Warm up this winter season with delicious home-cooked meals sure to satisfy anyone taking a seat at your table.

Whether you need entertaining dishes or weeknight suppers, there’s no need to stress this winter. The secret? With the right staples on hand, such as flavourful canned tomatoes like Hunt’s® Heirloom, and quick-prep recipes, you can prepare a satisfying meal that makes you and everyone at your table feel like they’re indulging in restaurant-quality dishes – right in the comfort of your own home. Because we all know one of the best ways to connect with friends and family, is gathering for good food and fodder.

Got 15 minutes? Prep Dinner like a Chef!

The temptation is real. Whether you’re hosting guests or simply getting supper on the table for your family, some days it may seem easier to grab takeout. But with the rising cost of food, hearty and delicious restaurant-quality meals can be achieved at home with a few easy steps. Flavourful, satisfying meals don’t have to take hours to prepare, just ask chef Alida Solomon, the owner of Toronto’s Tutti Matti restaurant. As a huge fan of Italian cuisine, she’s been offering Tuscan fare to diners, and nourishing their bodies and souls for almost 20 years. Now, in partnership with Hunt’s® Heirloom Tomatoes, she’s ready to show people just how simple it is to create delectable dishes that don’t require hours prepping in the kitchen.

Here, our top three picks with low prep time

1. Chicken Parmigiano: It’s a classic for a reason. Shallow-fried breaded chicken, with Hunt’s ® Heirloom Crushed tomatoes and topped with mozzarella and freshly grated Parmesan cheese is a fan favourite. Serve with your favourite pasta and a fresh salad of field greens. 

 

 

3. Ribollita: On a chilly night, serve steaming bowls of a hearty soup topped with a slice of toasted rustic bread. With so few ingredients, the winning bean and veggie combo is enhanced with Hunt’s® Heirloom Diced tomatoes. Bonus: This soup will keep for days in the fridge. 

Chef Alida’s Tips

• You don’t need complicated recipes: Focus on cooking flavourful meals that come together quickly. Italian cuisine is perfectly suited for this concept, often starting with just a few quality ingredients to deliver next-level dishes.
• Some days are busy! Get ahead with soups and stews or hearty braised dishes like saltimbocca or osso bucco that can be prepared and ready to heat up for hearty meals that simply need to be warmed.
• Look at options: For instance, Chef Alida suggests combining two versions of Hunt’s® Heirloom tomatoes – Hunt’s® Heirloom Diced tomatoes, which hold their shape beautifully and provide tasty texture, and new Hunt’s® Heirloom Crushed tomatoes to add a rich and smooth depth of flavour.

What’s So Great About Hunt’s® Heirloom Tomatoes?

 

🍅 Bursting with flavour: These vine-ripened non-GMO project verified tomatoes, picked at the peak of freshness, pack a lot of flavour.

🍅 Start with heirloom seeds: These seeds have been passed on through generations for more than 30 years. The heirloom tomato seeds are collected by hand every year, and these seeds are perfectly suited for the Canadian tomato-growing terroir (climate, soil and terrain).

🍅 Made in Canada! Every can of Hunt’s® Heirloom tomatoes is filled with tomatoes grown by Canadian farmers. Hunt’s® has more than a century of delivering everyday meals that nourish families.

A Week’s Worth of Dinners

We asked Chef Alida to suggest meals that work for busy weeknights. Some are ready in 30 minutes, and some can be prepped the day before for a meal you pop into the oven at dinnertime.

What do all these dishes have in common? They start with Hunt’s® Heirloom tomatoes.

Ready for Monday: Osso Bucco      

Shrimp on Tuesday: Shrimp and Tomato Pasta  

Fast Wednesday: Chickpea Sweet Potato Tomato Stew

Baked Pasta Thursday: Mushroom Tomato Stuffed Pasta      

Take-it-Easy Friday: Zuppa di Pomodoro e Fagioli       

“Grown in Canada, Hunt's Signature Diced Early Harvest Heirloom Tomatoes are the perfect base for everything from light pasta sauces to hearty, warming casseroles. Vine ripened, picked at the peak of freshness and canned within 24 hours, these flavourful diced tomatoes in non BPA-lined cans will help elevate every meal.”