There's nothing quite like heart-warming comfort food to beat winter's chill. And there's no need for a trek to the supermarket or to resort to the takeout menu drawer. Some of the best and most flavorful ingredients are already in your pantry. That's right...the canned foods in your pantry.

Canned foods not only mean less preparation and year-round availability of your favorite produce, like tomatoes and green beans, they also help make healthy and delicious homemade meals a reality, more often. Like home canning, the canning process locks in foods' natural goodness and nutrients so they're available to you any time of year, and all winter long.

Best of all, canned foods help make the big, bold flavors in dishes like Thai Chicken Curry and Shepherd's Pie easy and simply delicious - perfect for a chilly day.

For more seasonal recipes and to learn how you and your family can get cooking with canned foods this season and year round, visit www.CansGetYouCooking.com.

Thai Chicken Curry
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 (13.5-ounce) can Goya coconut milk
1 (10-ounce) can Hormel Premium chicken breast, drained and flaked
1 (8-ounce) can Allens cut green beans, drained
1 (16-ounce) can sweet potatoes, drained and cut into 1-inch chunks
Chopped cilantro for garnish

In 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, in hot oil, cook red onion, garlic and ginger until softened, about 5 minutes. Add red curry paste; cook 1 minute.

Add coconut milk, chicken, green beans and sweet potatoes. Over high heat, heat to boiling. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Shepherd's Pie
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (14.5-ounce) can Red Gold stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (15-ounce) can S&W peas and carrots, drained
1 (15-ounce) can Del Monte sliced new potatoes, drained
1 tablespoon butter, melted

In 12-inch skillet over medium heat, in hot oil, cook onion and garlic 5 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Remove to plate.

In same skillet over medium-high, cook ground beef until well browned on all sides, stirring frequently. Add flour; cook 1 minute. Add stewed tomatoes and thyme. Over high heat, heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally. Stir in peas and carrots.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Spoon mixture into greased deep-dish pie plate or baking dish. Toss sliced potatoes with butter. Arrange potatoes in center of casserole, overlapping slightly. Bake 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are lightly golden.