As the cold weather continues, let me introduce you to the staple of your winter cooking: root vegetables! While it’s always important to have vegetables in your kitchen, winter is a great time to stock up and be intentional about incorporating them into your family’s diet. And the best part? There are endless easy ways to make this happen!
Root vegetables are any vegetables you eat that are grown underground. The most common examples would be carrots, potatoes, and onions, but that’s just the beginning. They are rich in nutrients and can be prepared in countless ways.
While vegetables are inherently healthy, root vegetables boast numerous additional nutritional benefits. They’re low in fat, calories, and cholesterol, and they provide nutrients, vitamins, minerals and more. Experts say a colorful plate is a healthy plate, and root vegetables truly take you across the rainbow. This is because they’re an excellent source of carotenoids, or naturally occurring pigments that can decrease the risk of certain cancers and disease.
With so many types of root vegetables, there are endless ways to prepare them and add them to your nightly dinner.
Some root vegetables can stand by themselves as a side, like carrots, potatoes and sweet potatoes.
You can combine multiple of your favorite root vegetables into one dish. You can cook them in a skillet, on a sheet pan, in an air fryer, or even in the grill. Add carrots, potatoes, onions, radishes and more. The more colorful, the better!
Root vegetables also make a great addition to any salad. Depending on the type of salad, you can slice up some radishes, carrots, onions or beets. You can top it with horseradish sauce, just to get one more root vegetable in there. To add some protein, we recommend our frozen individually pouched chicken breast tenderloins or our thin-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If you want some already-seasoned chicken, try our applewood marinated boneless skinless chicken breasts.
In the name of all things winter, we can’t forget about stew! Root vegetables are the perfect addition to any stew. Start with potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and, of course, chicken!
As I’m sure you know, there are endless ways to prepare potatoes. If you’re looking for a more sophisticated potato, here are two of our favorite recipes that combine potatoes with our namesake: chicken.
Step up your baked potato game by adding a southern favorite — BBQ chicken. This hearty recipe will quickly become a family favorite.
Prep + Cook Time: 4.25 hours
Servings: 4
Instead of putting the chicken in the potato like the last recipe, you can also put the potato in the chicken instead. It works both ways!
Prep + Cook Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 4
As you prepare your root vegetable-filled meals this winter, I hope you choose chicken as the main dish. Find a store near you today!
Stay warm, friends!
For all cooking methods, heat to an internal temperature of 165° F.
Preferred method
Place frozen nuggets in nonstick skillet.
Heat on medium for 3 to 5 minutes or until warm.
Center frozen microwaves on microwave safe plate.
Heat nuggets covered on high:
For each additional 1/2 cup add 30 seconds.
Do not overheat. Appliances may vary. Heating times are approximate.
Chicken will be very hot! Handle with caution after they have been heated. Let cool 1 to 2 minutes before eating.
Preheat oven to 350° F
Place frozen nuggets on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Heat for 8 minutes, flip nuggets and heat an additional 8 1/2 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165° F.
Appliances may vary, adjust accordingly.
Remove and let stand 2 minutes before serving.
Preheat air fryer to 350° F
Place frozen nuggets in the air fryer basket. Do not use nonstick spray.
Heat for 4 minutes, flip nuggets and heat an additional 4 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165° F.
Pull nuggets from air fryer basket and let stand 2 minutes before serving.
For all cooking methods, heat to an internal temperature of 165° F.
Preferred method
Place frozen tenderloins in nonstick skillet.
Heat on medium for 3 to 5 minutes or until warm.
Center frozen tenderloins on microwave safe plate.
Heat tenderloins covered on high:
For each additional tenderloin add 30 seconds.
Do not overheat. Appliances may vary. Heating times are approximate.
Chicken will be very hot! Handle with caution after they have been heated. Let cool 1 to 2 minutes before eating.
Preheat oven to 350° F
Place frozen tenderloins on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Heat for 9 1/2 minutes, flip fillets and heat an additional 8 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165° F.
Appliances may vary, adjust accordingly.
Remove and let stand 2 minutes before serving.
Preheat air fryer to 350° F
Place frozen tenderloins in the air fryer basket. Do not use nonstick spray.
Heat for 5 minutes, flip breasts and heat an additional 4 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165° F.
Pull tenderloins from air fryer basket and let stand 2 minutes before serving.
For all cooking methods, heat to an internal temperature of 165° F.
Preferred method
Place frozen breasts in nonstick skillet.
Heat on medium for 3 to 5 minutes or until warm.
Center frozen breasts on microwave safe plate.
Heat breasts covered on high:
For each additional breast add 1 minute.
Do not overheat. Appliances may vary. Heating times are approximate.
Chicken will be very hot! Handle with caution after they have been heated. Let cool 1 to 2 minutes before eating.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Place frozen breasts on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Heat for 13 minutes, flip breasts and heat an additional 13 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165° F.
Appliances may vary, adjust accordingly.
Remove and let stand 2 minutes before serving.
Preheat air fryer to 350° F.
Place frozen breasts in the air fryer basket. Do not use nonstick spray.
Heat for 8 minutes, flip breasts and heat an additional 8 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165° F.
Pull breasts from air fryer basket and let stand 2 minutes before serving.
Whole wheat English muffin sandwiched around pork sausage patty with scrambled egg and melted cheddar cheese.
Serving size: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
4 George’s Farmers Market Pork Sausage Patties
4 Eggs
4 teaspoons heavy whipping cream
Vegetable oil, for cooking
4 slices Cheddar cheese
4 Whole wheat English muffins, toasted
Instructions
Brioche bread slices soaked in a vanilla egg mixture and toasted golden with turkey sausage patties and served with strawberry butter, fresh strawberries and maple syrup.
Serving size: 4-6
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
9 George’s Farmers Market Turkey Sausage Patties
4 eggs
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons honey
6 slices brioche bread
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup strawberry jam
Maple syrup, to taste
Sliced strawberries, garnish
Instructions
Red bell peppers with yellow onions mixed with pepperjack cheese, corn and black beans in fluffy eggs topped with pork sausage and baked golden in a tortilla crust. Served with pico de gallo.
Serving size: 4-6
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 35 minutes | Total time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
6 George’s Farmers Market Pork Sausage Patties
¼ cup diced red bell pepper
¼ cup diced yellow onion
¼ cup corn
¼ cup black beans
6 eggs
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
6 corn tortillas (4” street taco size)
½ cup shredded pepperjack cheese
Pico de gallo, garnish
Instructions
Spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese wiped in egg whites and topped with turkey sausage patties baked golden in muffin cups. Served with tzatziki sauce.
Serving size: 6
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Total time: 40minutes
Ingredients
6 George’s Farmers Market Turkey Sausage Patties
12 egg whites
3 teaspoons heavy whipping cream
¾ cup freshly chopped spinach
3 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
Tzatziki sauce, garnish
Instructions