But what if the meal you were getting up for was ideal for warming you up from the inside, out?

These winter warmers are great options for breakfast on those cold mornings. Or for those who are definitely not morning people and will trade anything for some extra sleep, here are some winter warmers for brunch, lunch or dinner.

Shakshuka is originally a North African dish, but found its way to the Middle East where it became a popular breakfast dish, particularly in Israel.

There's plenty of variations of the dish using different vegetables, cheeses and meats. A popular one seen in Australia is using chorizo which is delicious, and there's even a green version of the dish which swaps out the tomato sauce for a spinach and cream sauce.

This recipe is relatively traditional and is also a great option for a breakfast-style dinner - or "brinner" - with a side salad.

Serves 4 to 6

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 large red capsicum, chopped

1/4 tsp salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp chilli flakes

810g canned crushed tomatoes

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander or flat-leaf parsley

Black pepper, to taste

5 to 6 large eggs

1/2 cup crumbled feta

Crusty bread or pita, for serving

Step one: Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Warm the oil in an oven-safe pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, capsicum and salt. Cook, stirring often,until onions are turning translucent.

Step two: Add garlic, tomato paste, cumin, paprika and chilli flakes. Cook while stirring, until fragrant. Add crushed tomatoes with their juices and the coriander (or parsley). Stir and let mixture come to a simmer. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for five minutes.

Step three: Turn of the heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Step four: Use the back of a spoon to make a well near the perimeter and crack the egg directly into it. Continue with the remaining eggs until all eggs are cracked into the mixture. Sprinkle eggs with a little salt and pepper.

Step five: Transfer pan to the oven and back for eight to 12 minutes, checking often. They will be done with the egg yolks are opaque and yolks have risen but still soft. Remove from oven. Crumble feta and fresh coriander or parsley over the top. Add more chilli flakes if desired. Serve bowls with crusty bread.

Option: If you don't have an oven-proof pan, keep the eggs on the stove, on a low heat. Cover and let cook until eggs are cooked.

It's pretty hard to beat canned baked beans on price, but the homemade version wins hands down on flavour so it's definitely worth getting into the kitchen and making your own.

As a meal, baked beans can be super versatile. It can be added to a fry up of bacon and eggs, or simply with some nice crusty bread - as this recipe suggests.

Another option is to have it as a filling for a jacket potato, or for a spin on that classic, cover some bite-sized roast potatoes with the baked beans and then add some melted cheese and avocado on top.

Serves 4

1 brown onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp smoke paprika

1 1/3 cups passata

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock

400g canned four bean mix

2 tbsp parsley chopped

Crusty bread to serve

Step one: Heat oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add garlic and onion and allow to sizzle.

Step two: Reduce heat to low and add smoked paprika and stir. Add passata, puree and stock and simmer for about 20 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

Step three: Add the beans and simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste.

Step four: Serve with crusty bread and parsley sprinkled on top.

This one is great for those who have a little bit of a sweet tooth but find a whole stack of pancakes first thing in the morning too heavy.

The Dutch pancake itself is a cross between a pancake, a crepe and a Yorkshire pudding. Meanwhile, the strawberry topping is light and refreshing, and by leaving the berries to sit in the lemon juice while you make the pancakes, it creates its own little sauce.

Traditionally this dish - which was originally named after the German-American community known as the Pennsylvania Dutch - is served with melted butter, sugar and lemon, so feel free to swap out the strawberry mixture for that, or even just your favourite pancake toppings such as syrup, honey or preserves. For something a little different you could even try bacon and cheddar, or fig and gorgonzola on top.

Serves 3-4

Strawberry topping

500g strawberries, sliced

1/3 cup of sugar

Handful of fresh mint leaves, cut finely

Zest and juice of one lemon

Icing sugar and/or whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Pancake batter

3 eggs

3/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup milk

2 tbsp butter

Step one: Place strawberries in a bowl with the sugar, mint and lemon juice and zest. Stir until strawberries are covered evenly with the sugar and let sit until pancakes are ready.

Step two: Place a 25-centimetre cast iron skillet in the middle of the oven and heat it to 220 degrees. Leave it for at least eight minutes.

Step three: Meanwhile, whisk eggs with the sugar and salt in a bowl. Add flour and stir until well combined. Add milk and vanilla extract.

Step four: Add butter to the hot pan and return to the oven for one minute or until the butter has completely melted.

Step five: Remove pan from the oven and pour batter in. Return the pan to oven and bake for 15 to 17 minutes. The pancake should puff up around all the edges and in the middle and should be golden brown when it is ready.

Step six: Remove the pancake from the oven (don't worry it is meant to deflate once it's out of the oven). Top with strawberry mixture and powdered sugar. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

A few weeks ago we took a look at what you could do with your leftover roast meat. Well, bubble and squeak is the same idea but for your leftover vegetables. Because of this, it's a super thrifty way to make your groceries go further.

Of course, you don't need leftover vegetables to make bubble and squeak but if there was ever a reason to ensure there were leftover roast vegies, this would be it.

This recipe looks at cooking the bubble and squeak as one piece that you divide between everyone, but you could also look at forming the mixture into patties and frying them off like you would a rissole.

Serves 4

750g potatoes, peeled and diced into 4-centimetre pieces

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cups of leftover vegetables (or if you don't have any leftovers, a mix of vegetables such as carrot, kale, cabbage, peas and corn)

40g butter, chopped

4 eggs (optional)

Step one: Place potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to boil on a high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes or until tender.

Step two: Drain well and transfer into a bowl and roughly mash.

Step three: If you have leftover vegetables add them to the mashed potato. If you don't have leftover vegetables, half-fill a saucepan with salted water and bring to boil. Add chopped vegetables and cook for two minutes or until tender. Drain, rinse under cold water and then add to potato.

Step four: In fry pan heat oil over a medium heat, then add the onion. Cook for three to four minutes or until soft, and then add to vegetable mixture. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.

Step five: In an oven-proof fry pan heat the butter on a low heat. Add vegetable mixture, spreading evenly over the base. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the base is golden and crisp.

Step six: Heat grill on medium-high heat and place bubble and squeak (still in pan) under the grill. cook for two to three minutes or until golden.

Step seven: Meanwhile, fry eggs in a frying pan. Remove bubble and squeak from the grill, slide onto a board and cut into wedges. Serve with a fried egg.

Porridge is my go-to weekday breakfast for winter (and for that matter, for most of the year) because it so easy to put together and feels more substantial than toast or cereal.

Another thing that I love in winter is chai tea because there is something about the spices which feel cosy. So this recipe is a match made in heaven and the stewed apples goes perfectly on top.

The apple portion of this recipe will also make more than enough for two serves, so you could even plan on having porridge for more than one breakfast to help use up the remaining apples.

Serves 2

For stewed apples

500g apples

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

For porridge

1 cup of oats

2 1/2 cups of milk

2 tbsp brown sugar

3/4 tsp cinnamon

Pinch of ground ginger

Pinch of ground cloves

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Step one: To make the stewed apples, peel and core the apples. Cut them into bite-sized piece and place in a small saucepan with water, brown sugar and cinnamon, stirring to combine. Bring to the boil and reduce to a medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until apples are soft and juices are syrup-like. Remove from heat and set aside.

Step two: For the porridge, combine the oats, milk, brown sugar and spices in a saucepan on a medium-high heat. Bring to the boil and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat.

Step three: To serve, divide the porridge between two bowls and spoon the apples on top. Any leftover apples can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.