Meal plan swap for large families on a tight budget £100/week and under.

[PinkyU]

With food prices soaring we’re definitely finding meals getting very same-y (lentils anyone 🙄) so would anyone like to join a thread posting weekly/fortnightly meal plan swaps?

I’ve specified a budget as this is what we, as a family of 5, stay under (usually closer to £80). However if your plan can easily be tweaked for a smaller/bigger family but isn’t a mammoth budget then please feel free to join also.

The idea would be simply post your meal plan, with the budget, maybe ingredient suggestions or recipe if personal or a bit different and where you’ve gotten the groceries from.

Maybe we can help each other find some exciting new recipes and meal
ideas.

Mum of 5 on maternity pay here- so keen to follow this thread!

Not quite the point but I love lentils. Just had rice & dal with aubergine pickle. Cost was approx £2

We frequently buy a large roast chicken £5ish from Asda.
Cook it on Sunday with potatoes, carrots, broccoli, stick a box of stuffing (about 60p from Asda inside) and some Yorkies on the side.
Then on the following day, I use the leftover chicken for a chicken and veg curry / risotto / pasta dish. Generally in total the two meals are under £8 as I use the same ingredients.

We are a family of 4 x

https://cookieandkate.com/best-lentil-soup-recipe/

This soup is lovely.

I've also done this before with a joint of pork shoulder (around £6 depending on weight). Had it as a roast in the Sunday, slow cooked. Then used it on Monday with some bbq sauce thrown on for bbq pulled pork x

There’s been so many threads on this subject in recent months, might be worth taking a bit of time just to read through them, there has been some really good ideas/info

Bacon and blue cheese over Tagiatelli.

I buy 2 cartons of low fat creme fresh, pack of bacon lardons and blob of blue cheese, seasoning.

Dry fry lardons, (strain) add creme fresh and blob of blue cheese. On low heat. Pour over tagiatelli. Does a family of 4 plus lunch for DS next day as he has a microwave at his work. Cost about £2.30

1/2 pack of Blue cheese left over

Aubergine Lasagne
Aubergine, mozerella and plum tomatoes and herbs, lasagne sheets, seasoning.

Slice and roast aubergine sliced, roughly mash up 2 tins tomatoes and add herbs, cut up mozerella and layer with tomatoes, mozerella then a lasagne sheet, repeat. Cook in the oven with tomatoes and a few bits of mozerella on top. Cost about £3 will feed 6. DS takes a portion for lunch at work and freezes a portion for another day.

Roast Chicken- Day 1
Roast large chicken (£4.60 Aldi) box of stuffing, potatoes to roast, fresh bag of carrots (Aldi 50p), home made Yorkshire puds, frozen peas, roast onions (Aldi 40p a bag), gravy. £8

Second Day - Chicken Stew. Pick off all remaining chicken, stock cube, slice up potatoes, chop up some carrots from bag, 1/2 a swede, 2 onions from bag, a parsnip chopped up, handful of frozen peas, Atora dumplings, seasoning. This will feed a family of 6, or 4 and 2 portions left over to freeze.

There will be 2 onions, some carrots, Atora suet and half a swede left over.

Blue Cheese Macaroni

Make a rue using some cheddar and add in a blob of blue cheese (from earlier meal in week), 1/2 teaspoon of mustard powder, breadcrumbs, seasoning Cook macaroni in salted water, strain mix in rue. Place in a deep oven dish, grate up breadcrumbs and sprinkle with parmesan. £2 to feed 6. Serve with carrots left from earlier in the week and frozen peas.

I use peas and carrots a lot be ause that's what my family like but you could obviously substitute peas for sweetcorn.

Homemade fishcakes and mixed vegetables.

Buy some fish pie pieces, poach in milk, mash some potatoes, (I use parsley grown in garden and frozen, use a rolling pin to crush it. Mix parsley into mashed potatoes and flake fish in and mix, add seasoning. Make into rounds, dip into egg yolk and coat with homemade breadcrumbs. I make 10 fishcakes. Serve with frozen mixed vegetables and new potatoes. £3 serves family of 4 with 2 fishcakes left frozen.

Cut large sweet potatoes in half, drizzle with a bit of oil. Roast till soft. Top with cheddar cheese and baked beans. Coleslaw and undressed salad mix on the side.

It's like a healthier jacket potato but still so yummy and satisfying! Super easy and comforting

These sound great

I'll add: minced beef and mushroom pie, mash and carrots.

Beef /chicken casserole - use thighs and bulk out with veg. Use leftovers to make pasties.

Onion, spuds, carrot, cauliflower, peppers etc fried in oil, then add curry powder. Add tin coconut milk and tomato paste. Add lentils or chick peas. Serve with rice. Very filling.

Tip is to serve mash/baked spuds/ cubed potato/boiled potatoes with everything.

