you prefer less bacon flavor.
• Onion and garlic: Onion and garlic serve as the simple aromatics for this dish, adding an extra layer of savory flavor to the dish.
• Chicken stock: Chicken stock (or you could sub in vegetable stock) serves as the base for our broth.
• Tomato paste: Tomato paste gives the sauce a foundation of rich, tangy, sweet tomato flavor which pairs nicely with the seasonings.
• Seasonings: Smoked paprika and caraway seeds serve as the dried sesasonings for the sauce, along with salt and pepper, adding smoky, earthy and anise-like flavor. If you don’t have caraway seasonings in your pantry, no worries, you can just leave them out.
• Apple cider vinegar: Finally, we’ll add a splash of ACV to the sauce to balance out the rich flavors with a hint of tanginess.

Recipe Tips

Detailed step-by-step instructions are included in the recipe box below. But here are a few additional tips to keep in mind when making this recipe:

• Slice the kielbasa on a diagonal. Slicing the sausage on a diagonal into bite-sized pieces increases the surface area for browning, adding extra caramelized flavor to each bite.
• Don’t overcook the cabbage. The goal is to cook the cabbage until it is soft but not soggy, so that it still adds a hint of texture to the dish.
• Add the noodles just before serving. In order to avoid soggy noodles as well, be sure to cook the noodles until they are *just* al dente and toss them with the rest of the dish immediately before serving.
• Season to taste. Finally, don’t forget to give everything a quick taste just before serving to see if you’d like to add any extra salt and pepper (and/or smoked paprika or caraway).

Recipe Variations

Here are a few more variations to this cabbage noodles recipe that you’re welcome to try:

• Add extra veggies: Sauté some extra veggies along with the cabbage, such as bell peppers, broccolini, carrots, green beans, mushrooms or zucchini.
• Add mustard: If you’re a fan of mustard, a generous spoonful of Dijon would also be delicious mixed into this dish.
• Add different seasonings: Instead of the smoked paprika and caraway, you could season the dish with Cajun seasoning or Italian seasoning.
• Add beer: Use beer (I recommend a light pale ale or wheat beer) in place of chicken stock as the base for the broth.
• Make it spicy: Add your desired amount of crushed red pepper flakes when sautéing the cabbage.
• Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free egg noodles (or another type of gluten-free pasta) to make this recipe gluten-free.

More Cozy Noodle Recipes

Looking for more noodle recipes to try? Here are a few of our favorites:

• Beef Stroganoff
• Grandma’s Beef and Noodles
• Homestyle Egg Noodles
• The Coziest Chicken Noodle Soup

Kielbasa Cabbage Noodles

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

• Author: Ali
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked wide egg noodles
• 5 slices bacon, diced
• 1 pound kielbasa, diagonally sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 small white onion, diced
• half of a medium green cabbage, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
• 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

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Instructions

1. Prep pasta water. Bring a large stockpot of generously-salted water to a boil.
2. Cook the bacon and kielbasa. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick sauté pan, fry the bacon over medium-high heat until lightly crispy. Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a clean plate and set aside. Add the kielbasa to the pan and sauté in the remaining bacon grease, flipping and tossing occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes or until it is lightly browned on all sides. Transfer the kielbasa with a slotted spoon to the plate with the bacon and set aside.
3. Cook the onion. Add the onion to the pan with the remaining bacon and sausage grease and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. 
4. Add the noodles. Add the egg noodles to the water and cook according to package instructions, stirring occasionally, until just barely al dente. (Don’t overcook!) Drain.
5. Cook the cabbage. While the noodles are cooking, add the cabbage, garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika, caraway seeds (if using) and a generous pinch of salt and pepper to the onion. Sauté, waiting 2-3 minutes between stirs so that the cabbage on the bottom can lightly brown and caramelize, for about 8 minutes or until the cabbage is tender and caramelized to your liking. Add the chicken stock and vinegar and stir to combine.
6. Combine. Once the noodles are ready to go, add them to the sauté pan (or if that pan isn’t large enough, you can combine everything instead in the stockpot) and gently toss to combine. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
7. Serve. Serve immediately and enjoy!

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Say hello to one of my longtime favorite shortcut recipes — ravioli lasagna. ♡

We’re all big lasagna fans here in our house. But let’s be real, layering up a pan of classic lasagna is a labor of love, and one that rarely seems to fit into my schedule in this season of life with two little ones. Ravioli lasagna, however, couldn’t be easier!

