Wisconsin winters call for food that does more than fill the stomach. A pot of soup simmering on the stove warms the kitchen, fogs the windows, and turns a hard day into a softer one.
Bean and barley soup is our family favorite. Sauté an onion and a carrot, add a quart of broth, a cup of barley, a can of beans, and a can of tomatoes. Simmer until the barley is tender. Salt to taste.
Slow-cooker chili requires almost no skill: brown a pound of ground meat or skip it entirely for a vegetarian version, dump everything into a slow cooker with cans of beans and tomatoes and a generous spoon of chili powder, and walk away for six hours.
Lentil curry, baked potato bar, and a Sunday roast that becomes Monday's sandwiches round out a week of warm, satisfying winter meals on a budget.