There’s a lot to love about chilly season – football, ugg boots, cuddling up by the fire with a glass of red wine and toasting marshmallows.Â
But even better than that, there’s a whole bunch of delicious and healthy winter meals that’ll make you glad you stayed in for dinner.
Yet, while winter days might seem slow, family life is as fast-paced as ever. There’s homework to chase, footy matches to attend, housework to do, not to mention your role as the kids’ personal chauffeur!
This doesn’t leave much time to cook up a storm in the way of winter comfort food. Unless, of course, you have a few fast-dinner cheats up your sleeve!
Check out these three quick, yummy and affordable meal ideas that are perfect for winter nights.
Grocery Haul At The Ready
I’ve done the shopping and I’m all prepped to give you the rundown on what I’ll be whipping up in the kitchen this week.
SPOILER ALERT: it will look like I’ve spent hours, but alas, no… these are QUICK WINS!
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Delicious Soup with Crusty Bread
TIME FROM FRIDGE TO TABLE: UNDER 10 MINUTES
SERVES: 4
COST: $18
When it comes to a healthy winter meal that’s convenient but also budget-friendly, heart-warming soup is your go-to. Nourishing soup, served with fresh sourdough bread, is loved by all of my family. The only trouble is deciding which flavour soup to serve up. There are 20 (YES, TWENTY!) Woolworths Soup flavours to pick and choose from. And all are super tasty, hearty and full of vegetables.
There are old favourites such as Minestrone, Tomato and Creamy Pumpkin. But if you like Indonesian style food, you’ll just love the Chicken Noodle Soup and the Asian Style Chicken & Corn. There’s a soup to suit everyone’s taste buds. And the handy 300ml size is only $3 (talk about winter meals on a budget!), which means no one will be lumbered with a soup they don’t like. This ticks all my ‘easy dinner’ boxes.
Prep is easy peasy. Simply pick your favourite soup and heat it up on the stove top (or pop in the microwave) and it’s ready in minutes. Pair it with a divine, airy Sourdough Bread Loaf from Woolworths’ bakery, top with fresh herbs or a dollop of cream and, voila, dinner is served.
Woolworths’ soups are an awesome fridge staple, particularly as they make an excellent speedy work lunch. And if you don’t have a microwave at work (or it’s just too filthy to use!), just heat them at home and pour them into a Thermos. #tooeasy
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Delicious Baked Ham (You’d Better Believe It!)
TIME FROM FRIDGE TO TABLE: AROUND 60 MINUTES
SERVES: 5
COST: $30
We all know a traditional roast dinner can take hours to cook. Well, NOT ANYMORE! I’ve found the ultimate cheat’s roast dinner, which is not only FAST but it’s so tender that it tastes like I’ve spent hours basting.
The Simply Heat Ham Roast with Honey and Rosemary Glaze is the best baked ham roast I can cook this side of Christmas. Depending on the roast size, you can have this scrumptious, sticky-glazed ham baked to perfection in around an hour.
Cut five or six potatoes into wedges, drizzle with oil and toss with minced garlic and chopped rosemary. Pop on a tray and let them roast at the same time as the ham for a tasty side dish of potato wedges (kids love them!).
I LOVE the Italian Style Salad Kit. It comes complete with croutons, baby bocconcini, cherry tomatoes and its own delicious balsamic glaze. Yes, ALL IN THE ONE BAG! Plus it’s super affordable at $5.50 and there’s no food wastage AT ALL. #winning
If you don’t love a ham roast, don’t despair. You’re spoilt for choice, because the Simply Heat range includes Butterflied Beef in a Rich and Savoury Sauce, Slow Cooked Beef with Onion and Gravy AND Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks. You could almost have a delicious roast dinner EVERY night of the week. Imagine!
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Fancy Pants Asian Salmon Bowl for Two
TIME FROM FRIDGE TO TABLE: UNDER 15 MINUTES
SERVES: 2
COST: $20
Kids gone for a sleepover? Looking for a delicious fast dinner for two? Get ready to impress the socks off your partner by recreating this cafe favourite! This Asian-style salmon bowl is EASY and yet no Masterchef skills are required, honest!
You’ll need a couple of fresh salmon fillets from the Woolworths deli counter, a Woolworths Simply Cook Asian Greens Saute Kit (just $5!) and a Woolworths Microwave Basmati Rice pack. Fry the salmon skin side down for 5 minutes for a crispy skin, saute the veg, heat the rice and voila! You can also sprinkle sesame seeds over the top for added nutty flavour and crunch. Yummm.
If you’re looking for a fast dinner, that’s also a bit fancy but won’t break the budget – this is just the ticket. Check out how incredibly easy it is to throw together by watching the video below.
The ‘Fresh Food People’ through and through, Woolworths makes it so easy to create healthy winter meals in next to no time.
Looking for more food inspiration? Check out this fantastic pinata mud cake hack we created or get set to impress with these awesome entertaining tips.
This is a sponsored post for Woolworths.
