5 Low and Slow Meals Perfect for Cold Days

The fast-paced heat of summer is over, and the cold lazy days of winter are here. How will you spend the season? Will you keep cooking up those same warm weather recipes? Or will you relax and start pulling out those low and slow cold-weather recipes like Mother Nature intended?

If you need to brush off your winter cooking cookbook, we’ve got you covered. First, open a new tab and head over to our list of the essential grilling rules for winter 2021. Then uncover your grill, make a grocery list, and try one of these five “low and slow” meals that are perfect for the chilly months ahead. 

Table of Contents:

• Rosemary Garlic Chicken with Asparagus and Root Veggies

• Low and Slow Ribs with Loaded Smoked Mashed Potatoes and Slaw

• Slow Grilled Pork with Ranch Barbecue Sauce and Macaroni and Cheese

• Vegetable Kebabs with Grilled Corn and Eggplant

• Whole Smoked Ham with Grilled Apples and Brussels Sprouts

Rosemary Garlic Chicken with Asparagus and Root Veggies

Are you trying to avoid putting on those holiday pounds? Want a lighter meal that’s rich in flavor and vitamins? This meal is great for those of you who are trying not to rely on heavy foods to get you through the winter. 

Chicken is a lighter alternative to pork and beef, and it cooks beautifully on the grill! Whether you’ve got a gas grill or the ultimate charcoal cooker, this meal will work perfectly. Paired with asparagus and root veggies, you’ll feel satisfied and ready to take a long winter’s nap, but not ready to hibernate for the winter. 

For the main course, you’ll need to prepare a chicken overnight. Follow the steps for Low and Slow Rosemary Garlic Chicken over on the Blue Rhino website. For the sides, use our own Kick Ash recipe for Grilled Asparagus. You can time it just right so that the chicken and the asparagus come out together. As for those root veggies? You can grill ‘em up or, if you’re running out of grill space, you can follow the Tori Avey recipe for Oven Roasted Root Vegetables. 

Cook time for the chicken should be between 2 and 3 hours, so you can plan your veggies accordingly. Need something besides wine on the side? Try this recipe for Homemade Apple Cider for the perfect pairing. 

Low and Slow Ribs with Loaded Smoked Mashed Potatoes and Slaw

The next meal we think you'll be fired up to try is wonderful for snow days, or winter days that are just too lazy to worry about spending time in the kitchen. It’s great for casual get togethers, tailgate parties, or just family meals when you plan to spend the cold day at home. Ribs are super-filling, and this recipe will have you licking your fingers… then the plate. Pair it with smoked mashed potatoes and add some slaw for a bit of a tang. 

For the main course, head over to Hey Grill Hey and prep your Low and Slow Ribs for cooking. They’ll need to be on the grill for 5 or 6 hours, so be sure you start early in the day. Once you’ve set those on the grates, it’s time to begin your Seriously Good Homemade Coleslaw. Do this early in the day so the cabbage has time to soften. 

Finally, when it’s close to supper time, you’ll want to start your Smoked Mashed Potatoes. They’ll need to be on the grill for about 45 minutes, so start your water boiling around an hour before dinner. This meal goes best with a glass of Southern Sweet Tea, of course. 

Slow Grilled Pork with Ranch Barbecue Sauce and Macaroni and Cheese

Lazy winter days are easy to come by, but if you’re like most, you’ll feel the sting of the holiday rush, too. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule or just want to have a New Year’s celebration, this meal is perfect. The dish takes about 4 1/2 hours on the grill, so you can set it and forget it. Make your holiday preparations while it smokes to perfection; you won’t have to constantly watch your grill with this meal. Paired with classic macaroni and cheese, you can’t go wrong. 

For the main course, you’ll want to prep your meat the day before. You can find complete instructions for Slow Grilled Pork with Ranch Barbecue Sauce at MyRecipes. Let the meat chill overnight, then on the afternoon of your event, fire up the grill. 

This grilled pork is excellent not only with macaroni and cheese, but on it! Serve coarsely chopped pork on top of Kraft’s recipe for Macaroni and Cheese. (No, it’s not the boxed kind!) Pair with your favorite beer or champagne. 

Vegetable Kebabs with Grilled Corn and Eggplant

You’d be hard-pressed to find a low and slow recipe for vegetarians; veggies are notoriously sweeter and more tender when grilled over high heat. With that said, you want to please your vegetarian friends and family members, so let’s throw a meal on the grill for them, too. These dishes will only take about 30 minutes or so on the grill, so they should be tossed on at the last minute. 

Please be mindful of your vegan friends and those with religious food restrictions. Ask them if they require their foods to be cooked entirely separately from meat, or if it’s okay that they be grilled together. Let’s have a Kick Ash celebration with no one going hungry for something that could easily have been avoided!

For this meal, you’ll want to head over to AllRecipes and grab their Grilled Veggie Skewers recipe. For a little more protein, extra-firm tofu is totally grillable, so add some of that to your skewers! The Grilled Corn comes from our own blog; we’re a little biased. Don’t forget to season it with some Sweet Mama BBQ Rub. Finally, you’ll find a wonderful recipe for Grilled Eggplant over at Love & Lemons. 

Whether your guests eat each of these dishes or just a select few, we think they’ll love them alongside a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or a sparkling cider for those who want a virgin drink. 

 

Photo by Robert Gareth on Unsplash

Whole Smoked Ham with Grilled Apples and Brussels Sprouts

Our final recipe is for those of you who want to have a nice sit-down Kick Ash family meal, whether it’s for a holiday or just to enjoy each others’ company. Very few people can turn down a good smoked ham, and what pairs better with that than apples and Brussels sprouts? 

A whole ham will take about 5 hours to smoke at a 250 degree temperature, but you’ll have to check the internal temps now and then. If you don’t mind spending time at your grill or smoker while you socialize with your loved ones, head to The Online Grill for the recipe and an awesome explanation of the process. 

For the apples, check out Spruce Eats and their recipe for Grilled Apples. The best thing about this recipe is that any leftovers can be used as dessert the next day. Top them with ice cream for a tasty midnight snack. Finally, Grilled Brussels Sprouts offer the perfect complement to both the ham and the apples. Even those who aren’t in love with the lil sprouts will sing your grill master praises. 

Match this meal up with the cider recipe we gave you above, or if that's too much appley goodness for you this winter, Bourbon Honey Pineapple Fizz is a great pair—mix it up with ginger ale for the non-drinkers at your party. 

Redefining Chillin’ and Grillin’

Just because the days are shorter and the grill grates start colder doesn’t mean you can’t fit a little grill love into your winter schedule. Follow these menus as we chose them, or use them to spark your Kick Ash imagination. Either way, we hope you enjoy the cold winter days cozying up next to your grill!