50 Nostalgic Winter Dinners

Step back to childhood with our most classic dishes for cold weather. These old-school meals are all easy to make, taste delicious and will keep you warm you on the chilly winter nights.

1.Shepherd's pie

Ingredients :

800g potatoes, quartered (see note)

20g butter

1/2 cup hot milk

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 celery stick, finely chopped

1 zucchini, finely chopped

1 brown onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

400g roast lamb (from Greek-style Roast Lamb - see related recipe), minced

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup Massel beef stock

1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese

Steps 1 :

Cook potatoes until tender. Drain. Add butter and mash until smooth. Add milk and beat to combine.

Step 2 :

Heat oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Cook carrot, celery, zucchini, onion and garlic for 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables soften.

Step 3 :

Add lamb mince, sauces and beef stock. Cook, stirring, until mixture comes to the boil. Simmer for 3 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Step 4 :

Preheat oven to 200°C. Spoon mixture into 4 x 1-cup ramekins or 1 x 4-cup ovenproof dish. Top with mashed potato. Rake surface with a fork. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.

2. Easy butter chicken:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Greek-style yoghurt

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3cm piece ginger, peeled, finely grated

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp chilli powder

600g Lilydale Free Range Chicken Thigh, cut into 3cm pieces

1 tbsp vegetable oil

20g butter

1 brown onion, halved, thickly sliced

410g can tomato puree

1/2 cup Massel chicken style liquid stock

1/2 cup thickened cream

Basmati rice, to serve

Coriander leaves, to serve

Step 1:

Place yoghurt , garlic , ginger , cumin , coriander , garam masala and chilli powder in a glass or ceramic dish. Add chicken . Stir to coat. Cover. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Step 2 :

Heat oil and butter in a heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion . Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until softened. Add chicken mixture to pan. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until chicken just starts to change colour. Add tomato puree and stock . Cover. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until chicken is tender and mixture has thickened slightly.

Step 3 :

Stir in cream. Simmer for a further 5 minutes or until heated through. Serve with steamed rice and coriander leaves .

3.Pork and beef lasagne :

Ingredients :

2 tbsp olive oil

4 small brown onions, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

300g beef mince

300g pork mince

4 x 400g cans crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh basil, trimmed, chopped

2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

2 zucchini, trimmed, chopped

2 red capsicums, deseeded, chopped

250g pkt dried lasagne sheets

Step 1 :

Heat oil in a heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Add onion, carrot and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until onion is soft. Add the combined minces. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps, for 5 minutes or until mince changes colour. Add tomato, basil, tarragon, rosemary and thyme. Season. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or until thick. Add zucchini and capsicum. Cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp.

Step 2 :

Meanwhile, to make the bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly add the milk, whisking constantly, until smooth. Return to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Season. Add 1 1/2 cups of the combined cheeses. Set aside until required.

Step 3 :

Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the meat mixture over the base of a 3.5L (14-cup capacity) ovenproof dish. Top with a layer of pasta sheets, breaking to fit, then 3 cups of the remaining mince mixture. Spoon about 1 1/2 cups of the bechamel sauce on top. Continue with another layer of pasta, the remaining mince mixture and remaining bechamel sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden.

4. Swedish meatballs :

Ingredients :

2 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn

1/4 cup milk

1 medium red onion, grated

500g pork and veal mince

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp plain flour

2 cups Massel beef stock

1/4 cup thickened cream

Small fresh dill sprigs, to serve

Crusty bread, to serve

Salt, to season

Step 1:

Place bread in a bowl. Add milk. Stand for 5 minutes. Add onion, mince, egg and spices. Season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Roll level tablespoons mixture into balls. Place on a plate.

Step 2:

Heat oil in a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs, turning, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until browned all over. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.

Step 3 :

Add flour to pan. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until bubbling. Gradually stir in stock and cream. Bring to the boil. Return meatballs to pan. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 10 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through and sauce has thickened. Sprinkle with dill. Serve with bread.

5.Vegetarian minestrone :

Ingredients :

2 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

3 celery sticks, finely chopped

3 carrots, peeled, finely chopped

1 fennel bulb, trimmed, core removed, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2.5L (10 cups) Massel vegetable liquid stock

Mutti Polpa Finely Chopped Tomatoes 400g

400g can borlotti beans, rinsed, drained

1 parmesan rind, (or vegetarian hard cheese) (optional)

145g (1 cup) small dried macaroni

160g (4 cups) Coles Chopped Kale

Basil pesto, to serve

Fresh purple basil leaves, to serve

Finely grated parmesan (or vegetarian hard cheese), to serve

Bread, to serve

Step 1 :

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion , celery , carrot and fennel and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden. Add garlic . Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Transfer to a 6L slow cooker. Stir in stock , tomato , beans and parmesan rind (or vegetarian hard cheese) , if using. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours.

Step 2:

Add pasta to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cover. Cook for a further 30 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Remove the parmesan rind (or vegetarian hard cheese). Stir in 2 cups of the chopped kale leaves.

Step 3:

Divide the soup among serving bowls. Top with a few dollops of pesto and sprinkle with the basil , grated parmesan (or vegetarian hard cheese) and remaining 2 cups of chopped kale. Serve with bread.