A crisp weekend is a good time for a pot of stew on the stove or a loaf of bread baking in the oven. These 23 recipes cover slow-simmered beef and lamb, hearty curries, creamy soups, and several sourdough loaves that make good use of a covered Dutch oven. A few selections use a skillet, baking tray, or air fryer instead, so check each recipe’s method before you start. There is something here for a long baking project as well as a simpler dinner after a chilly afternoon outside.
Baked Ziti
Bubbling cheese over a tomato-rich pasta filling makes Baked Ziti a filling choice after a chilly afternoon. Ziti is combined with Italian sausage, onion, garlic, tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella, and Parmesan, then baked until the top is golden. The recipe serves eight, giving everyone a substantial supper without a separate pasta course. Serve it with a crisp green salad and keep any extra portions for lunch the following day.
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Japanese Chicken Curry
A thick golden sauce gives Japanese Chicken Curry its mild sweetness and savory depth. Chicken thighs simmer with onion, carrots, potatoes, ginger, garlic, grated apple, honey, and Japanese curry roux in a large pot. The recipe makes six servings in 40 minutes, leaving time to cook short-grain rice while the curry thickens. Bring it to the table in bowls so the rice can soak up the sauce on a cool evening.
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Seeded Sourdough Bread
A crisp crust studded with seeds makes Seeded Sourdough Bread worth starting ahead of a quiet weekend. Active starter, bread flour, whole wheat flour, and a mixture of flax, sesame, poppy, or pumpkin seeds form the dough. After its long fermentation, the loaf bakes in a preheated, covered Dutch oven, then finishes uncovered. Slice it after cooling and serve with stew or soup, saving a few pieces for toast the next morning.
Get the Recipe: Seeded Sourdough Bread
Lamb Stew
Tender pieces of lamb in a tomato-rich broth make Lamb Stew a satisfying pot to bring out after an afternoon outdoors. Lamb is browned before onion, garlic, cumin, fire-roasted tomatoes, and beef broth join it for a gentle simmer. Fresh mint and parsley give the stew a different finish from a traditional beef version. The recipe makes eight servings in about 70 minutes. Serve it with bread and a squeeze of lemon.
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Pumpkin Sourdough Bread
A golden loaf with pumpkin in its dough gives Pumpkin Sourdough Bread a seasonal place beside weekend soup. Active starter, bread flour, whole wheat flour, water, and pumpkin form the dough, which needs a long fermentation and an overnight rest. The shaped loaf bakes in a hot Dutch oven, first covered and then uncovered to brown the crust. Let it cool before slicing and offer thick pieces with butter or a savory stew.
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Beef Bourguignon
Deep red-wine sauce surrounds Beef Bourguignon, with bacon and pearl onions adding savory flavor to the tender beef. Brisket or chuck cooks with carrot, celery, garlic, tomato paste, beef stock, thyme, and bay leaves in a heavy pot. The recipe makes ten servings in about an hour and 50 minutes. It is a good weekend dinner when you can give the pot time to simmer. Spoon the sauce over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles.
Get the Recipe: Beef Bourguignon
Sourdough Bread
A dark crust breaks open to reveal the chewy center of Sourdough Bread, made with bread flour, water, starter, and salt. The dough rises before going into a covered Dutch oven, which holds steam around the loaf during baking. The recipe makes eight servings, with several hours needed for rising and baking. Set the finished loaf on a rack to cool, then slice it thickly beside a bowl of soup or stew.
Get the Recipe: Sourdough Bread
Chicken and Biscuits
Fluffy biscuits over a creamy filling make Chicken and Biscuits a substantial dinner without having to roll pastry. Cooked shredded chicken joins carrots, celery, onion, garlic, cream of chicken soup, milk, and thyme in a Dutch oven or oven-safe skillet. Uncooked canned biscuits go across the top before the dish bakes. The recipe makes eight servings in about an hour. Bring the bubbling pot to the table with a green vegetable for a filling weekend supper.
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Sweet Potato Sourdough Bread
A gently spiced crumb makes Sweet Potato Sourdough Bread different from a plain sandwich loaf. Mashed sweet potato joins sourdough starter, bread flour, whole wheat flour, ginger, garlic, garam masala, and green chile in a dough that rests overnight. The recipe bakes on a tray with a separate pan of water and ice for steam, rather than inside a Dutch oven. Cool the loaf fully, then slice it beside a bowl of savory soup.
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Shrimp Etouffee
A silky Cajun sauce coats Shrimp Etouffee, making a pot of rice the only side you really need. Shrimp are briefly cooked, then returned to a roux-based sauce with onion, green bell pepper, celery, garlic, tomatoes, broth, and Worcestershire sauce. The recipe makes six servings in about 40 minutes and allows either a large skillet or Dutch oven. Ladle the shrimp and sauce over hot rice for an easy weekend supper.
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Chickpea Curry
A fragrant, gently spiced sauce gives Chickpea Curry a filling center without a long ingredient list. Chickpeas and potatoes simmer with onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, tomatoes, mango chutney, coconut milk, and vegetable stock, while spinach joins the pot near the end. The recipe makes four servings in about an hour. Serve the curry over rice or with warm flatbread to make a simple dinner on a cool evening.
