Soror Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 I'm in a rut and looking for inspirations. Meal planning has been lacking with fall being so busy and now it is turning cold the same things just don't sound good. So, I'm looking for good hearty meals, soup and one-pot meals are great. My kid's appetites have been through the roof and it seems I can't make enough lately so I need things that are cheap to stretch. Basic meals on my list--- White bean chicken chili Chili Stew Tuscan White Bean Soup Tomato Soup w/ Grilled Cheese ??? My brain is not working. Legumes are great. I'd like some more veg. options and more options with veggies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnificent_baby Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 Uncle Ben's chicken wild rice soup. Sorry, on my way to work so can't look up the recipe, but it's online. So good and very filling!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambam Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 Tortilla soup - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/89539/slow-cooker-chicken-tortilla-soup/ (easy - great for days when you can't stay at home, I've even used frozen chicken breasts!) Chicken Pot Pie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 (edited) Stuffed squash is on our menu once a week. There are endless stuffing options. Another weekly staple is roasting up a huge pan of winter veggies, whatever is cheapest or most available. Beets, celeriac, winter radish, potato, brussel sprouts, rutabaga, kohlrabi, parsnips, etc.... Pair that with brown rice/millet/barley/whatever and top with blue cheese or walnuts or sour cream or whatever I have. This also makes great leftovers. I make brothy soups stretch and increase the protein by poaching eggs right in the soup during the last five minutes of cooking. Each person gets at least one egg. If you do this, remove from the pot any soup you think will be leftover before adding the eggs. Baked potato bar is my go to emergency dinner. Edited November 20, 2017 by skimomma 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaceseeker Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 Corn chowder or vegetable beef soup. Adding a side salad or dinner bread, rolls, biscuits, or cornbread with soup can help stretch things further. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn in FL Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 Stuffed squash is on our menu once a week. There are endless stuffing options. Another weekly staple is roasting up a huge pan of winter veggies, whatever is cheapest or most available. Beets, celeriac, winter radish, potato, brussel sprouts, rutabaga, kohlrabi, parsnips, etc.... Pair that with brown rice/millet/barley/whatever and top with blue cheese or walnuts or sour cream or whatever I have. This also makes great leftovers. I make brothy soups stretch and increase the protein by poaching eggs right in the soup during the last five minutes of cooking. Each person gets at least one egg. If you do this, remove from the pot any soup you think will be leftover before adding the eggs. Baked potato bar is my go to emergency dinner. Are you stuffing acorn squash or another variety? Will you please share some of your stuffed squash options? This sounds utterly delicious! Great suggestions! :hurray: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 Right there with ya on the kids with big appetites and need to stretch the grocery dollars! Lots of soup here. I make stock almost every week in the winter. I get a large bag of beef bones from a local farmer (at Farmers' market, so not a big effort or out of the way) for $5. Makes 2-3 crockpots of stock, so 12-18 qts. I use mostly ends and pieces of veggies that I have already cut up or peeled for the veggies in the stock. I get whole chx wherever they are on sale, roast them, use the meat for soup or casseroles, then make stock from the bones. One chx = 6 qts. Favorites: Beef and barley French onion Chx with orzo and lemon Chx tortilla - I add some chipotle chiles on adobo or chipotle chile powder for that smoky taste, but not too hot. Cream of tomato. I use tomato cocktail from my CSA, to add more flavor, but V8 will work too. I add cream at the end for richness. Lentil soup with bacon and cream. Very filling and yummy! Lots of times I just make random soup with whatever protein and veg I have. Sometimes it is great and sometimes just average, but I can never reproduce the recipes because I just improvised. Chx pot pie is yummy. I use potatoes and only one crust most of the time. Shepherd's pie with lamb is a nice change of pace/taste and is very filling. Or Cottage pie with just beef. Potatoes are cheap! