Simmering a pot of tomato sauce is simple and satisfying.. there's no need to peel fresh tomatoes, you can start with canned, and a chunk of butter. Make a large batch and serve some right away, then stash the rest in the freezer for almost instant meals down the road. It also does well in soups and as pizza sauce.

Pasta with Classic Red Sauce

Photo credit: Gwendolyn of Patent and the Pantry

A classic midwinter dish, roast chicken is easy, family-friendly and a great way to use those root veggies that abound at this time of year. Best of all, it's just as easy to roast two alongside each other, for leftovers to go into soup, sandwiches, pasta and salads for the rest of the week.

Classic Roast Chicken & Root Vegetables

Photo credit: Aimee of Simple Bites

Leftover roast chicken makes a wonderful chicken salad, served in ripe avocado halves. It's simple and delicious and although it'll make you feel like you're hosting ladies who lunch, it's perfect post work, school, gym, or other extracurricular activities!

Creamy Avocado Chicken Salad

Photo credit: Brooke of Cheeky Kitchen

Unsweetened cocoa powder has long been a secret ingredient among great chili makers, imparting a richness and dark colour that intensifies spicy chili without making it taste like a chocolate bar. Dark chocolate has the same effect - toss in a handful of chocolate chips for a richer mouthfeel - and to excite kids, who will think it's cool to get chocolate for dinner! Best of all, leftovers are freezable for quick dinners down the road.

Chocolate Chip Chili

Photo credit: Aimee of Simple Bites

Meatball subs make a fun family meal, and extra meatballs can be frozen to serve on spaghetti (or to make extra subs) on another day. While you're at it, double the recipe to get a head start on dinner down the road.

Meatball Subs

This rustic bread, eggplant and spinach lasagna comes together in a few steps, none of them difficult. It's a different kind of casserole, one that could easily be adapted to suit your family's tastes.

Rustic Bread Lasagna

Photo credit: Brooke of Cheeky Kitchen

I adore this recipe. Made in one pot - a slow cooker, even - the chicken, garlic, salsa and chili powder cooks slow and low until the meat is pull-apart tender. Wrap it in a corn tortilla with some grated cheese and everyone's good to go.

Chicken Chili Tacos

Photo credit: Photos by Maya Visneyei Sweet Potato Chronicles

Expand your spaghetti horizons - there's no reason topping possibilities need to be limited to tomato and meat sauce! Chickpeas add fibre and protein for little money, and are easy to keep on hand in the pantry.

Roasted Tomato & Chickpea Spaghetti with Garlic

Photo credit: Saskatchewan Pulse Growers

Comfort in a bowl, this creamy butternut squash soup with a chowder-like consistency features potatoes, parsnips, fresh sage and jalapeño, all topped with bacon. Serve it with plenty of fresh, crusty bread for dunking.

Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon & Sage

Photo credit: Shaina of Food for My Family

A roast ham is one of the simplest recipes to make, and will feed a crowd easily. Because hams come precooked, you need only heat it through - in this case with a delicious and easy spice rub. It's a low maintenance dish if you plan to have friends over for a Friday night dinner - round it out with biscuits, beans, mac & cheese - all comfort foods. Best of all, leftovers can be transformed into everything from sandwiches to pasta dishes throughout the week.

Spice Crusted Ham & Cheese Biscuits

Check out these cheese-stuffed, crusty-coated portabella mushroom burgers! You can skip the grilled summer veggies if you like, since it's not summer, but the burgers can be done in a cast iron grill pan, or just a heavy skillet. What better way to celebrate Meatless Monday (if you do that sort of thing) than with a big, juicy burger?

Portabella Burgers

Photo credit: Brooke of Cheeky Kitchen

If anyone knows how to make a curry, it's bestselling cookbook author and Food Network host Bal Arneson. This lamb curry is made with mango juice, and no butter, cream or coconut milk - it's exploding with flavour, yet easy enough to make on a weeknight.

Curried Lamb with Mango Sauce

Photo credit: Bal's Quick & Healthy Indian (Whitecap Books)

These beany little cups are like round tacos - a fun way to get your family to eat more beans. Try swapping kidney beans with navy beans or black beans - or try soaking and cooking dried beans you don't even recognize.

Tex-Mex Bean Bites

Photo credit: SaskPulse.com

Kids (and grownups) who aren't much into experimentation will be happy to see sticky chicken wings on the menu tonight - with a big salad, they're perfect to nibble in front of TV or the hockey game.

Chili Garlic BBQ-Sauced Wings

Photo credit: Brooke of Cheeky Kitchen

It's about time for a dose of bacon-y comfort food, isn't it? Homemade mac & cheese is always better than store-bought - and a few strips of bacon puts it over the top! Serve with a big green salad for a simple cold weather Friday night family dinner.

Bacon Mac & Cheese

Mac & cheese is a family favourite, and a great way to smuggle nutrient-dense squash into your meal. Made with whole wheat pasta, this is a delicious and nutritious dish for meatless Monday.

Mac & Cheese with Butternut Squash

Photo credit: Aimee of Simple Bites

When you're starving for a taste of summer in the middle of winter, pack this summery sandwich, swapping leftover roast chicken or turkey for the grilled chicken if you like, and have a picnic on the living room floor.

Roasted Pepper Sandwiches with Grilled Chicken, Caramelized Onion and Basil

Photo credit: Jaime of Sophistimom

If you're trying to get your family to eat more fish, try broiling it and serving wrapped in white corn tortillas and topped with homemade guacamole, lettuce, cilantro, green onion and chunky tomato salsa.

Broiled Fish Tacos

Photo credit: Lori of Recipe Girl

A big pan of warming paella - a Spanish meal-in-a-dish made with rice, chicken and roasted peppers - is a great way to serve the family with only one pot to wash afterward. Use brown rice if you like for added nutrients and fibre.

Simple Paella

Photo credit: Aimee of Simple Bites

Made famous by Julia Child, Boeuf Bourguignon doesn't have to be as complex as it sounds. A refined sort of beef stew, the oven does most of the work, leaving you with a rich, saucy dish everyone will love. Must be served with mashed potatoes or egg noodles to catch all the drips.

Streamlined Boeuf Bourguignon

A great use of squash, a classic winter vegetable, paired with mushrooms, peas, onions and celery, these individual pot pies are a great meatless main dish.

Winter Veggie Pot Pies

Photo credit: Maya Visneyi, Sweet Potato Chronicles

A simple midweek dinner, this is cheaper than take out, and every bit as tasty. Boost the veggies if you like, or swap broccoli for your favourites.

Cashew Chicken & Broccoli

Photo credit: Brooke of Cheeky Kitchen

Total comfort food, pasta carbonara comes together in as much time as it takes to cook dry pasta - any shape will work. It's real fast food, and comfort food to boot.

Pasta Carbonara

Photo credit: Gwendolyn of Patent and the Pantry

Tasty assemble-yourself beef and lettuce wraps won't weigh you down - they're light and crunchy, and the kids will love stuffing leaves with seasoned strips of beef, crunchy veggies and sticky rice. It's an easy way to take a stab at Asian cuisine in your own home.

Beef Lettuce Wraps

Photo credit: Aimee of Under the High Chair

Traditional shepherd's pie is made with lamb; in North America we've made the switch to beef. Ground lean beef or bison works well here - bison is far leaner, with about a quarter the fat of beef. If you use ground lamb, call it shepherd's pie - if it's beef, it's cottage pie.

Classic Shepherd's Pie (aka Cottage Pie)