winter meal ideas please!

[Emmy]

I've got to get going with this again - our church brought us meals for several weeks after the twins were born and we've survived the last 2 weeks on just frozen pizza, sandwiches and spaghetti (er...and takeout) so today is the day. I need to meal plan and grocery shop for the next 2 weeks and I'm feeling really uninspired - so give me some ideas! What are your favorite things to eat in the winter?

[Darcy Baldwin]

Chili, soups and stews, and do them double or triple to use leftovers and freeze to save for a frantic day.

What about this:

Baked Ravioli
2 package frozen cheese ravioli
1 jar spaghetti sauce if you don't make your own
1 package frozen spinach - well drained
2 C mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 C parmesan, shredded

Starting with sauce, layer the ravioli, spinach, cheese and then more sauce into a 9x13 pan. Bake for about 20 min covered, then another 10 until bubbly. Quick and easy meal to put together.

[lovely1m]

I post this one all the time, but it will be easy for you, you could freeze it and it will fill a lot of people:
I make a version with chicken breast in it for my meat eaters, too. I also use frozen veggies instead of canned since its much better for you and tastes better.

Easy Vegetable Pot Pie

Ingredients
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of potato soup
1 (15 ounce) can mixed vegetables, drained
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (9 inch) frozen prepared pie crusts, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2.In a medium bowl, combine potato soup, mixed vegetables, milk, thyme, and black pepper.
3.Spoon filling into bottom pie crust. Cover with top crust, and crimp edges to seal. Slit top crust, and brush with beaten egg if desired.
4.Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

[nanienamou]

I made this a couple of weeks ago and it was awesome.

This casserole is pretty easy to make, and you can roast chickens and use the leftovers to make it.

I really like making a large batch of spaghetti sauce and freezing the leftovers afterward.

Stuffed peppers are popular in my household. I make them with half ground pork and half ground veal. It's so much better that ground beef. I also add minced onions, garlic, a couple of eggs, some bread crumbs, shredded cheese, Worcestershire sauce and some Italian seasonings, then I stuff red, yellow and orange peppers with that mixture. Since I buy my meat at Costco, I make a pretty large batch and freeze some. Then, when I cook them, I dump a can of tomato sauce on them and more shredded cheese. So yummy!

[julifish]

Roast Chicken with potatoes and carrots - easy peasy - just throw the whole chicken in a pan with the potatoes and carrots, add a little seasoning and bake. Line the pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Serve with some bread or biscuits.

Then, use the leftover chicken and the carcas to make soup - just boil the bones with waterto cover , large chunks of celery, carrot, onion and seasoning for about 2 hours. Then strain, add in celery, carrot, onion and rice or noodles. Yum!

Chili served over rice to stretch it - make a triple batch and freeze some.

Roast pork - put a large pork roast in crock pot, cover with Spanish Mojo Sauce or some italain salad dressing (mixed with a little water). Cook all day - shred and serve over rice or on buns. Again - makes lots and freeze portions so you can defrost and heat as needed.

Baked Ziti - my hint is to boil the noodles and stash them in the freezer or fridge so this is super easy. I also try to brown big batches of ground beef with onion and the freeze in one meal portions. Mix noodles in a baking pan with sauce, cooked meat (sausage, ground beef, ground turkey, grilled chicken) and ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese) and shredded mozarella. Bake for about 30 minutes.
Change it up and use jarred alfredo sauce with chicken and a little mixed veggies.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Biscuit topped Chicken Pot Pie. Mix cooked chicken, with cream of chicken soup, half can milk, garlic, oregano, onion powder, bag of frozen mixed veggies. Pour into baking pan - bake for 10-15 minutes, until bubbly and then cover top with those biscuits that come in the tube and bake for 10-15 minutes longer.

For any of these- if you are cooking it once, make double and freeze what you can to assemble another day when you are crazy and need to throw something together.

I hope this helps!

[Darcy Baldwin]

OH! I did my first bread from scratch this week, w/o a bread machine - and while it's not wholesome whole grain (yet), it's certainly better than buying store bought bread with all the preservatives. AND..what's cool, it's made 4 boules of fresh bread for meals this week, just enough for one meal for your crew, and it's easy! You make one big batch of bread, store it in the fridge, take off hunks for a meal, let it rise for an hour on the counter, pop it in the oven for dinner. It's been the best stuff - has a slight sourdough taste to it and is simply super easy to make:

http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/

Here's their basic recipe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFJZP...eature=related

In a bucket (non-air tight container..)
1.5 TB yeast
1.5 TB kosher salt
3 C 110 degree water
6.5 C All purpose flour - ( I shake my flour container to get it fluffy, scoop up a cup, and sweep off the top to make it even).

