Warm Up Your Winter: Budget-Friendly Comfort Food Recipes

By More Food

The cold weather can be a great time to include more hearty dishes in your family’s diet. Who doesn’t love a warm meal after a long day at work or school?

The following recipes include SNAP-eligible recipes that are sure to be a huge success with folks of all ages. SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is known as FNS (Food and Nutrition Services) in North Carolina. Visit More In My Basket’s “Contact Us” page for more information about SNAP, or for help applying.

Whether its soup, pizza, or burritos, these three recipes are a warm welcome in response to a busy and chilly day.

Lentil Soup
10 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil
  • 1 large red, yellow, or white onion (chopped)
  • 3 carrots (finely diced)
  • 3 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 2 cups (1 pound) dried lentils (rinsed)
  • 1 can (14 ½ ounce can) diced tomatoes (14 1/2 ounce can)
  • 8 cups (2 quarts) low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Sauté onions, carrots, red pepper flakes, and garlic in oil until soft.
  3. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and stir well.
  4. Add rinsed lentils and broth. Simmer until the lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.
  5. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Nutrition Facts

  • Calories: 200kcal
  • Carbohydrates: 29g
  • Protein: 14g
  • Fat: 4g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
  • Sodium: 353mg
  • Sugar: 5g

Source: https://www.myplate.gov/recipes/lentil-soup

Anytime Pizza
2 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/4 mini baguette or Italian bread, about 9″ long (split lengthwise, or 2 split English muffins)
  • 1/2 cup pizza sauce
  • 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella or cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
  • 1/4 cup mushrooms, fresh or canned, sliced
  • other vegetable toppings (as desired, optional)
  • Italian seasoning (optional)

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Toast the bread or English muffin until slightly brown.
  3. Top bread or muffin with pizza sauce, vegetables and cheese.
  4. Sprinkle with Italian seasonings, if  desired.
  5. Return bread to the toaster oven (or regular oven preheated to 350 °F).
  6. Bake until the cheese melts.

Nutrition Facts

  • Calories: 180kcal
  • Carbohydrates: 18g
  • Protein: 11g
  • Fat: 7g
  • Cholesterol: 15mg
  • Sodium: 502mg
  • Sugar: 4g

Source: https://www.myplate.gov/recipes/anytime-pizza

Bean and Rice Burritos
8 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 cups cooked kidney beans (or 1 (15 ounce) can, low-sodium, drained)
  • 8 10-inch flour tortillas
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1/2 cup cheese, shredded

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Preheat the oven to 300° F.
  3. Peel the onion and chop it into small pieces.
  4. Drain the liquid from the cooked (or canned) kidney beans.
  5. Mix the rice, chopped onion, and beans in a bowl.
  6. Put each tortilla on a flat surface.
  7. Put 1/2 cup of the rice and bean mix in the middle of each tortilla.
  8. Fold the sides of the tortilla to hold the rice and beans.
  9. Put each filled tortilla (burrito) in a  baking pan.
  10. Bake for 15 minutes.
  11. Pour the salsa over the baked burritos. Add cheese.
  12. Serve the burritos warm.

Nutrition Facts

  • Calories: 341kcal
  • Carbohydrates: 55g
  • Protein: 11g
  • Fat: 8g
  • Cholesterol: 7mg
  • Sodium: 607mg
  • Sugar: 3g

Source: https://www.myplate.gov/recipes/bean-and-rice-burritos

Beef & Noodles
4 servings

Ingredients

  • 3/4 pound 85% lean ground beef
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups water
  • 2 cups egg noodles, uncooked (or any shaped pasta)
  • 1/2 cup Eating Smart Seasoning Mix
  • Salt (optional)

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Brown ground beef in a large skillet, drain the fat.
  3. Add water, egg noodles or pasta, and seasoning mix. Stir.
  4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until noodles are tender.
  5. Taste, then add a small amount of salt, if needed.
  6. Refrigerate leftovers.

Nutrition Facts

  • Calories: 258kcal
  • Carbohydrates: 20g
  • Protein: 21g
  • Fat: 10g
  • Cholesterol: 72mg
  • Sodium: 95mg
  • Sugar: 5g

Source: https://www.myplate.gov/recipes/beef-noodles

Cold weather is the perfect time to share hearty and satisfying meals with loved ones. These three recipes demonstrate that cooking with SNAP-eligible foods, and cooking on a budget doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor or variety.

For questions about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or to receive SNAP Application Assistance contact the More In My Basket staff:

Visit: morefood.org

English Toll Free: 1-855-240-1451

Spanish Toll Free: 1-888-382-7105

Photo by Correen on Unsplash