Money-saving meals: Easy winter dinner recipes, tips to save on your grocery budget

With holiday shopping in full swing, tis the season to save on dinner and refuel with a cozy, delicious homemade meal that won't drain your gifting budget.

Recipe developer and food blogger Jenn Lueke regularly shows followers how to turn various grocery budgets into a week of healthy meals for three to four people, helping shoppers save on groceries without spending hours wandering the aisles in search of ingredients.

Editor’s Picks

Create a capsule pantry with versatile staple ingredients to save money on groceries

How to curb food costs and make money-saving meals as inflation rises

Food creator shares 5 healthy meals for 2 on a $75 budget

Lueke's cost-effective grocery list strategy takes into account reusing ingredients multiple ways, reaching for budget-friendly and in-season staples, and using up all of the items from the list.

Budget-friendly winter dinner recipes

In her latest version of the social media shopping and cooking video series, Lueke grabbed $55 of seasonal, winter ingredients to create her signature slate of dairy-free and gluten-free dishes.

Turkey Meatballs with Creamy Lemon Spinach Rice

Makes: 3-4 servings

Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey
1 lemon, juiced and zested
2 teaspoons salt (use less if you don't like salty)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 large yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup dry rice, rinsed
1 teaspoon smoked paprika + salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups veggie broth (can sub chicken broth)
Half 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk (3/4 cup)
1-2 cups water (depending on need)
Half 6-ounce bag baby spinach

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, lemon zest, salt, black pepper, oregano and basil until it's a uniform mixture. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to shape the mix into approximately 12 even meatballs and place on the sheet pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature is at 165 F.

While the meatballs bake, heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the diced onion and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then mix in the rice and season with salt, pepper and the smoked paprika.

Let the rice toast, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, then pour in the broth, coconut milk and lemon juice. Add 1-2 cups of water, depending on how much you need to completely cover the rice in liquid. Mix to combine, then cover the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked.

Mix in the baby spinach and wilt it down, then add the cooked meatballs on top and top with a drizzle of olive oil and additional lemon zest if desired.

Enjoy!

One-pan Creamy Mushroom Chicken

In just about 30 minutes, Lueke said home cooks can enjoy this surprisingly dairy-free dish any night of the week.

Ingredients
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced chicken breast + salt and black pepper to season
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces sliced white mushrooms
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley

Directions

Start by heating the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and black pepper all over, then toss in the tapioca flour to coat.

When the oil is heated, add the chicken to the pan and cook for about 7 minutes on each side, until crisp and fully cooked through to an internal temp of 165 F. Set aside.

Add the diced onion to the same pan (add a drizzle of additional oil if needed) and saute until translucent. Add in the garlic, salt, black pepper, thyme and oregano, and cook for another 1-2 minutes to get aromatic.

Add in the mushrooms, mix to combine and saute for 5-7 minutes to soften. Pour in the broth and coconut milk, bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes before removing from heat and adding back the chicken.

Top with the chopped parsley and enjoy immediately for best results.

Recipes reprinted courtesy of Jenn Lueke and gooodeats.com.

Weekly habits to save hundreds on groceries

Lueke said she swears by "three simple" habits that "don't take a lot of time when you're doing them consistently, but have a big payoff."

Clean out the fridge and freezer weekly

"Nothing's getting lost in the abyss, and this way, when there are veggies I completely forgot about in the back, I can get whatever else I need at the store that day to make [them] into a meal before they expire," she shared. "It sounds like a big undertaking, but if you're keeping up with cleaning every week, it really doesn't take long."

Prep at least two meals after grocery shopping

"I find this is when I'm most motivated and excited about what I just shopped for," Lueke explained of her post-shopping productivity hack. "Plus, the ingredients are already out on the counter. While I have some meals cooking, I make sure I take the time to put away all the groceries in an organized way so I can see everything."

Keep a list of ready-to-go meals on the refrigerator

"This is a new habit that has been a game changer for me," she said. "I got a clear white board -- and whenever I meal prep something or cook and freeze something, I write it down so I don't forget about it."