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Olive Sourdough Bread
Briny olives and sun-dried tomatoes run through Olive Sourdough Bread, adding savory pockets to every slice. Active starter, bread flour, whole wheat flour, olives, tomatoes, and some of the tomato oil form the dough, which ferments before baking. A preheated Dutch oven gives the loaf an enclosed first bake, followed by an uncovered finish. Set out slices with cheese or serve them beside tomato soup when the weekend meal needs good bread.
Get the Recipe: Olive Sourdough Bread
Stuffed Cabbage
Tender cabbage leaves wrap the meat-and-rice filling in Stuffed Cabbage, with tomato sauce surrounding each roll. Ground beef and pork are mixed with rice, breadcrumbs, onion, and parsley, while crushed tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, and brown sugar flavor the sauce. The assembled rolls bake in a covered oven-safe pot or Dutch oven. The recipe makes four servings and takes about two hours and ten minutes. Serve with a spoonful of sauce and a simple potato side.
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Turmeric Sourdough Bread
A warm yellow crumb gives Turmeric Sourdough Bread an inviting look next to a bowl of soup. The dough combines active starter, bread flour, water, turmeric, finely chopped onion, oil, and salt, then needs a full day of fermentation. The loaf bakes in a covered Dutch oven before the lid comes off to brown the crust. Let it cool so the slices hold together cleanly, then serve with butter or a hearty stew.
Get the Recipe: Turmeric Sourdough Bread
Air Fryer Lasagna
A browned cheese topping hides the layered filling in Air Fryer Lasagna, which uses a Dutch oven or deep pot only to make its meat sauce. Ground beef, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and basil cook first, then the sauce is layered with precooked noodles, ricotta, and Parmesan in an air-fryer-safe tray. The recipe makes six servings in about 42 minutes. Serve it with a green salad, and do not use a Dutch oven for the final cooking step.
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Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread
Sweet raisins and cinnamon swirl through Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread, making it a good loaf for a slow weekend breakfast. Active starter, bread flour, water, raisins, cinnamon, and salt form the dough, which needs time to ferment overnight. The loaf bakes in a preheated Dutch oven, first covered and then uncovered to brown the top. Toast a slice the next morning and spread it with butter, or serve it plain with coffee.
Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread
Beef Stew
Tender beef and vegetables fill Beef Stew, a long-simmered dinner that makes good use of a heavy Dutch oven. Beef is browned after bacon, then cooked with onion, celery, carrots, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, broth, red wine, and a little brandy. The recipe makes eight servings in about two hours and 15 minutes. Bring the pot to the table with crusty bread and spoon plenty of the broth over each serving.
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Blueberry Sourdough Bread
Blueberries and lemon zest add bright pockets of flavor to Blueberry Sourdough Bread, a change from the savory loaves in this selection. Active starter, bread flour, water, berries, and lemon zest form the dough, which rests overnight before baking. The loaf begins in a preheated Dutch oven with the lid on and browns after the lid comes off. Let it cool, then cut thick slices for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
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Cheeseburger Soup
Rich, cheesy broth makes Cheeseburger Soup a filling option when the weather turns brisk. Ground beef cooks with onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, chicken broth, cheddar, milk, and sour cream for a soup with the familiar flavors of a cheeseburger. The recipe makes six servings in 35 minutes and uses a saucepan on the stove. Serve it with toasted bread and a few chopped pickles if you want an extra tangy topping.
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Cheese Sourdough Bread
Little pockets of melted cheddar give Cheese Sourdough Bread a savory bite, while jalapeño adds a bit of heat. Active starter, bread flour, water, cheese, and chopped pepper become a loaf that needs a long rise before baking. The recipe uses a preheated Dutch oven, with the lid removed partway through to finish the crust. Slice it once cool and serve with chili, soup, or a bowl of tomato sauce for dipping.
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French Onion Dip
Deeply browned onions give French Onion Dip its savory flavor rather than a packet of dried seasoning. Sliced yellow onions slowly caramelize in a skillet or Dutch oven, then meet sour cream, sherry vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and chives. The recipe takes about an hour and benefits from time to cool before serving. Put it beside chips or crisp vegetables for a snack while a weekend roast finishes cooking.
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Atta Sourdough Bread
A firm whole-wheat crumb makes Atta Sourdough Bread an interesting alternative to a white flour loaf. The recipe uses an atta sourdough starter, additional atta flour, water, and salt, with several stages of fermentation before baking. It makes 24 servings and finishes in a hot Dutch oven, first covered and then uncovered. Let the loaf cool completely, then offer slices with soup or use them for sandwiches during the weekend.
Get the Recipe: Atta Sourdough Bread
Pasta alla Norma
Tender eggplant coated in a thick tomato sauce gives Pasta alla Norma a hearty finish without meat. Eggplant browns in a skillet with garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes, while penne cooks separately. Fresh basil and grated Parmesan finish the pasta. The recipe makes six servings in 40 minutes. Serve it in warm bowls with crusty bread, noting that its instructions use a skillet and pasta pot rather than a Dutch oven.
Get the Recipe: Pasta alla Norma