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Original poster

To say think a roast dinner can be a cheap meal?

237 replies

HuffyPuffyStuffy · 27/02/2022 15:43

I grew up eating roast dinners, always on a Sunday and often midweek too. I don't always cook a roast on a Sunday now but we always have a least one roast dinner a week. I mentioned to a newish friend earlier that I was cooking a roast today and she was teasing me about being "posh" and that she only has a roast on special occasions a roast costs so much!
I tried to say that a roast can be a cheap meal and she thought I was lying when I said that today's meal for four (2 adults and 2 teens) would cost under £6.00 and that we would have leftover meat for tomorrow. Obviously, a big joint of sirloin beef or a new season leg of lamb would be expensive but I couldn't get her to accept that a roast dinner could be cheap! I was so miffed I costed it out .........

1.5 kg joint of pork shoulder (Aldi) £4.21
Potatoes - roasted (Wonky Morrisons) 25p
Parsnips - roasted (Aldi) 20p
Carrots - boiled (Aldi) 15p
swede - boiled (Aldi) 20p
frozen peas (Morrisons) 30p
Stuffing made from leftover bread, half an onion and herbs from garden. 15p
Gravy - made from meat juice, plain flour, veg water.......10p

£5.56 for the roast

I didn't use my oven today. Meat was roasted in the slow cooker, potatoes and parsnips cooked in an air fryer and the veg cooked in my pressure cooker.

If you did a roast today how much did it cost?

OP posts:
Weekendvibes · 27/02/2022 18:32

Yanbu, we have a roast every week. We always use cheap meat.

A roast always costs less than £10 and there are leftovers.

anothernamedoesntsmellsosweet · 27/02/2022 18:32

We always have lots of veg and usually have pork. A medium roast joint will feed us today then I will freeze the other half for the next time we have it. I like a roast with lots of veg on a Sunday, I feel it sets us up for the week with us in positive equity of veg to start the week!

scottishnames · 27/02/2022 18:33

Marmite27

It would have been so good if you had taken a picture of the chickens, too.

A big strong chap I knew was between jobs; he was offered some temporary work, loading chickens from houses where they'd been reared on to lorries to be taken to be slaughtered and processed into neat packages.. He gave up after just a few days; he could not bear to see the cruelty involved.

But hey, if it makes a pretty picture....

I'm sorry to target you Marmite this is not personal; you are just one of thousands, maybe millions. Surely, we really do need to think more about where our food comes from.

ToadyInAHole · 27/02/2022 18:34

@CrimbleCrumble1

Is it a roast without roast potatoes?
The OP said the potatoes and parsnips were roasted.
VelvetChairGirl · 27/02/2022 18:34

Not sure any of this is the OP’s fault, and fairly certain she doesn’t want you to trek 86 miles, catch 9 buses, a boat and train or cook by candle either.

I am just making a point that the price list is pointless, I especially get fed up with people that assume everyone has an Aldi, there are not that many of those around, the nearest is 4 miles away, what you can get round your way is entirely individual.

Weekendvibes · 27/02/2022 18:36

Yes we have chicken or pork, sometimes just pork steak or chicken breasts. Don't have a really big portion of meat then we have lots of vegetables, Yorkshire puddings cost nothing to make and you've got a lovely filling dinner. Sometimes chick a couple of sausages in for the dc to bulk it up.

VelvetChairGirl · 27/02/2022 18:37

@whiteworldgettingwhiter

Oh my goodness, *@VelvetChairGirl*, talk about missing the point!!!

Substitute OP's choice of supermarket for yours. Is a roast still cheap for you??

No because it is far too much faff with the oven, just have soup it saves money, or have something with rice like a curry.
fairylightsandwaxmelts · 27/02/2022 18:38

@Marmite27

I’ve given up doing a full chicken for our roasts so only do breasts now.

We had roast chicken breasts, stuffing, mash, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. The price for the whole packs of these from Aldi is £6.97.

There were 3 breasts in the packet, and we only used 2. We only use a 5th of the potatoes, half of the carrots, half of the stuffing, 2 table spoons of the gravy granuals and half the cauliflower. We use all the broccoli.

In addition there’s a bit of butter out of the tub in the fridge a splash of milk and some seasoning for the chicken which is an old Greek seasoning mix I bought about 15 years ago.

Although £7 for two adults and two primary kids seems a lot, there’s lots of ingredients left for other meals.

I also took a photo for my mum.

That's not a roast g[rin]

Where are the roasties?!

PrimroseTheSmooth · 27/02/2022 18:40

You can have a roast without meat but it can’t be a roast without rosaries.

Amen to that.

Marmite27 · 27/02/2022 18:42

@scottishnames

Marmite27

It would have been so good if you had taken a picture of the chickens, too.

A big strong chap I knew was between jobs; he was offered some temporary work, loading chickens from houses where they'd been reared on to lorries to be taken to be slaughtered and processed into neat packages.. He gave up after just a few days; he could not bear to see the cruelty involved.

But hey, if it makes a pretty picture....

