February is a time when people seek comfort from warm, healthy foods. These classic dishes are easy to whip up from basic ingredients you probably keep around the house.
In fact, most of these meals incorporate leftover ingredients from other meals, so they're extra thrifty.
Stuffed Pepper Soup. This hearty soup can be made from leftover hamburger meat or any other extra meat you have on hand at the end of the week. If you don't have any veggie broth, use water instead. Enjoy this soup with crusty rolls and a simple salad.
Ingredients:
4 cups veggie broth or water
1 cup cooked ground meat
1 can tomato sauce, 15 ounce size
1 can diced tomatoes, 15 ounce size
1 diced red pepper
2 teaspoons beef boullion cubes
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 diced yellow or white onion
1-2 cups brown rice
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine the ingredients into a pot or a dutch oven. Heat until boiling, then simmer for 20 minutes. Serve steaming.
Chicken and Veggies with Biscuits. This easy chicken pot pie-like recipe can be made with chicken leftovers, pre-made biscuit dough and frozen veggies. Whip it up on a weekend night and put it in the fridge to be baked for dinner after work. Voila!
Ingredients:
3 cups frozen peas and carrots
2 cups pre-cooked chicken leftovers, cubed
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup veggie broth
Salt and pepper
Pre-made biscuit dough
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Saute peas, carrots and chicken in the skillet for a few minutes, then coat with flour. Add milk and veggie broth, then stir until the sauce thickens. Flavor with salt and pepper, and add more flour if the sauce is still too thin.
Once the sauce has thickened to a creamy, gravy-like filling, grease a casserole dish and pour the filling into the dish. Cut up pre-made biscuit dough into circles about 1/2 inch thick. Place biscuits on top of the filling and cook on 375 degrees for approximately 25 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown.
Shepard's Pie. Shepard's pie is traditionally made with minced lamb, but you can use any minced meat (including ground beef) that you have on hand. This is an excellent dish to make after a meal with mashed potatoes, because you can use the leftovers. Use a deep casserole dish for this meal to ensure that the food will not fall out of the dish when it bubbles in the oven.
Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups minced meat
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cream of mushroom soup
2 cups of frozen peas and carrots
2 cups baked beans
3-4 cups of mashed potatoes
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Saute minced meat, onion and garlic in a pot until all the meat has turned brown. Season with salt and pepper. Mix with cream of mushroom soup and place in a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle frozen peas and carrots over meat, then spread baked beans over vegetables.
Spread mashed potatoes over the baked beans, then sprinkle with cheese on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes. The meal is done when the edges are bubbling.
Save Money on Food this February!
Check the expiration dates on the foods in your 
fridge on a weekly basis, and plan your meals around what's going bad first. When making soup, save leftovers and bring them to work in a thermos. Following these tips, you'll waste less food and eat well all winter long.
