Food and Recipes Recipes Rainy Day Recipes for When You're Not Planning To Leave the House By Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon is an Associate Digital Editor and has been on the Southern Living team since 2017. She helps run the brand's social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok, where she's happily behind the scenes. When she's not ruffling feathers with an etiquette poll via Instagram Stories, she's writing content for the website and assisting in various print projects like gift guides and home stories. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 22, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Peter Frank Edwards Although we'd rather the weather be beautiful all the time, there's still plenty to love about a rainy day. Sometimes nothing but the gloomiest day will do. Picture this: the rain pouring down outside and you perched in a cozy spot by the fire with a bowlful of white chicken chili and the crunchiest, fluffiest wedge of cornbread. Perfection. If you ask us, gloomy days are an adequate excuse to put your hectic life aside and actually relax. Sure rainy days can be opportunities to finally get the laundry and leftover spring cleaning done, but they can also be the perfect backdrop for an hours-long movie marathon. Storms are a guarantee in the South all year long, so you might as well do some cooking if you're stuck inside. Since you don't want to leave the house in a storm, it's tempting to order delivery, but these rainy day recipes will be more satisfying and cost-effective. Whether you want a lazy day with minimal effort in the kitchen or you'd rather spend the day trying out a challenging dish, these rainy day recipes will hit the spot. We picked out some of our most comforting dishes for you to cozy up with while the rain pours outside. With rainy day recipes like warm soups, hearty casseroles, and classic desserts, you might just want it to rain more often. In fact, we wouldn't blame you one bit. 01 of 22 Ravioli Lasagna Photographer: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Kelly; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee Recipe: Ravioli Lasagna The comfort food dinner of your dreams will be piping hot out of the oven in just 30 minutes. For a no-fuss rainy-day meal it can't be beat. 02 of 22 Old-Fashioned Chicken And Dumplings Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Old-Fashioned Chicken And Dumplings If you're going to make a Southern classic like chicken and dumplings, you should give it the time and care it deserves. A rainy day is perfect for this cozy recipe, which was submitted to us in 1983 from Mrs. Morton Smith from Homewood, Alabama. 03 of 22 French Onion Soup Casserole Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: French Onion Soup Casserole All the comfort of the soup you crave in a rich casserole. If you'd rather go with the soup, we have an amazing recipe for that, too. 04 of 22 Texas Sheet Cake Cookies Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Christine Kelly Food Stylist: Ali Ramee Recipe: Texas Sheet Cake Cookies Here's a rainy day indulgence if we've ever seen one. What's even better than the chopped candy topping? A smart ingredient list that calls on boxed chocolate cake mix. Your chocolate cravings, served up in a flash. 05 of 22 Slow-Cooker Pot Roast Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton Recipe: Slow-Cooker Pot Roast Pop the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and let your dinner make itself. This blend of seasonings will be your new pot roast go-to. 06 of 22 Creamy Artichoke, Kale, and Rice Gratin Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Creamy Artichoke, Kale, and Rice GratinLooking for greens on a gray day? Make this comforting casserole. It's basically a spinach-artichoke dip, but in casserole form. 07 of 22 Andouille Sausage and Smoked Chicken Gumbo Southern Living Recipe: Andouille Sausage and Smoked Chicken Gumbo You have to be patient for a good gumbo recipe to reach its full flavor potential, so a rainy day is perfect to try out a new gumbo recipe. 08 of 22 Shepherd's Pie Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Shepherd's Pie As Southerners who love classic comfort food recipes, we wish we could claim this one from over the pond. This version cooks in the slow cooker, but we have another recipe that bakes in the oven. 09 of 22 Soulful Chicken Soup Iain Bagwell Recipe: Soulful Chicken Soup If you don't crave chicken noodle soup on a cozy day or night in, you need to reevaluate some of your choices. 10 of 22 Beef-and-Black-eyed Pea Chili Becky Luigart-Stayner Recipe: Beef-and-Black-eyed Pea Chili Chili will always have a warm welcome in our home, but we'd never dare serve it without a side of homemade cornbread. Black-eyed peas add a Southern spin to a classic chili recipe. 11 of 22 White Lightning Chicken Chili Becky Luigart Stayner Recipe: White Lightning Chicken Chili If you'd rather go with chicken instead of beef, our White Lightning Chicken Chili is a fan favorite. Make two batches while you're stuck inside and freeze one for later. Cornbread still required. 12 of 22 Beef Calzones Recipe: Beef Calzones Don't spend money ordering pizza! Have fun stuffing these calzones with your favorite toppings. 13 of 22 Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie Frozen will never be as good as homemade. For new ways to cook it, try our Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Leeks and Mushrooms or our Chicken Pot Pie with Bacon-and-Cheddar Biscuits, which is made in a casserole dish. 14 of 22 Mac and Cheese with Ham Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Mac and Cheese with Ham Smoked Gouda and chopped smoked ham make for a next-level mac and cheese experience. Not into ham? We have plenty of macaroni and cheese recipes for you to try on your rainy day. 15 of 22 Extra-Easy Lasagna Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro, Laura Martin Recipe: Extra-Easy Lasagna We wouldn't lie—this lasagna is so easy. You won't even have to pause your rainy day movie marathon to make it. 16 of 22 Loaded Potato Soup Southern Living Recipe: Loaded Potato Soup Let this creamy soup cook in the slow cooker and pile on the toppings when it's ready. 17 of 22 Beef Stew Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Beef Stew This recipe was sent to us in 1986, and it still holds up. If you don't get a hankering for chicken noodle soup when you need something comforting, then at least tell us you reach for a beef stew recipe. 18 of 22 Classic Southern Pound Cake Skyler Burt; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Karen Rankin Recipe: Classic Southern Pound Cake There are endless pound cake recipes in the South, but this one keeps it simple and timeless. We like to serve it with fresh fruit and whipped cream or sprinkle it with powdered sugar. 19 of 22 So Good Brownies Jennifer Davick Recipe: So Good Brownies The name says it all with this recipe. Brownies are easy to make when you're feeling lazy, and they're best served warm with a scoop (or two) of vanilla ice cream, in our opinion. 20 of 22 The Lane Cake Hector Sanchez Recipe: The Lane Cake If you're in the mood for more of a baking challenge while you're holed up inside, the legendary Lane Cake is the recipe for you. Once you try the layers of incredible flavor, all the work will be worth it. 21 of 22 All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies We can't think of many, well any, times that a batch of warm chocolate chip cookies doesn't hit the spot. In the case of a rainy day, we just might make two. 22 of 22 Emily's Red Beans and Rice Peter Frank Edwards Recipe: Emily's Red Beans and Rice Although no two recipes are the same, Red Beans and Rice is a comforting dish that our Louisiana friends crave year round. If you've never tried your hand at it, why not test it out on a rainy day? Was this page helpful? 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