I'm sorry to target you Marmite this is not personal; you are just one of thousands, maybe millions. Surely, we really do need to think more about where our food comes from.

My father was a slaughter man and butcher in his younger days. I’ve been around the meat trade since I was wee.

No matter the providence the death of these animals is always traumatic. I’m at peace with it though. If you’re not, that’s for you to deal with, but I’m happy to carry on as I am thanks.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 27/02/2022 18:42

The OP said the potatoes and parsnips were roasted.

Yes, @ToadyInAHole but a PP posted a photo of roast dinner with no roasties.

Marmite27 · 27/02/2022 18:44

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

I prefer roast potatoes, but I stupidly got sunburned on our walk this afternoon and couldn’t be bothered with the faff of parboiling / heating the oil etc as I just wanted to sit down, they were lucky they got fed tbh Grin

boobot1 · 27/02/2022 18:45

@user1471541711

Do I feel a mumsnet chicken coming along?!
I'll never understand it. It serves 2 one mealConfused
underneaththeash · 27/02/2022 18:45

We don't eat non-organic meat, so our chicken was around £15 from the butcher. Potatoes, cauliflower, peas, cheese sauce, parsnips - 99p each? Stuffing I make. I also make stock from the chicken carcass so gravy costs nothing too.
There is a lemon in the chicken too - 40p?
So yes, our meal costs around £20 for 5 of us. Probably the best value meal we have all week, although the wine to go with it is probably £15!

Westfacing · 27/02/2022 18:45

@PrimroseTheSmooth

You can have a roast without meat but it can’t be a roast without rosaries.

Amen to that.

Grin
DementedPanda · 27/02/2022 18:45

My favourite roast is lamb. So leg of lamb around £20, 2kg potatos £2 for mash and roast, broccoli 2 for £1 , Swede 80p, carrots 40p green beans 2 pcks £2, large cauliflower £1.50. Homemade yorkisires... pennies for flour and milk, £1.20 for 6 eggs. Feeds 8 people with leftovers for bubble and squeak. Leftover lamb, pots veg made into a stew.

EasterBunnyInAHurry · 27/02/2022 18:46

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

The OP said the potatoes and parsnips were roasted.

Yes, @ToadyInAHole but a PP posted a photo of roast dinner with no roasties.

I missed that! lol
nancybotwinbloom · 27/02/2022 18:47

I made one today in my ninja.

Chicken £3.33 as was on offer at Asda 3 for a tenner.
I bought the rest from Iceland.

Pre done carrot and swede £2
Petit pois £1
Baby potatoes - we had these instead of roast but I think they cost the same if you buy Iceland own £1
Cauliflower cheese £2
Parsnips £2
Broccoli £1
Green beans £1
Petit pois
Sprouts £1
Parsnips £1

We have chicken left also. And some frozen veg.

Gravy made from stock from the veg and chicken. £1.

I think a roast is one of the cheapest meals you can make. When you take left overs into account.

I might make a chicken pie with the rest tomorrow. £2 pre made pastry.

boobot1 · 27/02/2022 18:47

And a roast dinner MUST be beef, or its just a pretend roast!

Sweetandsaltycaroline · 27/02/2022 18:48

I know there is always the joke about the MN chicken (and I'm often dubious when people can make several days main meals for their 6'2 DHs and strapping teens) but at the other end of the scale how many people only use a chicken for 1 meal (the roast) ? I actually don't know what "the norm" is..?

I was quite surprised when my neighbour said they took the chicken from their DIL after a roast because she would have thrown it away after they'd had their roast. (Apparently this was because she likes to cook from scratch and doesn't have a microwave..Confused)
We usually have a roast for 4, possibly a curry for 2-3 (or sandwiches) and then boil the bones.

nancybotwinbloom · 27/02/2022 18:51

Sorry that was three adults and two kids.

Plus whatever we have tomorrow with the excess chicken

Snowpaw · 27/02/2022 18:53

Can definitely be a cheap meal. Though I like to buy a bird that’s had a good life or some pork from a farm shop. So it can seem like a bigger initial outlay, but I make enough so that there’s meat for a couple of days meals and veg for bubble and squeak the next day. I heat up roast potatoes chopped up in omelette for my daughter. Cook once, eat many times! So it works out cheap.

Seedandyarn · 27/02/2022 18:54

OP your meal sounds lovely. I find people that cook roasts regularly make a lovely Roast nothing 'cheap and nasty' about it if cooked well.

I've never quiet managed a MN Roast that can feed a football team but unless you have a very large family most leave enough meat for sandwiches or soup making it a cost effective meal.

Whaddayuthnk · 27/02/2022 18:55

It can be very cheap. The cost is only the meat, really. Otherwise carrots (40p 1kg), cabbage (60p), potatoes (£1 for a bag of all rounders) - all very cheap.

elvenqueen · 27/02/2022 18:55

Roast Chicken is great value. I get one from Sainsbury's for about 4.50 inc stuffing. about £1 for assorted veg and 50p for gravy. Lasts 5 days for me and my dog. then boil the carcass for good stock for veg soup on day 6.