Mix is up with a spoon..making sure there are no dry lumps of flour. It's wet.
Throw on the lid and let it rise on the counter for about 2 hrs

Sprinkle a little flour over the top, pull out a grapefruit sized piece, flour as you need to to make it non-sticky, form a ball, put it on a peel or parchment paper (you can corn meal).
Preheat the oven while you do this
Leave it on the counter for about 45 min or even longer. Sprinkle with flour and use a sharp knife to cut the surface.
Put it on top of a preheated pizza stone with a pan underneath, and add water to the pan when you add the bread to let it steam as it cooks.

About 30 min later, you have fresh wonderful bread for dinner.

The rest of the dough can store for about 2 weeks...just pull out more for a meal one evening. I think we're at 4 boules for the week off of 10 min worth of work.

[LeeAndra]

Black Bean Chix Chili (GF)

olive oil
1-2 onions, chopped
1/4 c. chili powder (I use 1/8 c. because I am a weenie)
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. dried cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced (not garlicky enough for my taste with fresh, so I actually use 1 1/2 Tbsp. dried)
3 c. Swanson chicken stock
2 16 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
3 c. cooked chix, diced
salt and pepper
hot red pepper flakes, hot sauce, 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (all optional)
1/2 c. shredded Cheddar
1/2 c. sour cream

Saute onion(s) in hot oil in large Dutch oven for 5 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic; saute 30 seconds. Add stock, beans, and tomatoes. Bring mixture to boil before reducing heat and simmering 30-45 minutes. Stir in chicken and continue to simmer 1-2 hours or until ready to eat. Add salt, pepper, hot flakes, and hot sauce to taste. Serve chili with garnish of cilantro, Cheddar, and sour cream.

+++

So Easy It's Not Even Cooking Pot Roast

5 1/2 lb. pot roast (less if you want more gravy)
1 can Progresso mushroom soup
1 packet dry onion soup mix

Stir together soup mix and soup in crockpot. Add roast. Cook until done.

+++

Baked Spaghetti (tastes just like lasagna)

1 package spaghetti
1 lb. ground beef (we use 1 1/2 lbs. 'cause we be hungry carnivores)
1 med. onion, chopped
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
2 eggs
1/3 c. grated Parmesan
5 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 c. cottage cheese
4 c. shredded Mozzarella

Cook spaghetti. Cook beef and onion in large skillet; drain. Stir in sauce and salt; set aside. In large bowl, whisk eggs, Parmesan, and butter. Drain spaghetti and add to egg mixture tossing to coat. Place half of spaghetti in greased 9 x 13 pan. Top with half of cottage cheese, meat sauce, and Mozzarella. Repeat layers. Cover (very important or it won't set right!) and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 mins. Uncover; bake additional 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.

+++

Sloppy Joes (GF)

1 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. yellow mustard
3/4 c. Heinz ketchup
3 tsp. brown sugar
salt and pepper

Brown ground beef with onion and green pepper; drain. Stir in garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat and simmer 30 mins. Season with salt and pepper.

HTH, E! I do NOT envy you having to cook for 5 guys!! *lol*

[SmallMoments]

Here are some things I've recently tried and LOVED!! (And if *I* can make them, ANYONE can!)

Chicken & Black Bean Burritos

Oven Fried Chicken

Easy Take Out Orange Chicken

Turkey & Black Bean Sloppy Joes

[Emmy]

great ideas girls - I'm definitely conjuring some inspiration!

[Darcy Baldwin]

Originally Posted by SmallMoments

Here are some things I've recently tried and LOVED!! (And if *I* can make them, ANYONE can!)



Easy Take Out Orange Chicken

We're so doing t his tomorrow for Valentine's Day - because it's also Chinese New Year!! While not authentic, best I can do on short notice and a mostly no-cook Sunday for me! Thanks!

[lisabranka]

This has become my standby quick and easy meal and my kids love it

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

the other soup I just made last week and it was awesome! I took leftovers to work and had people asking for the recipe as it smelled sooo good!
Chicken, Corn and Potato Chowder


I'll sometimes buy big packages of ground beef and fry it up (then freeze it) to have on hand to make tacos, or other casseroles quickly and easily,

Browse the tasty kitchen website.. it will make you drool for some good stuff LOL