Budget-friendly comfort food we’re adding to our meal plans this winter….

As soon as the weather starts getting colder, the way we eat definitely changes. I’m much less interested in salads and lighter meals and much more interested in proper comfort food – the kind of dinners that warm you up, fill everyone up and ideally leave enough leftovers for lunch the next day too.

I’ve been thinking about the meals we’ll be eating over the next few months and there are definitely a few old favourites that are going to be appearing on our meal plan quite regularly.

Mince and dumplings

Mince and dumplings is probably one of the ultimate cold weather dinners for me. It’s warm, filling and exactly the sort of thing I want when it’s dark outside ridiculously early and the weather is miserable.

I’m planning to make a big batch of mince in the slow cooker whenever this is on the meal plan. I can cook enough for a couple of meals at once and then split it, using half for mince and dumplings and turning the other half into cottage pie for another night.

It doesn’t really take much more effort to make a bigger batch, but it means I’ve basically done most of the work for two dinners at once.

Cottage pie

Cottage pie is another one that just belongs on an autumn and winter meal plan. If I’ve already made the mince as part of a bigger batch then all I really need to do is add the mashed potato on top and get it in the oven.

It’s also one of those meals that usually leaves enough for lunch the next day, which I love at this time of year.

Toad in the hole

We’ll definitely be having toad in the hole quite a bit too. It’s cheap, easy and one of those meals that feels much more comforting than the amount of effort involved would suggest.

When I make the Yorkshire pudding batter, I’ll make extra and use the rest to make some giant Yorkshire puddings at the same time. They can go in the freezer and then we’ve got them ready for another meal.

Corned beef hash in giant Yorkshire puddings

This is where those extra giant Yorkshire puddings come in.

Corned beef hash is already one of our favourite easy comfort meals, but serving it in a giant Yorkshire pudding makes it feel like a completely different dinner. It’s also a good way of stretching the meal a little further without really spending much more.

Making the Yorkshire puddings at the same time as the toad in the hole means I’ve done the messy bit once and got two meals out of it.

Sausage and mash

There’s nothing clever about sausage and mash, but that’s exactly why I love it.

Good sausages, loads of creamy mash, peas and plenty of gravy is exactly the sort of dinner I want when it’s cold outside. It’s easy, everyone likes it and there’s very little thinking involved.

Some nights that’s exactly what I need.

Slow cooker casserole

The slow cooker gets used so much more once the weather turns colder and a casserole is one of the easiest things to make in it.

I can get everything in earlier in the day and then forget about it until tea time, which makes it perfect for busy days. I tend to use whatever we have in rather than following an exact recipe, so it’s also a good way of using up vegetables and bits and pieces before they need throwing away.

Jacket potatoes

Jacket potatoes are one of those meals that I forget about for a while and then suddenly remember how good they are.

They’re cheap, filling and everyone can have something different on top depending on what we have in. They’re also really handy for using up small amounts of leftovers that wouldn’t quite make another full meal.

A jacket potato with something hot and cheesy on top is definitely more appealing to me in October than it is in July.

Mac and cheese

Mac and cheese will be making an appearance whenever the kids are round.

They both joke – at least I hope they’re joking – that it was the only meal they actually enjoyed when they were little, and they still sometimes ring me now and ask me to make it for them.

It’s definitely one of those meals that feels like home to us, so I don’t think it will ever disappear from the meal plan completely.

Soup and something warm on the side

Soup is another big one for me at this time of year, although what I make usually depends entirely on what we have in.

Leek and potato is an old favourite with loads of black pepper, and Miss Frugal always asks me to make it for her when she’s not feeling well.

My homemade roasted tomato soup will definitely be making an appearance too, especially while I can still get hold of decent tomatoes. I roast the tomatoes with garlic and onion before blending everything together and it’s such an easy lunch or light dinner.

Leftovers for lunch

One of my favourite things about all of these meals is that most of them can be made in bigger portions without much extra effort.

If I’m making mince, cottage pie, casserole, soup or corned beef hash, I’ll usually try to make enough that there’s something left for lunch the following day. Sometimes there’ll be enough for both me and my partner and sometimes just one of us gets lucky.

Either way, a bowl of something hot for lunch feels so much nicer when it’s freezing outside than a sandwich or salad.

That’s really how I want our meal plans to look over the colder months. Nothing fancy and nothing that needs loads of expensive ingredients – just proper warming food, plenty of batch cooking and meals that make life a bit easier by giving us another dinner or lunch for another day.

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