This flavorful shredded beef can be cooked ahead and added to your favorite dish. I like to use it for burritos, tacos, and enchiladas

Scalloped potatoes are one of my favorite fall and winter dishes. Just the smell of them transports me back to my Granny’s kitchen where she used to sit constantly slicing or grating something fresh for her home-cooked meals.

Everyone loves soup and sandwich - but making it yourself can be inexpensive and a lot healthier. Make a low-cal tomato soup 1-2-3 with canned tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and a spoonful of sour cream - you can even make this in a blender. Homemade tomato soup doesn’t have all that corn syrup, preservative and sodium that comes in the pre-made canned soup - it’s also ¼ the price.

I love Parmesan but if you’re on a tight budget tangy Romano cheese is an ideal substitute at half the price. I use reduced fat cream cheese in place of heavy cream that usually appears in the traditional version.

An American classic that hits the waistline and hips pretty hard! My version softens the blow of cheese by mixing in 2% cheddar.

Make your taco meat ground turkey and add grated carrot and tomato for extra flavor and nutrition. Buy grated part-skim mozzarella in bulk - it is the most versatile cheese and you can use in almost any recipe and is several grams lower in fat than cheddar. Great way to use up left over cherry tomatoes, lettuce, and extra salsa that lingers at the bottom of the jar.

Traditionally, enchiladas are soft tortillas dipped in salsa, filled, and then baked. In my version, chopped tomatoes mix with spinach and jalapeño to make a savory “salsa” on the inside. Enchiladas are a great dish to make-ahead dish that can be gently warmed before serving

If you can make pancakes, you can definitely make crepes! I know that they might seem fancy, but they are incredibly versatile and can be served with both savory and sweet fillings and store extremely well.

I created this recipe for my friend, the Fresh Grocer, Tony Tantillo. It’s an Italian spin on classic American flavors of bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes. I also added fresh fennel for extra flavor and texture.

My Granny used to cook a large leg of lamb every year for our large Easter gathering, along with small roasted red potatoes. She would set the table with a basket centerpiece that displayed her antique collection of hand carved, wooden Ukrainian eggs brought back from her travels around the world.