Simply sauté a big pan of Italian sausage, onion and garlic and combine with your favorite marinara to make a quick meat sauce. (Or you can skip the sausage and keep this recipe vegetarian.) Layer the sauce in a baking dish with frozen tortellini (no need to thaw), ricotta and lots of mozzarella. Pop the pan in the oven and bake until the mix is hot and bubbly. Then top with extra Parmesan and fresh basil and dive on in. The ravioli swap magically provides all of the textures and flavors we all love in traditional lasagna without all of the work. And when layered with all of these classic ingredients tastes absolutely delicious.

Feel free to use whatever flavor of ravioli and marinara sauce that you love best. And if you’d like to toss in some extra veggies or greens, by all means, go for it. This recipe is incredibly flexible and reliable. So the next time you’re at the store, pop a few bags of frozen ravioli in your cart and let’s make a big pan of “lasagna” together!

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Who’s ready for a big bowl of Swedish meatballs served over buttery mashed potatoes with a generous ladle of creamy gravy on top? ♡

I don’t know about you, but this classic is always one of my favorite comfort foods this time of year. I actually had the good fortune of being able to visit Stockholm a few times while we were living in Europe, and always loved sampling the various takes on traditional meatballs and gravy around town (in between eating a million kanelbular). My favorite meatballs were always those that were more generously-seasoned with spices such as nutmeg and ginger and allspice, those that were browned until caramelized and slightly crispy on the outsides, and of course, those served up with creamy potatoes and gravy and a spoonful of lingonberry sauce on the side. The Swedes definitely have this classic combo dialed in — those savory, creamy, sweet flavors are just impossible to beat!

Now that we’re back in the States, I’ve been working on fine-tuning my own favorite Swedish meatball recipe to make here at home. I’ve aimed for it to be as traditional as possible (although from what I’ve read, there are a number of different ways that this classic is actually prepared in Sweden, so please take my interpretation with a grain of salt). The meatball recipe is a riff on my tried-and-true classic meatball recipe, but browned on the stovetop with some different seasonings mixed in and then topped with a classic creamy gravy. I highly recommend whipping up a batch of my favorite mashed potatoes to serve here, or you can opt for wide egg noodles instead. And if lingonberry sauce isn’t available where you are (we admittedly pick up ours from IKEA or Amazon), a dollop of cranberry sauce on each plate is always a delicious substitute too.

Let’s make some Swedish meatballs!

Swedish Meatballs Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Swedish Meatball Ingredients

Here are a few notes about each of the Swedish meatball ingredients you will need to make this recipe:

• Ground beef and pork: I like to use a 50/50 mix of the two to make meatballs, but you can also make all-beef or all-pork meatballs if you prefer. (Or you can sub in ground turkey or chicken.)
• Panko breadcrumbs: We’ll briefly soak Panko in milk to create a panade, which will help to keep these meatballs moist and tender and bind all of the ingredients together.
• Milk: Feel free to use your favorite dairy or non-dairy plain milk to soak the breadcrumbs.
• Garlic and onion: Grated yellow onion and minced garlic will serve as our base aromatics for the meatballs. I highly recommend grating the onion so that it more or less disappears into the meatballs and you don’t bite into large chunks.
• Eggs: Eggs serve as our primary binding agent here to help hold all of these ingredients together.
• Parsley: We will mix some chopped parsley into the meatballs themselves for a hint of color and freshness, then I also love saving a bit to sprinkle on top of the final dish as a garnish.
• Seasonings: There are a number of different ways to season Swedish meatballs, but I love going with a traditional blend of ground allspice, ground ginger and ground nutmeg. Plus don’t forget a generous sprinkling of fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper.
• Butter and flour: We will combine butter with all-purpose flour to create a roux to thicken the gravy.
• Beef broth: I recommend a good-quality beef broth in the gravy since its flavor will really shine through here.
• Heavy cream: You’re welcome to add either heavy cream or sour cream to the gravy to make it extra smooth and creamy. I find that heavy cream is much more forgiving here, since sour cream can “break” the sauce if overheated, but either option is delicious.
• Dijon mustard: Finally, I recommend adding a few teaspoons of Dijon mustard to season the Swedish gravy.

