With grocery bills skyrocketing, we’ll take any opportunity to save a dollar at the till. Outside of shopping sales, or buying in bulk, one of the best ways to save your pennies is to shop seasonally.
When a food is in season, it’s abundant—which often means it’s cheaper than other times of the year. Eating seasonally not only means you’ll enjoy fresh, ripe, and fully-developed produce—you’ll also enjoy some savings.
We’re sharing 20 recipes that highlight the best of winter produce—as categorized by the USDA—including beets, apples, sweet potatoes, squash and more. Make sure to save these recipes and reference them while making your grocery list. It’s a great way to make every penny count!
Easy Cabbage Rolls
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
What’s heartier than a warm winter casserole with one of the season’s most versatile vegetables: the cabbage. This Cabbage Roll Casserole takes all the components of a delicious cabbage roll and makes it doable for a weeknight. In addition to the savings of using seasonal produce, you can make it less expensive by using ground turkey instead of ground beef—which is my go to cost saving trick. Feel free to make it your own with the addition of garlic, Worcestershire sauce, or herbs.
“Excellent and delicious,” said one Allrecipes member. “This is a new favorite and it’s easy and less effort than actually making cabbage rolls, and we’re all about easy these days.”
Baked Spaghetti Squash with Beef and Veggies
Allrecipes Magazine
Spaghetti squash is one of nature’s most interesting vegetables. If you’re not used to it, the squash is cut in half and baked. Once cool you take a fork or tongs and pull the strands of the squash apart. It looks like spaghetti, and can be used instead of it in several recipes—like this beef and veggie bake.
“This is really good for a spaghetti squash recipe,” shared one Allrecipes member. “I find spaghetti squash typically around a four out of five stars but this is much better than most so it gets a full five stars for me. My family and I really enjoyed the abundance of flavor in this recipe!”
Buffalo Bacon Ranch Cauliflower Casserole
Photographer: Jake Sternquist / Food Styling: Sammy Mila / Prop Styling: Kristen Schooley
One reviewer said this dish was “unbelievably good.” Allrecipes Recipe Developer Jaelyn Luong developed this recipe says: “Love the texture of the cauliflower. We think this would work with frozen cauliflower florets, just thawed and skip the pre-baking step. Plenty spicy for buffalo, but it’s not too hot. This isn’t vegetarian because of the bacon, but it is gluten-free!”
Puff Pastry Chicken and Leek Casserole
Allrecipes
Leeks, whose soft, sweet, delicate flavor takes center stage in this puff pastry chicken and leek casserole recipe, create a rich foundation for tender chicken and savory veggies. Flaky puff pastry brings an irresistibly golden crunch that brings it all together.
“The best chicken pie recipe I’ve made so far,” said one Allrecipes member. “I didn’t have any cream but had some sour cream to use up and couldn’t tell any difference. I also added a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.”
Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
If you’re over kale salads or kale chips, try this hearty winter soup. It has nearly 500 5-star ratings, and is very customizable.
“I loved this recipe,” said one Allrecipes member. “Ever since I was a girl it was always a staple dish that looked so complex, but in reality it’s one of my cheapest meals and a family favorite year round!! 10/10 if you have some spare ingredients laying around try this asap.”
Fresh Pear Pie
Allrecipes / Kim Shupe
Pear is one of winter’s most delicious offerings, especially when you put it in pie form. This pear pie is made with fresh pears flavored with cinnamon and lemon zest to make a delicious seasonal dessert. Serve plain or with whipped cream or ice cream.
“A classic,” shared one reviewer. “Crunchy, just-right spiced, sweet pears hold their shape & bake up perfectly. I used Bosc pears. I will add this to my “Favorites” in my recipe collection & bake it again (& again!).”
Shaved Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
Peyton Beckwith
This shaved Brussels sprouts Caesar salad is a wonderful new way to enjoy shaved roasted Brussels sprouts. Caesar dressing, buttery toasted breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese make this veggie salad really delicious. Feel free to use bottled Caesar dressing to make it even easier and faster!
“We loved this recipe,” said one reviewer. “The Brussels sprouts still had a slight crunch which I liked with the flavor of a roasted vegetable. I would not have thought of Caesar dressing on Brussels sprouts, but, it wonderfully complemented the sprouts.”
Sheet Pan Orange Chicken and Broccoli
Photographer: Grant Webster / Food Styling: Shannon Goforth / Prop Styling: Gabriel Greco
Despite it’s strong association with the summer, citrus is actually a winter fruit—so you’re sure to snag some good deals on it this time of year. This Sheet Pan Orange Chicken and Broccoli is perfect for a night you want some takeout fakeout. It utilizes the juice from three fresh oranges, adding a bright tang to the sauce. Serve on top of rice and you have a quick, complete meal.
