Family meals for under 5 pounds

[5dogsgoswimming]

To feed two adults and a toddler. Can shop at any of the main supermarkets!
Open to all suggestions, doesn't have to be fancy! Thanks

[Samberry]

A really cheap dessert idea (that's really healthy for you and your toddler) is to make frozen banana icecream. Freeze your bananas then put them in a blender and you get a delicious and creamy sorbet like dessert. Just make sure it's not too cold for your toddler.

[5dogsgoswimming]

Excellent thanks

[summerlovingliz]

Sausage casserole, spaghetti with mushrooms, bacon and cream cheese. Tuna pasta bake, fish pie, jacket potatoes with various filling+salad, roast beef brisket, home made soup+crusty bread

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Sausage Casserole (using Sainsbury for prices) £4.00 - £5.00
1 packet eight sausages ... £1.50 - £2.50 depending on the quality
1 box passata... 50p
3 carrots, peeled and sliced ... 20p
1 onion... 10p
1 red pepper... 60p
1 can cannellini beans (drained)... 60p
3 jacket potatoes... 50p

• Heat the oven to about 160C
• Brown the sausages, cut into pieces and place in a casserole dish
• Fry off the chopped pepper, carrots and onions in the fat that has run from the sausages and add to the same dish
• Add the cannellini beans and stir gently to combine
• Pour over the passata and add some seasoning plus any dried herbs you have
• Rub a little oil over the potatoes with your hands and sprinkle with salt
• Put the casserole dish in the oven with the potatoes alongside and bake for about 1.5 hours.

[HiawathaDidntBotherTooMuch]

Tuna pasta bake is cheap, nutritious and easy.

Make a cheese sauce using mushrooms as a base ie fry the mushrooms in butter, add flour to make a paste, add milk and then cheese at the end. Add cooked pasta, one or two tins of drained tuna, large tin of tomato soup and put in an oven proof dish. Add cheese and pop it under the grill.

It's an Annabel Karmel recipe that I used to make for DS years ago.

[KalindaSharma]

Most vegetarian stew type of things will come in well under 5 pounds. Eg chunky lentil soup, dahl, veggie chilli, curry etc.

A blog called A Girl named Jack is excellent for cheap family recipes. She fed herself and her toddler on 10 quid a week.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Spinach Frittata (£4.60)

3 medium sized potatoes, microwaved until cooked through and diced ... 40p
4 spring onions, chopped.... 50p
2 tomatoes, chopped.... 50p
100g leaf spinach... £1.00
6 medium eggs.... £1.20 (Free range)
A little oil
90g grated cheddar ... £1
Seasoning

• Using a little oil, fry the potato pieces in a non-stick frying pan
• Cram in the spinach, turn down the heat and put on the lid
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, season well and add the tomato and spring onions
• Once the spinach has wilted right down, tip into the egg mixture with the potatoes.
• Stir briefly to combine and return it all to the frying pan, tilting it about as it cooks.
• When it starts to set, sprinkle over the grated cheese and put the whole thing under the grill until browned and risen

Serve in chunky slices

[Allstoppedup]

Ooh, going to folllow this one. We really like Jack Monroe's peach and chickpea curry.

Tin of chickpeas 50p
Tinned tomatoes 50p
Tinned peaches in juice no syrup 60p
1 garlic clove
One brown onion- I buy 1kg for a £1 because we use onions like they are going outta style!
1tsp cumin - large tub is about 80p but it goes in loads!
1tsp of chilli powder (I put in a bit less because of DS) -again about 80p large tub
1 veg stock cube (or you can leave this out)

Put the chickpeas on to boil in a separate pan and fry up the sliced onion until translucent, add the garlic then the tin of peaches, chopped. Put in half of the juice, reserving the rest and then add your herbs and spices. When everything is starting to caramelize, add the tin of chopped tomatoes and the stock cube and leave to simmer for 20 mins. Drain the chickpeas and stir them in with the remaining peach juice and cook for 5 minutes.

If budget allows i add some chopped bacon with the onions!

We serve it with some cous-cous and Pita bread!

