We’ve teamed up with Albertsons Companies to share a week’s worth of warming winter dinners, plus a shopping list. Whether your local store is Safeway, ACME, or one of Albertsons Companies’ 19 other supermarkets across the country, download their free Deals & Delivery mobile app. And don’t forget to join their for U™ Member program to get weekly personalized deals, redeem Rewards for discounts on groceries, receive an annual birthday treat, and even get a free item every month—all for no membership fee or monthly cost. Not a member yet? Here’s a sweet "Welcome" offer: Get $5 off your next online grocery order of $25 or more.
Summer tends to get all the hype, but I find winter cooking just as exciting. Winter produce is abundant with options from root vegetables and chicories to citrus and sweet-tart fruits. Plus, the cold weather brings along an endless supply of cozy, comforting meals.
These wintery recipes (one for every day of the week!) are just a few of my favorites to cook throughout the season—maybe some of them will make their way into your dinner rotation as you prepare for the week ahead. Speaking of prep: I keep Albertsons Companies’ free Deals & Delivery app handy for stress-free shopping. I use it to build a grocery list so I can keep track of what I need and easily find the items carried at my local supermarket. Also, as part of their for U™ Member program, I get special savings on all sorts of products (from produce to prepared foods), along with deals on personalized items.
1. Beans & Greens Soup
Start the week off right with this hearty soup. There are just 10 ingredients, many of which you may already have, and the whole thing comes together in 30 minutes. The joy of this recipe is that you can adjust it to fit your palate—and pantry. The recipe calls for pre-cooked beans, but you can use canned beans in a pinch.
Ingredients to order: olive oil, red onion, garlic, chicken stock, sherry vinegar, chickpeas or lentils, cooking greens (like kale, spinach, chard, bok choy, Napa cabbage, watercress, amaranth, or broccoli raab), dried chilies, salt, pepper, bread
2. Weeknight Ragu
There’s basically nothing I find more comforting than a big bowl of piping-hot ragu on a cold winter night. While ragu may conjure up images of standing over the stove all day, this recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal. Thanks to a bevy of aromatics, it only takes 20 minutes for this dish to take on the flavor of a long simmer. Serve it over pasta, bread, grits, or even squash.
Ingredients to order: vegetable oil, ground meat (like beef, pork, or lamb), salt, pepper, onions, garlic, red wine, canned plum tomatoes, fresh herbs (like thyme, rosemary, sage, or bay leaves), red pepper flakes
3. Winter Panzanella
Panzanella is traditionally an Italian chopped salad that uses bread as the base (yum). The bread buffs out the salad so the dish is filling enough to eat on its own, making it ideal for a weeknight. These days, there are variations for all seasons—this version is studded with seasonal ingredients like beets, pomegranates, and winter greens. I especially love this recipe because it does double duty by satisfying my need for a good dose of greens, while also making a weeknight feel exciting (thank you, feta!).
Ingredients to order: bread, olive oil, beets, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, garlic, oranges, leafy greens (like romaine, escarole, or butter lettuce), arugula, parsley, herbs (like cilantro, chives, and dill), celery, capers, feta cheese, pomegranate seeds
4. Weeknight Winter Pasta
Toward the end of the week I’m usually losing a bit of steam when it comes to finding inspiration in the kitchen. Enter this weeknight pasta, which couldn’t be easier to make, and is the perfect dish to cure cold weather-blues. The sausage, cauliflower, and red onion get cooked on a sheet pan while the pasta boils, and all it takes is mixing everything together to get dinner on the table.
Ingredients to order: sweet or spicy Italian sausage, cauliflower, red onion, fennel seeds, olive oil, salt, pepper, fusilli, Parmesan, parsley
5. Chicken Tofu Laksa
Don’t get intimidated by the slightly longer grocery list—this spicy, tangy, Southeast Asian-style soup is easier than it looks. Loaded with tofu and chicken, it’s perfect for nights when you’re in the mood for something satisfying and soul-warming.
Ingredients to order: firm tofu, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cumin seeds, cloves, ground turmeric, chiles de árbol, vegetable oil, shallots, chicken thighs or breasts, shrimp paste, coconut milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon sticks, lemongrass, chicken broth, rice noodles, mung beans, mint, cilantro, limes
6. Shrimp & Grits-Style Risotto
Inspired by the classic Southern combo, this recipe swaps grits for a gorgeous risotto that’s loaded with umami (courtesy of mushrooms, bacon, tomatoes, and fish stock).
Ingredients to order: shrimp, lemons, thyme, olive oil, red pepper flakes, bacon, garlic, parsley, white wine, onions, plum tomatoes, fish stock, half and half, mushrooms, arborio, Tabasco, scallions
7. White Lasagna
A cheesy, freshly baked tray of lasagna is the ultimate winter comfort. It’s also the perfect thing to make on a lazy Sunday when you’ve got a few hours to spare. This vegetarian riff trades the classic ragu for caramelized leeks and Swiss chard, and layers sheets of noodles with extra-cheesy béchamel.
Ingredients to order: butter, flour, milk, black pepper, cayenne pepper, salt, Gruyère, Parmigiano-Reggiano, olive oil, leeks, garlic, red pepper flakes, Swiss chard, no-boil lasagna, mozzarella, basil
Check out the free Member programs at supermarkets from our partner Albertsons Companies, like ACME for U™, Albertsons for U™, Carrs for U™, Jewel-Osco for U™, Pavilions for U™, Randalls for U™, Safeway for U™, Shaw’s for U™, Star Market for U™, Tom Thumb for U™, and Vons for U™.
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