Healthy comfort food? Love these recipes from Produce for Kids

It has been SO cold lately that, as much as we love a chance to eat out, lately we just want to stay home and cook something warm and comforting in our own kitchens.

So we found this great recipe on the Produce for Kids website, which provides easy, fun recipes and encourages healthy eating. Through partnerships with produce and grocery stores, the organization has also donated more than $6.4 million to charities that benefit kids and families. (Since 2015, Produce for Kids has been donating to the Feeding America charity.)

The recipe below sneaks in plenty of healthy veggies in this new take on a classic, perfect-for-winter recipe.

Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients:

  • 1 RealSweet® sweet onion, chopped
  • 3/4 cup sliced carrots,
  • 1/2 cup chopped green beans
  • 3/4 cup no-salt-added corn
  • 1 1/4 pound lean ground beef
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup unsalted beef stock
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 4 Green Giant™ Fresh Klondike Rose® potatoes,, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup shredded lowfat Cheddar cheese

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add onions, carrots, green beans and corn, and cook 10 minutes, or until tender. Add ground beef and cook 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Add garlic, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, cornstarch and simmer 10 minutes, or until most liquid evaporates.
  3. Spoon veggie/meat mixture into 11×7-inch baking dish using slotted spoon. Layer potatoes on top, overlapping edges, and brush with oil, salt and pepper. Bake 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and browned. Top with cheese.

And just in case you’re craving fried rice…

When you’re craving Asian food, there’s just no talking your taste buds out of it. Sometimes we just need fried rice, right? So here’s a healthy take on the recipe, and the photo above is making me so hungry right now that I’m heading out to the store to get these ingredients for tonight’s dinner.

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Ingredients:
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 small sweet onion, finely diced
  • 1 cup frozen peas and carrots mix
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 16 ounces cauliflower rice
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 4 green onions, greens diced
Directions:
  1. Heat large skillet or wok over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add eggs and cook 2 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
  2. Return skillet to heat and add oil, onions, peas and carrots, and garlic, and cook 4-5 minutes, or until softened.
  3. Increase heat to medium-high. Add cauliflower crumbles and soy sauce. Mix well, cover and cook 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the cauliflower is tender.
  4. Remove from heat, mix in scrambled egg and top with green onions.
For more fun recipes: If you’re always on the hunt for new recipes that are kid-friendly, follow Produce for Kids on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.

How you can help: In Northwest Arkansas, you’ll find Produce for Kids signage at area Harps stores. When you see the signs, consider buying some of the brands (shown below) which are part of the Produce for Kids program. By supporting those brands, you’ll be helping this organization give back to local Feeding America food bank programs, which help thousands of people in Northwest Arkansas.