Food to stock up on in the snow

Beans on toast is great in emergencies but if you want something more filling and warming too try adding them to casseroles, serving with jacket potatoes or adding them to your favourite chilli recipe to bulk it up.

Recipes to try using baked beans:

• Get the recipe: Beans and sausage casserole
• Get the recipe: Jacket potato
• Get the recipe: BBQ baked beans recipe.

Chopped or tinned tomatoes are ideal for stocking up on in the snow. They’ll last for quite some time and are perfect for whipping up healthy soups, creating pasta sauces or even bulking up a chilli con carne.

Recipes to try using tinned tomatoes:

• Get the recipe: Alphabet soup
• Get the recipe: Black bean chilli
• Get the recipe: Spicy tomato and bean soup

Tinned sweetcorn is great for adding to all sorts of recipes. Pop on top of pizza bases, toss in tuna pasta or give your macaroni cheese a new lease of life. Sweetcorn is cheap to buy and one tin will stretch pretty far.

Recipes to try using tinned sweetcorn:

• Get the recipe: Sweetcorn fritters
• Get the recipe: Macaroni cheese
• Get the recipe: Chicken, leek and sweetcorn lasagne

Mince is easy to freeze and a great winter warmer too. From beef mince to turkey mince, you can feed a whole family of four, with leftovers when it comes to a pack of mince. Store in the freezer, defrost in the fridge and get cooking. Turn your mince into spaghetti Bolognese, chilli con carne and other meals.

Recipes to try using mince:

• Get the recipe: Cheesy mince pasta bake
• Get the recipe: Cottage pie
• Get the recipe: Basic mince

Healthy, filling and versatile, chickpeas are great in curries and stews. They don’t take long to cook and are a great way of bulking up a variety of dishes.

Recipes to try using chickpeas:

• Get the recipe: Chickpea dahl
• Get the recipe: Chickpea and potato curry
• Get the recipe: Chickpea and chilli cakes

Oats are a must-have in any store cupboard. You can jazz them up in the morning to make porridge, treat yourself to an oat based cake or use them to make a crumble topping for both sweet and savoury dishes. They last ages in the cupboard if stored properly and a great source of energy.

Recipes to try using oats:

• Get the recipe: Porridge
• Get the recipe: Apple flapjacks
• Get the recipe: Vegetable crunch

Frozen peas are one of the best vegetables to keep in the freezer as they’re a tasty addition to many recipes and will last quite some time in storage. They can be added to a variety of meals including pasta dishes like lasagne, spaghetti Bolognese or other dishes like risotto or a side for your roast dinner – the possibilities are endless.

Recipes to try using frozen peas:

• Get the recipe: Pea and bacon pasta

• Get the recipe: Pea and roasted garlic soup

Eggs have a long shelf life and can be used in everything from omelettes to cakes. Eggs are a great source of protein and will keep you fuller for longer when hunger strikes. Whip up some dippy eggs with soldiers for a warming snack or even scrambled egg on toast.

Recipes to try using eggs:

• Get the recipe: Baked vegetable omelette
• Get the recipe: Muffins topped with scrambled egg
• Get the recipe: Turkey tikka eggs

Stocking up on bananas is a great idea – when they go brown, they’re perfect for baking so there’s no need to chuck them away.

Recipes to try using bananas:

• Get the recipe: Nutty banana bread
• Get the recipe: Fruity banana bread
• Get the recipe: Banana muffins

Dried and tinned lentils always come in handy and they’re packed with protein. Cook them up with bacon, tinned tomatoes and stock to make a warming family meal.

Recipes to try using lentils:

• Get the recipe: Lentil and bacon soup
• Get the recipe: Lentil and spinach curry
• Get the recipe: Middle Eastern rice

Pesto can be a lifesaver. Use it to make lots of tasty dishes including pasta, risotto or even jazz up your lasagne with a spoonful.

Recipes to try using pesto:

• Get the recipe: Pasta with peas and pesto chicken
• Get the recipe: Red pesto pasta
• Get the recipe: Pesto and tomato tarts

Apart from the obvious, tinned soups also make great sauces for pastas and casseroles. A creamy mushroom soup would work wonders as an alternative sauce in your pie, a tomato based soup would make a delicious pasta sauce. Tinned soups are cheap to buy and have a good shelf life too.

Recipes to try using tinned soup:

• Get the recipe: Chicken and asparagus pie
• Get the recipe: Tomato soup cake
• Get the recipe: Gillian Canning’s creamy chicken pasta

Frozen spinach works in lots of dishes from omelettes to curries and can be found in most supermarkets. If you can’t find it in the shops, just buy a bag of fresh spinach and freeze in portions instead. Add to large dishes like spag Bol, risotto and lasagne.

Recipes to try using frozen spinach:

• Get the recipe: Spinach and corn lasagne
• Get the recipe: Quick Quorn lunch bowl
• Get the recipe: Sag aloo

Dried fruit is not only a tasty and healthy snack, it’s great in cakes, flapjacks and muffins too and has a great shelf life lasting longer than fresh fruit. It’s ideal if you haven’t managed to get your regular amount of fruit due to the snow. Just add a handful to your breakfast or add to your favourite cake mix.

Recipes to try using dried fruit:

• Get the recipe: Apricot flapjacks
• Get the recipe: Blueberry muffins
• Get the recipe: Fruit cake

We’re not that keen on ready-made meals but if you’re stuck for options the easy stuff like fish fingers, chicken nuggets and frozen chicken grills can be lifesavers. Of course if you serve them with something healthy like a fresh bowl of pasta with homemade sauce or a filling salad you can balance them out a bit.

Recipes to try using ready-made foods:

• Get the recipe: Homemade chicken nuggets
• Get the recipe: Crispy fish bites

Like pasta, rice is very versatile. From risotto rice to basmati, rice is a must-have in the cupboard when the snow arrives. You can whip up plenty of dishes and only a small portion of rice will go a long way. Rice is also one of those foods that is better bought in bulk.

Recipes to try using rice:

• Get the recipe: Pea and goat’s cheese risotto
• Get the recipe: Credit crunch risotto
• Get the recipe: Chicken and rice hotpot

Apples are long-lasting and very versatile. Make a big batch of apple crumble with only a handful of apples. You can make cake or you could even bake the apple so they’re warm and serve with custard for a warming dessert in the snow.

Recipes to try using apples:

• Get the recipe: Stewed apples
• Get the recipe: Apple and cinnamon muffins
• Get the recipe: Apple crumble

Bread freezes really well – make sure it’s sliced so you only need to take out what you need. You can whip up plenty of treats with this tasty carb; try bread and butter pudding, French toast or even simply beans on toast.

Recipes to try using sliced bread:

• Get the recipe: Croque monsieur
• Get the recipe: Cheesy ham eggy bread
• Get the recipe: Banana maple French toast