[ancientbuchanan]

Buy a chicken, yes over 5 pounds but will do for three meals, potatoes, carrots, an onion, tin of tomatoes, cabbage. ( tin of tomatoes about 22 p near us, cabbage being sold off for 9 p, carrots and potatoes cheap. Buy on Tuesday or Sunday night when marked down.


Roast chicken day 1. If you put it in a covered casserole or roaster dish it will cook nicely with no need for basting. Serve with boiled potatoes, which you can mash, and carrots and cabbage. A drumstick for each if the adults and a wing for the toddler plus one if the " oysters" underneath will be enough.

Day 2, use most of the breast meat and make into a chicken pie, with chopped carrots in it, topped again with mashed potato. Keep the carcass.

Day 3 cover with water and boil up the carcass for about 30 mins Keep the stock and the remaining meat which you pick off the bones. Time consuming but effective. Add chopped potatoes, chopped onion, tomatoes, and last carrots salt and pepper... boil till they are cooked and Reduce until a thick stew/ soup.

Cheap puddings
Baked Apple, with brown sugar, raisins if feeling rich, golden syrup if very rich. With milk ( or cream or Ice cream if v v rich)

Stewed Apple with blackberries that you remembered to pick in the autumn and froze

Apple crumble,

Apple sponge

[Biscetti]

All the following come in under £5 and feed approx 2 adults and 2 children

HAMBURGERS
Makes 4-6 medium burgers hamburgers

1 medium courgette, grated
400g lean mince meat
2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon tomato paste
8 mozzarella balls
sunflower oil for frying
Lettuce, tomatoes and burger buns to serve

Place the courgette, mince meat, garlic, oregano and sun dried tomato paste in a large bowl. Season and mix all the ingredients together.

Divide the mixture into 8 evenly sized balls and flatten with the palm of your hand. Place a mozzarella ball in the middle of each patty and reshape the balls so the cheese is hidden in the middle of the burger.

Brush a large non-stick frying pan with oil and cook the burgers on a low heat for about 5 minutes on each side.

Serve the burgers with buns, lettuce and tomatoes.

Coconut and ginger chicken curry

Ingredients

1 tablespoon coconut or vegetable oil
100g chopped onions
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon minced or frozen ginger (or grated fresh)
2 teaspoon garam masala
1 x 400g can coconut milk
500g cooked chicken, shredded
500g mixed peas
4 tbls chopped coriander


In a large pan, heat the oil and add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat until all the water has evaporated. Add the garam masala and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes over a very low heat. Stir in the chicken and vegetables and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh coriander and serve with rice

FARFALLE WITH A QUICK SAUSAGE, ROSEMARY AND TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil
400g sausage meat
1 large sprig rosemary
2 x 400g chopped tomatoes
50g olives, roughly chopped
400g farfalle pasta
2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated

Warm the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sausage meat and break up with a fork. Cook until browned for about 5-7 minutes.

Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for a further 1 minutes. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil.

Meanwhile cook the pasta in a large pan of salted water for 10 minutes or according to packet instruction. Drain, reserving a little of the pasta water.

Stir the sauce into the pasta and served with grated Parmesan.

LAMB KOFTAS

Ingredients

500g lamb mince
1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout
1 onion, peeled and grated
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped
2 tablespoon fresh coriander, finely chopped
4 small pitta bread
½ cucumber

Yoghurt dip
200ml natural yoghurt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh, frozen or dried mint, finely chopped
½ tsp honey

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Divide into 8 patties. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the yoghurt with the garlic, mint and honey and set aside.

You can either cook the koftas on a griddle pan or under a pre-heated grill for 5 minutes each side.

Serve with warmed pitta bread, yoghurt dip and cucumber slices.

[ancientbuchanan]

And carrot and potato mash always goes down well. Can accompany a roast , have a poached egg on top, with or without baked beans on the side.

Chop and boil the carrots and potatoes. Drain and mash until your arm is tired. You can add butter and or warmed milk if you want. Filling, toddler friendly. You can make the mash into a nest in which the egg sits.