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 (edited) We make beef stew. I use a dutch oven, but you can also use a crockpot or Instant Pot (stew setting works perfectly) Mix in the pot: 2 pounds stew meat dredged in flour and sprinkled with kosher salt and pepper 1 small bag baby carrots (no need to chop in half) 1-2 onions rough chop (depends on size) 1 bag of small potatoes or 3-4 large potatoes cut into cubes sprinkle some kosher salt and pepper over the veggies about 1 tsp Italian seasoning or Oregano 2 bay leaves 1 can Campbell's Tomato soup 1/2 can or so of water Put in an oven at 275-300 for about 2-1/2 to 3 hours. When done, stir in a bag of frozen baby peas Taste, add salt/pepper as needed Edited November 20, 2017 by umsami 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbi in Texas Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 The one soup I make every winter is taco soup. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 Chicken pot pie and chicken and dumplings are hits here. I can make both from one chicken. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 (edited) Are you stuffing acorn squash or another variety? Will you please share some of your stuffed squash options? This sounds utterly delicious! Great suggestions! :hurray: There are several squash types that work well. Acorn is the traditional stuffing squash. The related carnival squash works as well as any acorn-shaped squash. Delicata is our favorite in taste and its boat shape allows for easier stuffing. Spaghetti is also great for stuffing. I am sure there are many others that will work well as long as they have a shell that hardens with cooking rather than wilts. The wilters are my soup squashes. I am terrible at using actual recipes. I will put just about anything in a squash at least once. Prep is the same for all. Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds (I put these in the freezer for soup stock), and place face down on a cookie sheet in a 375 oven for 30-40 minutes. Once a fork goes easily into the thickest part, it is ready. I am often working with several different sizes at once so I might have to take the smallest out earlier. Once all done, flip them all bowl side up and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then stuff and put back in oven for another 20-30 minutes. You can also stuff and put in fridge until you are ready to do the final cooking. There are a few stuffing favorites that I come back to. My family's favorite is a ricotta based stuffing. I sauté up an onion and a few cloves of garlic then add 3 chopped apples or pears for the last 3 minutes. Toss in a bowl with a pint of ricotta, a cup or so of finely shredded cheese (cheddar, parmesan, or jack all work well), the grated zest of one lemon, a half cup of chopped nuts (any will do), salt, pepper, a dash of nutmeg, and a handful of dried fruit (I usually substitute in fresh or frozen cranberries if I have them). Mix and stuff into 6-8 squash halves, mounding as necessary to use it all up. Another favorite is a stuffed pepper knock off. Fry up some onions, peppers, jalapeño or chipotle (if you like spice), and some garlic. Add salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste. Add a can of tomatoes, a can of whatever beans (meat would probably also work), and 2-3 cups of rice or quinoa until hot. Take off heat and add whatever combo of chopped avocado, cream cheese, or shredded cheese you have on hand and stuff into squashes. A little cheese on top is usually appreciated. Extra bonus points if I flip the squashes bowl side up for the last 10 minutes of pre-cooking, poke with a fork, and pour a little adobo sauce from canned chipotle into the bowls to caramelize before stuffing. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and corn chips. My garden produces huge spaghetti squash so they are usually too big for stuffing. But when I get a few smaller ones, I pre-cook as usual but when I flip them up, I add salt and pepper then bring up all of the strings with a fork and dump into a bowl, preserving the shells for stuffing. I then make an almost baked ziti type filling by adding tomato sauce, parmesean/mozz/ricotta cheese, Italian herbs, finely chopped greens, and a cup or two of leftover cooked pasta elbows. Mix, restuff shells, and heat in oven. Aside form my standards, I have no problem putting just about any leftover in a squash and calling it dinner. I grow enough squash for us to have it at least twice a week in the winter and I have always been a "one pot" cook so if I can make a side dish into dinner, I am all about it. I will even take the smallest ones, cook face down, flip, and crack a single egg into each. Bake until egg is set. Edited November 21, 2017 by skimomma 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Cheeseburger soup and lots of the above soups Smothered chicken with mashed potatoes Spaghetti or some other pasta is on my weekly list in the winter Salmon patties Chicken enchiladas Spanish rice Meatloaf and baked potatoes Pizza hotdish Turkey tetrazzini Pork roasts Chinese: fried rice and Hawaiian chicken or eggrolls with chow mein Swedish meatballs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosika Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 