10 Dishes You Must Order Before Winter Ends

Winter is good for a handful of things: getting cozy, going skiing, having an excuse to stay in on Saturday night. But if there's one thing that winter can claim ultimate bragging rights for over all other seasons, it's the food. These 10 dishes are perfect for chasing away the winter blues, and just aren't the same once the weather warms up.

If it's been cooking all day, it's perfect for winter. It seems as if the vast majority of restaurants have a braised short rib dish on the menu come wintertime, usually served with potato and a rich sauce. It's about as hearty as it gets.

Popular from late fall to early spring, a big bowl of butternut squash soup, especially when kicked up with warming spices like nutmeg and clove (and maybe topped with some pumpkin seeds and crème fraiche), is winter in a bowl.

A big, bubbling cauldron of melted cheese, with cubes of bread and other tasty things to dip into it? In our opinion, there's no better way to pass a cold winter's night than by enjoying one of these with friends.

Layer upon layer of pasta, cheese, sauce, meat, and other fillings, served bubbling hot? Give us that and a glass or two of wine and we'll be ready to hibernate until spring.

Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food, and it simply tastes better when it's cold out.

It's not called "Jewish penicillin" for nothing: A big bowl of matzo ball soup is the cure for what ails you, and will warm you to the bone.

Spending some time with a hot, steamy bowl of ramen, filled with noodles, pork, and countless other additions, can have the same effect as hanging out in a sauna. Even if you walk into a ramen shop shivering cold, you'll walk out warm and content.

The Irish knew what they were doing the first time they topped seasoned ground meat with a layer of mashed potatoes, baked it until golden, and downed it with a couple pints of Guinness: trying to warm up. And they succeeded.

Have you ever had a hankering for spaghetti and meatballs in the middle of summer? Neither have we.

The ultimate cold-weather dish, there are hundreds of different types of stews out there. They all have one thing in common, though: Once the weather warms up, you probably won't be in the mood for it.