[mynameissecret]

Spaghetti Bolognaise
1lb lean mince
2-3 cloves of garlic
3 rashers of bacon
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
1 tin tomato puree
1 tin chopped tomato
½ tsp oregano
1tsp basil
3 bay leaves
1 beef stock cube
1 Italian stock cube or double the herbs

Heat up oil
Fry onion until soft and then add bacon and fry till cook
Add crushed or finely sliced garlic and fry for 2 minutes
Add mince and brown
Add tomato puree and chopped tomatoes and stir
Add one tin full of boiling water and stock cubes and herbs
Simmer on a very low heat for as long as possible (1-2 hours)



Risotto
Risotto rice
Vegetable stock (Knorr stock pot)
Garlic (if you want)
Onion (if you want)
Oil
Meat (I like frozen seafood)
Vegetable (frozen peas, frozen Mediterranean grilled veg, mushrooms)
Parmesan

Heat oil and fry garlic and onion if using and meat, if it is uncooked
Add rice and mix till coated
Add vegetable stock and simmer adding more as needed
Add veg and meat with enough time to defrost and heat
Remove from heat and stir in grated parmesan


Stir fry sauce
Equal parts honey and soya sauce
Garlic – crushed, powder, out a tube
Ginger – out a tube
Chilli – out a tube

Put in jam jar and shake till mixed
Pour over cooked noodles and veg and fry for a few more minutes


Teriyaki Salmon
Salmon
Marinade; equal parts tomato ketchup and soya sauce with pureed chilli, garlic, ginger if wanted, but tastes fab without.


Pour marinade over salmon and leave over night to marinade or freeze for later
Fry salmon in oiled pan
Serve with potatoes, rice, noodles, vegetables or anything else


Honey-Soy Chicken
Marinade; equal parts honey and soya sauce, garlic and chilli as you want, but tastes fab without.
Chicken thighs
Noodles
Mushrooms, sugar snap peas and baby corn

Marinade chicken thighs over night or freeze for later
Fry chicken thighs
In a separate pan fry veg and noodles


Easy Pasta
Half jar pesto
1/3 tub cream cheese
Mushrooms
Bacon
Pasta

Boil pasta
Fry bacon and mushrooms
Once bacon and mushrooms are cooked add cream cheese and pesto and some of the pasta water
Add drained pasta to the mixture

Curried sweet potato soup
2 sweet potatoes
1 onion
1 tbsp of ginger paste
Half a jar of red thai curry paste
1 can coconut milk
1 veg stock cube / knorr veg stock pot makes it great

Heat oven to 170 °C and cook sweet potatoes for 30 mins or until soft under the skin and leave to cool
Heat 2tbsp of oil in a large pan slice onion and fry until soft do not brown
Add ginger and cook for 30seconds
Add couple of minutes curry paste and cook for a minutes
Add coconut milk, can of water and stock cube and simmer for 5 minutes
Peel skin from sweet potato the skin should peel off easily.
Chop sweet potato and add to soup simmer until sweet potato is soft
Blend until smooth

[mynameissecret]

My fish might be more than £5 but it makes 3 which feed dd & me so should feed 3 of you twice. 1 packet fish pie mix cooked in 1 pint of milk, add raw prawns after fish is cooked and thicken with cornflour and milk. Add 3 chopped up hard boiled eggs and Parmesan if you have it. Add to pie dishes and top with mash, sliced potatoes, baked sweet potato or pastry and cook.

[5dogsgoswimming]

These are great folks, thanks for taking the time to type these out

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Lentil, Bacon and Tomato Soup (£2.58)

125g red lentils .... 25p
90g smoked 'cooking' bacon, chopped .... 50p
1 box passata.... 50p
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped ... 10p
3 carrots, ditto ... 20p
Clove of garlic... 3p
Enough water to fill the empty passata box about twice.
Seasoning
Loaf of bread ....£1.00

• Cook the bacon pieces in a large saucepan until the fat runs
• Add the roughly chopped onion, carrot and garlic and cook until a little softened and taking on some colour
• Add the lentils, passata, seasoning and water, bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes. If it's too thick add a little more water.
• Blend using a hand-blender and serve with bread