Here are links to some of the recipes I cook regularly. All pretty cheap to make and very tasty - might need to increase quantities for large family. I generally buy the same staple cheap ingredients each week and they can be used as a basis for wide range of recipes I've saved in an app called My Recipe box. (RICE, chickpeas, butterbeans, yoghurt, spinach, frozen , aubergine, sweet potato etc)

Chick pea and rice one pot wonder (I swap greens for spinach) https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/recipes/warm-chickpea-and-rice-onepot-wonder-with-yoghurt-and-greens-20200512-h1o063.html

Coconut cashew and butternut squash or sweet potato curry https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/coconut-cashew-butternut-squash-curry

Beef and aubergine fatteh https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/beef_and_aubergine_46108

Instant pot thai chicken https://instantpoteats.com/instant-pot-thai-coconut-lime-chicken/#full-recipe-nutrition

Grilled feta with butterbeans https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/crispy-grilled-feta-saucy-butter-beans I serve with crispy bread

Chicken taquitos - If you have an air fryer - cook a couple of chicken breasts and shred in blender with lots of cream cheese and a bit of boiled sweet potato and red onion. Filling should be quite sticky and not dry You can experimentwith quantitiesof each of these ingredients depending on flavour preference. Put chicken filling into a sandwich wrap and roll up into a tube. Coat lightly with oil then do in airfryer until crispy. Serve with grated cheddar on top and salad.

Aubergine caponata https://www.bigoven.com/recipe/aubergine-caponata-with-cannellini-beans/2098347

Beef and rice with veggies https://www.recipetineats.com/ground-beef-and-rice-recipe/

INDIAN FRIED RICE https://www.feastingathome.com/indian-fried-rice/

Sausage and lentil stew with Grilled halloumi https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/recipes/sausage-and-lentil-stew-with-grilled-haloumi-20180817-h144pg.html?collection=h254t9

A lot of these recipes have rice I always just buy basics rice etc and use those in the recipes rather than more expensive basmati. Makes it cheaper and can't tell once you've combined with other ingredients. I use this cooking method so it's tastier and don't need to drain it https://www.scrumdiddlyumptious.com/perfect-rice-101/

If youre bored of red lentils I've found black beluga lentils are extra tasty although have to buy these online. This is my fave recipe with those: https://www.feastingathome.com/lentil-dal-with-spinach/

Baked potato with beans and cheese is also a go to!

Following!

For all the pasta recipes, if you use wholemeal pasta, which is usually the same price, it has more protein, is more filling than white pasta, leaves you feeling full for longer and is healthier too.

Better value all round for no extra effort..

This is a fantastic thread

Spanish omelette 4 ingredients and if cooked properly tastes delicious, eat for lunch. Potato, onions and eggs are not expensive £5 for a meal for 5/6 portions of this dish , with potato and onions left over to make again the following week - therefore just another box of eggs for £2 and you can cook again the same dish - so 2 lunches or supper for 4 people for £7

pasta puttanesca recipe YouTube I make this but my dd2 doesn't care for capers - so I leave them out. I stock up on anchovies in Aldi for 50p a tin and olives in Aldi are cheaper than elsewhere. Its a great store cupboard food dish

https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/collections/one-is-fun/cheese-and-herb-crusted-cottage-pie

cook once and eat twice, comfort food cottage pie and I just serve with frozen peas. I freeze for the second week

https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/super-simple-sticky-balsamic-orange-chicken-drumsticks/jkcPyIIv?r=quickeasy/Z79WjjKR.

Chicken drumsticks are £2.50 in Aldi, cooked to make a stick sweet dish and service with herby mash potato and they are delicious

https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/recipes/carrot-and-coconut-dhal
lentils are still cheap, as are carrots, look in the world food section for coconut milk as its cheaper there

Cost for 2 adults £44

Breakfast
Porridge oats with sultanas, peanut butter and milk

Lunches + Dinners
M-W
Bacon egg avocado lettuce tomato wholemeal wraps + Salmon (frozen) chickpeas onion red pepper green beans thai curry paste coconut milk microwave rice

T-F
Hummus rocket bagels + Tuna sweetcorn yellow pepper spinach fusilli pasta bake sauce grated cheese

Snacks
Bananas
Apples
Tangerines
1 large bar Lindt dark choc
1 bag mixed nuts
1 pack cheese oat cakes

Only store cupboard stuff was olive oil, salt, pepper, left over cheese triangles for oatcakes

I’ll do another shop for the weekend

I recently followed someone on TikTok (This Mum Cooks) who has posted a few recipes using chicken legs. She cuts the chicken meat off a £2.50 (1kg) pack of 2 chicken legs, and gets 800 grams of meat. She has a detailed video showing how to do this with scissors. I divide this up into 2x400g portions which is enough meat for 2 veg heavy stir-fries for my family. Your portions may vary. The bones go in the freezer to join other bones to make stock.

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Following as need inspiration.

Sausages braised in onion gravy (fry sausage and onion, tip in gravy granules and a red wine stock pot and water) - serve with mash and peas.