Rutabaga Beef Stew
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
This oft overlooked root vegetable is in season this time of year. Much like it’s root veggie counterparts, it’s great to add a heartiness to any dish. Here, it’s paired with beef chuck roast for seasonal soup your family is sure to devour. Serve with some crusty bread or mashed potatoes to make sure you soak up every tasty drop.
Loaded Sweet Potato Casserole
Chef John
This loaded sweet potato casserole is not only gorgeous, it has the perfect texture, and is absolutely the most delicious sweet potato casserole ever. With bacon, sharp Cheddar cheese, tangy sour cream, and green onions, it has everything you’d ever load onto a potato, but is made with nutritious, vibrant orange-fleshed sweet potatoes.
“Great recipe for any skill level,” shared one Allrecipes reviewer. “We really appreciated how all the flavors mixed and melded for an all around pleasing dish! I would highly recommend this for any holiday meal side.”
Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash
This showstopper veggie dish puts acorn squash in the spotlight. Accompanied by other seasonal favorites such as sage, cornbread stuffing, and wild rice, this hearty dish would make an incredible addition to a roast dinner, but shines alone as a vegetarian main.
“Took a leap and made this for Christmas Eve dinner,” stated one reviewer. “It was a hit! The only thing I changed was that I tripled the sage to make sure some of the flavor came through. Satisfying winter meal the the whole family appreciated”
Easy Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
These apple cinnamon muffins are an easy treat to make when you have an abundance of seasonal apples! Allrecipes member Mindy, who shared this recipe, uses a combination of tart Granny Smith with sweet Honeycrisp or Gala for a well-rounded flavor. She notes these muffins will make your kitchen smell amazing!
“Excellent recipe, I live by a small apple orchard and have lots of Jonathan apples right now and just made this recipe last week,” shared one reviewer. “It was a hit and I’ll be making it again. I stuck with the recipe but could easily see adding maybe some raisins or walnuts to it. The recipe is great as is and doesn’t really need any adjustments.”
Crunchy Radish and Two-Bean Salad
Carson Downing / Food Styling: Kelsey Moylan / Prop Styling: Breanna Ghazali
The base of this vibrant salad is rainbow chard, a beautiful and nourishing green. The other ingredients, crunchy radish, sugar snap peas, and carrots, kidney and cannellini beans all hold their texture when tossed with a creamy stir-together yogurt dressing—making it great for prepping ahead of time.
Roasted Butternut Squash Feta Pasta
Allrecipes / Julia Hartbeck
Do you remember the viral feta tomato pasta? This is a seasonal version of that dish, staring a veggoe MVP: the butternut squash. Sweet and creamy squash gets mixed with salty feta and tangy sun-dried tomato for a flavor explosion in each bite. It’s so very delicious even the pickiest veggie-hater is sure to clear their plates. Plus, this recipe is straightforward—call it a 6-step weeknight wonder.
Cider-Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Parsnips are used much like carrots are, but offer a sweet, peppery, and somewhat anise-like flavor. Parsnips are perfect for pot pies, casseroles, or simply roasted like in this recipe.
“These made for some delicious, flavored veggies,” raved an Allrecipes member. “The apple cider made them caramelized in the oven. First time I’ve liked parsnips.”
Mediterranean Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Potatoes: the cheap and hearty winter produce that stretches every meal. Here, the beloved root vegetable is used in an easy one-pan Mediterranean dinner that’s sure to impress.
“One thing I particularly like about this recipe is all the prep can be done early making it possible to visit with my guests with no last minute preparation,” shared a reviewer. “We all loved it and I sent my printed copy home with my friend.”
Smoked Sausage, Pumpkin, and Collard Greens Lasagna
This weeknight lasagna uses two winter produce heavy hitters: pumpkin and collard greens. The smoked sausage compliments those flavors, and the creamy ricotta-nutmeg mixture rounds out this whole dinner.
Kabocha Squash Mini Muffins
Photographer: Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling: Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling: Joseph Wanek
This is a simple yet comforting muffin. It tastes like a spice cake that will stay moist for days. It’s the perfect way to use kabocha squash while it is in season.
“Very moist muffins with a sprinkling of powdered sugar of top,” said one reviewer. “Thumbs up from teen sons.”
Sheet Pan Red Flannel Hash
Chef Mo
Red Flannel Hash is a corned beef hash made with roasted beets and potatoes. Its name comes from its vibrant color, which occurs when the red beets and white potatoes combine, resulting in a look that’s similar to the red plaid pattern commonly found on flannel shirts. Add an egg on top and you have the perfect breakfast-for-dinner.
Sausage and Farro Skillet with Mushrooms and Delicata Squash
Photographer: Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling: Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling: Joseph Wanek
Delicata squash is my favorite winter squash. It’s so sweet, bakes to an incredible tenderness, and because the skin doesn’t need to be peeled, it’s the easiest to prep. This quick, one-pan skillet supper with Italian sausage, farro, and delicata squash has the flavors of winter throughout. Feel free to use your favorite grain—barley or quinoa would also taste amazing.
Dining and Cooking