If you have something simple and tasty like this a few nights a week, you have more money to spend another day on something more luxurious

[JamNan]

smoked mackerel, beetroot and apple fritters

feeds 4

2 boneless smoked mackerel fillets
1 medium raw peeled and grated beetroot
1 large sweet apple – grated (no need to remove the skin)
100g gram flour (gluten free) or ordinary flour
salt to taste
1 egg beaten
small bunch parsley chopped finely
few sprigs of dill chopped finely
vegetable oil to fry

Get a bowl and remove the skin from the mackerel and flake into little bits, add the grated beetroot and apple, the flour, salt, herbs and egg, mix and combine.

Put a large frying pan on the heat add approx 1cm depth of oil and heat until hot. Put a little spoonful of the mixture into the oil, if the mixture breaks up, add more flour to the mixture in the bowl and try again.

Put spoonfuls of the mixture into the oil and fry until golden tinges can be seen, flip them over and do the same on the other side. You may have to do a couple of batches – this quantity of mixture will probably make around 8 fritters.

Serve hot with some salad and yoghurt. If you don't fancy the beet and apple in the fritter it would make a nice grated raw salad. Adults might like a bit of horseradish sauce.

[JamNan]

Our local supermarket does a fish pie mix for about £3. Add hard boiled eggs with a white sauce and a potato topping (mashed or pre-cooked and sliced). Serve with steamed Savoy cabbage or spinach.

[AlfAlf]

I sometimes make a big red lentil bolognese (onions, garlic, passata, herbs/seasoning, and maybe grated carrot or whatever veg needs using), then have it with spaghetti one night, baked potatoes another, and freeze the rest for a lazy day.
Carrot and lentil soup is another of my bulk budget meals. I blend a big pot of carrot soup (sometimes add swede/celery etc) then cook in the lentils. Home made cheese scones make it more interesting.

hope you like lentils

[lilacclery]

check out Lidl's 7 family meals for €50 should give you some good ideas

[slippermaiden]

Cottage pie, a chilli, spag Bol, fajitas, noodles and stir fry, fish fingers and chips, chicken curry and rice. All homemade (except the fish fingers!) and about £1 per person

[benfoldsfive]

I get a 12.5 kg bag of unwashed potatoes and use this to pad meals and make them different ie wedges, croquets, bombay potatoes, rosti, jackets, chips (if all been very good), sautéed, gratin, mash, potato bake. I have an addiction to carbs ensuring no one gets bored of potatoes.

I also use Beef, chicken and pork all diced and I freeze it in person portions. So can use a mix of meat if I need to. For example I put in one portion of each, with loads of veg. rice and stock. Easy and simple.

anything I can pad out with veg ( made a veg lasagne and didnt notice)

Curry, with bombay potatoes.

The cheapest by far is barbecued chicken wings, home made wedges and coleslaw.

[toffeeboffin]

Loving this thread!

[annielostit]

Lasagne can be an expensive on but here's a stretched recipe.
250g minced beef asda £1.87 5% fat
1 carrot 10p
1 onion 10p
Quarter bag frozen peppers 25p (farmfoods)
tinned tomatoes 39p
pasatta carton 39p
Teaspoon basil & oregano & garlic 10p
Half packet aldi lasagne sheets 32p
1 jar aldi white sauce for lasagne 87p
Salt & pepper.

That's £4.39 but will do 8 portions

Make up the bolognaise & layer with the pasta. Leave it to stand for an hour before layering the top with the white sauce.

[pregnantpause]

Pan haggerty

4 large potatoes £1
1 onion 10p
4 carrots 50p
Bacon packet £1.99
Stock cube 15p
Cheese £1

Slice potatoes and carrots thinly, sliced onion thinly and chop bacon. Layer the slices in a pan, cover with stock and cook with a lid for about half an hour. Top with grated cheese and grill for ten minutes until top to brown and crispy. Doesn't sound much but it's delicious.

Serves 6 and freezes well, and is good cool in a lunchbox too.