Hygge Recipes in the Kitchen

Inside the Ingredients

By Nora Rae Pearl | Feb. 14, 2026

When the cold lingers, so can the blues. To bring some hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”) vibes—think warm, cozy, and comforting—into your home, try these recipes.

For a night in, bake some Not Your Mamma’s Meatloaf with Smashed Potatoes, and for dessert serve up Frozen Peanut Butter Pie. For local flavor, shop OpalCap’s Maitake Mushrooms and The Grainery’s Fresh Milled Oats (both available at Lively NeighborFood Market) for dinner, and Moomer’s Vanilla Ice Cream and Koeze’s Cream-Nut Smooth Peanut Butter for dessert.

Not Your Mamma’s Meatloaf

A satisfying winter meal, with hidden surprises of mushrooms, legumes, and oats.

Meatloaf Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup finely chopped maitake mushrooms
1 carrot, finely grated
15 oz. can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
15 oz. can black lentils, drained & rinsed
1 tablespoon white miso
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Glaze Ingredients
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Smashed Potatoes Ingredients
2 small potatoes per person
Olive oil
Salt

To make the meatloaf: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. In a small sauté pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the onion, cook until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, cook for one more minute. Scrape into a large bowl, add all of the remaining ingredients. Mash until all the beans are broken down and the mixture is well combined. Press into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare your glaze. Mix together all the glaze ingredients, except for the sesame seeds, in a small bowl until smooth. Remove the loaf from the oven. Spread on the glaze, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for an additional 50-60 minutes until browned on the edges and has an internal temperature of 180 degrees. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with smashed potatoes and sautéed greens of choice.

To make the potatoes: Boil potatoes in a pot until tender. Place each potato in its own well in a muffin tin. Smash with a bar muddler (or similar tool) to break the potato while still keeping the bottom intact. Generously drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until browned to your liking.

Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

This retro dessert makes a comeback with a salty pretzel crust and vanilla ice cream.

Crust Ingredients
2 cups crushed pretzel crumbs*
1/3 cup sugar
10 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling Ingredients
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, unsweetened
1/2 cup milk
1 pint melted vanilla ice cream

To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a 9-inch pie plate, mix together the pretzel crumbs and sugar. Pour over the melted butter, then mix together until it resembles wet sand. Press along the sides and bottom of the pie plate until you have an even crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until creamy. Add the peanut butter and milk, beat until smooth. Gently fold in the ice cream until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Freeze until firm. Slice and serve with whipped cream.

(*To make pretzel crumbs: In a food processor, pulse mini pretzel twists until they resemble graham cracker crumbs texture.)