Can anyone please share their super cheap meals?

[Margaritte]

As it says in the title really
We are on a extremely tight budget. I would really like some ideas for dinners mainly, as well as breakfast & possibly packed lunches to. My ds2 is in KS1 so has the new free dinners there (has been a huge help for us) My older son is in secondary and although may not be there for much longer a whole other story he will be there for a while and I need packed lunch ideas for him.

[Skiingmaniac]

Our cheap (but not as healthy as others mentioned on this thread) meals are:

• pasta with a little butter (optional), half tin of basics tomatoes (puréed), a spoonful of basics Mayo (makes it creamy) - topped with a little cheddar (optional)
• baked potatoes with either cheese and baked beans or tuna and sweetcorn.
• eggs: scrambled, omelette etc with bread
• sausage casserole (basics frozen as best price) with carrots and mash
• basics fish fingers or fish portions with frozen value chips and peas
• rubber chicken dishes after Sunday such as chicken and chips or chicken risotto

Puddings are apples, value fromage frais, strawberry or choc mousse or ice lollies

Drinks are mainly water with milk before bed and tea for me

Breakfasts are porridge or reduced bakery items

[annabanana19]

My lot wont eat porridge. Such a shame as I love it and know its filling. But for cereals I buy Tesco value corn flakes for 31p, cocoa pops for 83p and the shreddies which I think are £1.29. They are none the wiser they are not kellogs as I put the in those plastic cereal tubs.

[Pelicangiraffe]

Dahl. £6 will feed my family for two nights. A meal of Dahl, fresh coriander and yogurt on top, rice.

[Pelicangiraffe]

Soups, stews, cottage pie all bulked up with French lentils and less meat

[CheerfulYank]

Marking for ideas :)

[annielostit]

I always think what fills the hole?
Protein will feed you but carbs do the filling.
My opinion is about portion control and the ability to reduce the expensive ingredients without compromising taste.
Crofters pie - 250g beef mince onion carrot stock cube- make cottage pie filling thicken with a little flour. Line a pie dish with pastry 100g flour 50g margarine. Fill with meat, top with mashed potatoes- 400g should do it. Bake in oven. This should do 4 people with some veg. Only about £3.00 to make.

A 500g batch of bolognaise using 1 carton of pasatta 1 tin of tomatoes plus any veg you like should do 8 people. I always make sure there's crusty breadbread to fill the (meat) hole.when i have a chicken I only roast the breast for a roast, the legs do a curry or pasta with the stripped carcass or they get cooked in BBQ and folded in vegetable rice with curry sauce.
The
Macaroni & cauli cheese is cheap - buy the stronger cheese then 2oz in a dish for 4 will go miles, throw in some streaky bacon adds a nice flavour .
I don't know the results are endless.