One of my favorite winter recipes is cabbage rolls. Ingredients are not expensive or exotic (sauerkraut, cabbage, rice, onion, ground meat, typical spices) and is very hearty. It can be time consuming to make, but is a great bonding time in the kitchen. Or you can do like me and prepare them in front of a movie :) These freeze very well so making a double batch is a great idea. Look up recipes for sarma or sarmale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Pot roast Boeuf Bourguignon Meat loaf Meatballs Corned beef Lamb of any kind Irish stew Shepherd's pie Anything that requires slow cooking -- I want to warm up the kitchen in winter, but not in summer Red cabbage takes an hour or so in the oven Any braised veggie -- braised celery, for example Fall and Winter vegetables -- root veggies, fennel, Belgian endive, celeriac, cabbagey things. We try to eat with the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn in FL Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 :party: There are several squash types that work well. Acorn is the traditional stuffing squash. The related carnival squash works as well as any acorn-shaped squash. Delicata is our favorite in taste and its boat shape allows for easier stuffing. Spaghetti is also great for stuffing. I am sure there are many others that will work well as long as they have a shell that hardens with cooking rather than wilts. The wilters are my soup squashes. I am terrible at using actual recipes. I will put just about anything in a squash at least once. Prep is the same for all. Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds (I put these in the freezer for soup stock), and place face down on a cookie sheet in a 375 oven for 30-40 minutes. Once a fork goes easily into the thickest part, it is ready. I am often working with several different sizes at once so I might have to take the smallest out earlier. Once all done, flip them all bowl side up and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then stuff and put back in oven for another 20-30 minutes. You can also stuff and put in fridge until you are ready to do the final cooking. There are a few stuffing favorites that I come back to. My family's favorite is a ricotta based stuffing. I sauté up an onion and a few cloves of garlic then add 3 chopped apples or pears for the last 3 minutes. Toss in a bowl with a pint of ricotta, a cup or so of finely shredded cheese (cheddar, parmesan, or jack all work well), the grated zest of one lemon, a half cup of chopped nuts (any will do), salt, pepper, a dash of nutmeg, and a handful of dried fruit (I usually substitute in fresh or frozen cranberries if I have them). Mix and stuff into 6-8 squash halves, mounding as necessary to use it all up. Another favorite is a stuffed pepper knock off. Fry up some onions, peppers, jalapeño or chipotle (if you like spice), and some garlic. Add salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste. Add a can of tomatoes, a can of whatever beans (meat would probably also work), and 2-3 cups of rice or quinoa until hot. Take off heat and add whatever combo of chopped avocado, cream cheese, or shredded cheese you have on hand and stuff into squashes. A little cheese on top is usually appreciated. Extra bonus points if I flip the squashes bowl side up for the last 10 minutes of pre-cooking, poke with a fork, and pour a little adobo sauce from canned chipotle into the bowls to caramelize before stuffing. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and corn chips. My garden produces huge spaghetti squash so they are usually too big for stuffing. But when I get a few smaller ones, I pre-cook as usual but when I flip them up, I add salt and pepper then bring up all of the strings with a fork and dump into a bowl, preserving the shells for stuffing. I then make an almost baked ziti type filling by adding tomato sauce, parmesean/mozz/ricotta cheese, Italian herbs, finely chopped greens, and a cup or two of leftover cooked pasta elbows. Mix, restuff shells, and heat in oven. Aside form my standards, I have no problem putting just about any leftover in a squash and calling it dinner. I grow enough squash for us to have it at least twice a week in the winter and I have always been a "one pot" cook so if I can make a side dish into dinner, I am all about it. I will even take the smallest ones, cook face down, flip, and crack a single egg into each. Bake until egg is set. Oh. My. Gosh. How very kind! :party: I lost/forgot to come back and check this thread amidst all of the holiday prep. Thank you so much for taking the time to post this. I have copied and pasted every word. It sounds delicious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Pot roast Meatloaf Pasta with sausage and broccoli Chili Stuffed shells Lots of great meals already listed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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