How To Make Swedish Meatballs

Detailed instructions for how to make Swedish meatballs are included in the recipe box below, but here are 5 extra tips to keep in mind too:

• Don’t skip the panade. It’s no secret that I’m a big believer using a panade when making all kinds of meatballs! This simple technique of soaking breadcrumbs in milk before adding the mixture to meatballs helps to lock extra moisture into the meat and ensures that they stay nice and tender.
• Season generously. Don’t hesitate to season these meatballs generously. If you have the extra time, you’re always welcome to cook a test meatball just to make sure that the seasoning is right where you want it (especially if you’re experimenting with different seasonings).
• Mix gently. As always when making meatballs, you want to avoid overworking the mixture so that the meatballs are not overly tough. Mix all of the components just until combined, form the balls gently, and you’ll be good to go.
• Use a scoop. I find that using an ice cream scoop makes the portioning part go much more quickly and tends to yield much more uniformly sized meatballs. Feel free to also weigh the meatballs on a kitchen scale if you would like to ensure that they all cook evenly.
• Take time to brown. Don’t rush the step of browning the meatballs in oil! It adds so much delicious, caramelized, savory flavor to each meatball and really complements the flavor of the gravy as well. When browning meatballs, it’s important not to overcrowd the pan, which is why I recommend browning them in two separate batches so that they can fit in an even layer. And avoid the urge to flip your meatballs too often — they usually need to sit in place for at least a few minutes in order to brown on the bottom before flipping.

How To Serve Swedish Meatballs

Looking for different ways to serve Swedish meatballs? Here are a few of our traditional and non-traditional favorites:

• Traditional: Serve the meatballs and gravy over mashed potatoes with a side of lingonberry sauce. (Or if you can’t find lingonberries, cranberry sauce works well too!)
• Over noodles: Serve the meatballs and gravy over wide egg noodles.
• Skewers: Serve the meatballs on skewers as an appetizer to dip in gravy (or another sauce of your choice).
• Subs: Serve the meatballs and gravy in a sub roll and top with melted cheese to make a meatball sub.
• Grain bowls: Serve the meatballs and gravy over quinoa or farro with a side of roasted vegetables for a well-balanced meal.

Recipe Variations

Here are a few (non-traditional) variations that you’re welcome to try with this Swedish meatballs recipe:

• Add different herbs: Add different herbs (such as dill or rosemary) to the meatballs and/or gravy.
• Add lemon: Add lemon juice and zest to the meatballs and/or gravy.
• Add mushrooms: Add sautéed sliced mushrooms to the gravy.
• Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free Panko in the meatballs and a cornstarch slurry (instead of flour) to thicken the gravy.

More Meatball Recipes

Looking for more easy meatball recipes to try? Here are a few of our favorites:

• Classic Meatballs
• Chicken Meatballs
• Greek Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 9 reviews

• Author: Ali
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x

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Description

This traditional Swedish meatballs recipe is bursting with rich, savory flavors and topped with a creamy gravy. Always so comforting served over mashed potatoes or noodles!

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Ingredients

Meatball Ingredients:

• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons finely-chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
• 1/4 cup grated yellow onion
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon each: black pepper, ground allspice, ground ginger, ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Gravy Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (optional)
• fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. Make the panade. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the panko and milk until combined. Set mixture aside to soak for 5 to 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. Combine remaining ingredients. Add the ground beef, ground pork, garlic, eggs, parsley, and onion to the (same) mixing bowl. Sprinkle the sea salt, black pepper, allspices, ginger and nutmeg evenly on top. Use your hands to mix the ingredients until evenly combined, being careful not to over-mix the ingredients.
3. Form the meatballs. Using a medium cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop and roll the mixture into 2-tablespoon balls (about 40g each) and place them on the prepared baking sheet. (I recommend greasing your hands with a bit of olive oil to prevent the mixture from sticking.)
4. Brown the meatballs. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs in an even layer and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. Transfer the meatballs to a clean plate. Repeat this process with the remaining olive oil and meatballs, transferring the browned meatballs to the same clean plate. Discard any remaining pan drippings.
5. Make the gravy. Add the butter to the same sauté pan and cook until melted. Whisk in the flour until combined and cook, whisking occasionally, for 1 minute. Gradually add the beef stock to the pan, whisking constantly to combine. Continue cooking until the mixture has thickened, then stir in the heavy cream and Dijon until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. (Depending on the brand of beef stock used, you may need a generous amount of salt here, so don’t be shy!)
6. Finish cooking the meatballs. Add the meatballs into the pan with the gravy in an even layer. Continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes, flipping occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink inside.
7. Serve. Serve warm over mashed potatoes or egg noodles, garnished with extra parsley and a few twists of freshly-ground black pepper.

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