Greek Food, Cooking and Recipe Community

Favorite Greek Winter Meals?

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T

toniiv

Active member
I’ve been craving warm, hearty Greek dishes to enjoy during these chilly winter days. My absolute favorite is pastitsio—the layers of pasta, meat sauce, and creamy béchamel are pure comfort food! But let’s be honest, it can be quite time-consuming to make.

I’m looking for other Greek winter meal ideas that are just as satisfying but maybe a little quicker or easier to prepare. Do you have any go-to recipes for cold weather? Soups, stews, or baked dishes? Bonus points for recipes that bring those classic Greek flavors!

Would love to hear what’s cooking in your kitchen this winter. Let’s swap ideas and keep cozy with some delicious food! ?
 
Stifado . Made with with beef , pork or rabbit .The meat is cooked with baby onions & tomato sauce .Easy to prepare & cook in a slow cooker or in pan on low heat .
 
Tpebop said:
Stifado . Made with with beef , pork or rabbit .The meat is cooked with baby onions & tomato sauce .Easy to prepare & cook in a slow cooker or in pan on low heat .
Click to expand...
I love Stifado too! Other things I like:

If you love pastitsio but want something quicker, try giouvetsi! This hearty Greek dish combines orzo pasta with tender beef or lamb in a rich tomato-based sauce, all baked in the oven. It’s comforting, flavorful, and easier to prep than pastitsio.

For a warming soup, avgolemono is a must-try. It’s a creamy, lemony chicken soup thickened with eggs and rice—perfect for cold days and surprisingly simple to make.

Another favorite is fasolada, a classic Greek bean soup made with white beans, tomato, olive oil, and plenty of veggies. It’s healthy, hearty, and packed with Greek flavors.
 
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Do you put potatoes in your briam?

I've noticed that there are quite a few variations of briam, especially when it comes to which vegetables people include. One ingredient I'm particularly curious about is potatoes. Do you always put potatoes in your briam, or do you prefer making it without them?

I usually think of briam as a combination of zucchini, eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and plenty of olive oil. I love how the potatoes absorb all those wonderful flavors as everything slowly roasts together in the oven.

However, I've seen recipes that leave the potatoes out entirely and focus more on the summer vegetables. I imagine that makes the dish a little lighter.

I'm also curious whether there are regional differences in how briam is prepared throughout Greece. Does your family have a particular way of making it? And what vegetables do you consider absolutely essential?

Favorite Greek Cheeses Beyond Feta

Feta gets most of the attention when people talk about Greek cheese, but there are so many other varieties worth trying. I’m curious which Greek cheeses everyone enjoys most beyond feta.

Graviera is one of my favorites because it works so well on a cheese plate, grated over dishes, or just eaten with bread. Kasseri is another one I really like, especially melted. I’ve also been interested in trying more regional cheeses like metsovone, manouri, kefalotyri, and formaela.

Some Greek cheeses seem to be much easier to find outside Greece than others, so I’d also love to know which ones people regularly buy and where they usually find them.

What Greek cheeses do you keep coming back to? Are there certain ones you associate with a particular region, dish, or family tradition? And if someone has mostly eaten feta, which Greek cheese would you recommend they try next?

Greek cooking without a recipe?

I've been thinking about how much traditional Greek cooking relies on instinct rather than following exact recipes. Some of the Greek dishes I learned to make were taught to me by feel, with someone showing me what to do rather than measuring everything out.

I actually enjoy cooking this way, but I've noticed that it can make certain dishes difficult to recreate consistently! Sometimes everything comes together perfectly, and other times I wonder what I did differently.

I'm curious how others approach this. Did you learn Greek cooking by watching your yiayia, mother, or other relatives? Do you measure ingredients, or do you just know when something looks, smells, or tastes right?

Do You Put Cinnamon in Your Keftedes?

I’m curious how everyone here makes keftedes, especially when it comes to cinnamon. I know some Greek families add a little cinnamon to the meat mixture, while others would never think of putting it in.

In my experience, even a small amount can change the flavor quite a bit. It gives the keftedes a warmer, slightly sweeter spice in the background, but I can also see how it might not be for everyone. I’ve had versions that lean more heavily on oregano, mint, parsley, garlic, and onion instead.

Do you put cinnamon in your keftedes? If you do, how much do you usually use, and was that something your family always did? I’d also be curious to know if it varies depending on what part of Greece your family comes from.

Would love to hear how everyone seasons theirs and what you consider essential for really good keftedes.

What is your favorite Greek potato dish?

Potatoes show up in so many Greek meals, and I think they are often at their best when they soak up plenty of olive oil, lemon, herbs, and cooking juices.

Greek lemon potatoes are probably the first thing that comes to mind for me. I love when they are roasted until they are soft inside, a little crisp around the edges, and full of lemon and oregano. Potatoes cooked alongside chicken or lamb are also hard to beat because they absorb so much flavor from the pan.

I also enjoy simple boiled potatoes dressed with olive oil, lemon, parsley, and salt, especially with fish or grilled meat.

What Greek potato dish do you make most often? Do you prefer lemon potatoes, potatoes roasted with meat, fried potatoes, or something else? And is there a particular seasoning or family method that makes your version especially good?
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