Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

These lower-fat and sodium alternatives to traditional favorites still celebrate the day in a tasty way! If you are looking for more resources for your SNAP-Ed Cooking class, there is a whole section of Cooking resources. These are primarily created by other SNAP-Ed programs.

What's on the Menu?

a piece of shepherd's pie on a plate
Jump to Shepherd's Pie
drop biscuits
Jump to Drop Biscuits
vegetable stew
Jump to Vegetable Stew
cabbage comfort
Jump to Cabbage Comfort
banana oatmeal raisin cookies
Jump to Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
English St Patricks Day Menu cookbook for St. Patrick's Day
Spanish St Patricks Day Menu cookbook for St. Patrick's Day

a piece of shepherd's pie on a plate

Shepherd's Pie

This Shepherd's pie recipe is a twist on the classic comfort food. Using frozen veggies helps you get it on the dinner table quickly.

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

  • 2 potatoes, large with skin, diced
  • 1/3 cup milk, skim
  • 1/2 pound ground turkey, 85% lean
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 package frozen mixed vegetables (10 ounces)
  • 1 can vegetable stock, low sodium (14.5 ounces)
  •   shredded cheese (optional)

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Place diced potatoes in saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer (about 15 minutes).
  3. Drain potatoes and mash. Stir in milk and set aside.
  4. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  5. Brown turkey in a large skillet. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  6. Add vegetables and broth. Bring to a slow boil.
  7. Spoon vegetable/meat mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish. Spread potatoes over mixture. Bake 25 minutes.
  8. Serve hot. Garnish with shredded cheese (optional).

For nutrition information, please visit Shepherd's Pie at USDA’s MyPlate Kitchen.

drop biscuits

Drop Biscuits

Using our Better Baking Mix on the USDA MyPlate Kitchen and getting rid of the rolling and cutting steps means you can enjoy the goodness of homemade biscuits even when you're short on time.

Makes 10 servings.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease baking sheet.
  3. Add oil and water to the dry mix. Stir just until all ingredients are wet.
  4. Drop spoonfuls 4 inches apart on baking sheet.
  5. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.

For nutrition information, please visit Drop Biscuits at USDA’s MyPlate Kitchen.

vegetable stew

Vegetable Stew

The green chile pepper adds delicious spice and flavor to this potato, corn, and summer squash stew.

Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water
  • 1 vegetable bouillon (low sodium, cube)
  • 2 cups white potatoes (cut into 2-inch strips)
  • 2 cups carrot (sliced)
  • 4 cups summer squash (cut into 1-inch chunks)
  • 1 cup summer squash (cut into 4 chunks)
  • 1 can sweet corn (15 ounces, rinsed and drained)
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 2 garlic (cloves, minced)
  • 1 green onion (stalk, chopped)
  • 1/2 green chili pepper (small, chopped)
  • 1 cup onion (coarsley chopped)
  • 1 cup tomatoes (diced)

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Put water and bouillon in large pot and bring to a boil.
  3. Add potatoes and carrots and simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Add remaining ingredients, except for tomatoes, and continue cooking for 15 minutes over medium heat.
  5. Remove 4 chunks of squash and puree in blender.
  6. Return pureed mixture to pot and let cook for 10 minutes more.
  7. Add tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.
  8. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes to allow stew to thicken.

For nutrition information, please visit Vegetable Stew at USDA’s MyPlate Kitchen.

cabbage comfort

Cabbage Comfort

Cabbage, onion, and caraway seeds make this simple and inexpensive side dish a flavorful way to eat more veggies.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

  • 1 onion (sliced)
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 4 1/2 cups cabbage (sliced)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Heat oil in a large sauté pan.
  3. Sauté onion over medium heat, until light brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.
  4. Add sliced cabbage, salt, black pepper, and caraway seeds.
  5. Stir and cook for 30 minutes.
  6. Serve immediately.

For nutrition information, please visit Cabbage Comfort at USDA’s MyPlate Kitchen.

banana oatmeal raisin cookies

Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

No one will know that these tasty cookies don't have any added sugar.

Makes 15 servings.

Ingredients

  • 3 bananas (ripe)
  • 1/3 cup margarine
  • 2 cups quick-cooking oats (uncooked)
  • 1/4 cup skim milk
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Put the margarine in a small saucepan. Melt it on low heat.
  4. Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix really well.
  5. Let the mix stand for about 5 minutes, until the oats are wet.
  6. Lightly grease the cookie sheet.
  7. For each cookie, spoon out about 1 tablespoon of dough and drop it onto the greased cookie sheet.
  8. Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes.
  9. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for about 1 minute.
  10. Move the cookies to wire racks or a towel. Let them cool completely.

For nutrition information, please visit Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookies at USDA’s MyPlate Kitchen.