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Food bill depressing - cheap meals needed!

34 replies

Munzle · 30/04/2011 12:35

We desperately need some ideas for some cheap meals. I tend to do one night chicken, 1 fish, 2 red meat, 1 veggie, 1 grab from the freezer + 1 other. Veggie tends to be the cheapest but I have zero inspiration in this area other than risotto and pasta. Can anyone suggest what they eat to pad out their week without sending the bill through the roof?

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FurKnickersAndNoCoat · 30/04/2011 15:59

can't help but i came here to post the exact same question! will await answers with baited breath!

whydobirdssuddenlyappear · 30/04/2011 16:10

These are some of the things I do, which are all very cheap:

Bean quesadillas (even cheaper if you make the tortilla wraps yourself) - basically celery, onion, fresh tomatoes, garlic, cumin, oregano, kidney beans, sweet peppers (I use chopped frozen ones) in a tortilla (I put it on one half, stick cheese on top and fold it over to get a semicircle). Costs about £2.50 to do 4 portions if you use value beans.

Sag aloo - potato and spinach curry - I just fry garlic and ginger, chuck in precooked potatoes (boil in skins, then cool, peel and dice), onion, fenugreek, cumin, chilli, cook till they start to brown, sling in a tin of tomatoes (whizzed if poss) and a bit of extra water, and a couple of good handfuls of spinach or a couple of pre defrosted cubes of frozen spinach leaf. Again, round about 2 quid for 4 if you include rice.

Spinach and mushroom puff pastry roll - this is v tasty but a bit fat - fried mushrooms and onions, squeeze out all the moisture, defrost some frozen spinach and stir in (again squeezed dry), add some cheese and put in the middle of some puff pastry sealing it at the top to make a sausage rolly thing.

whydobirdssuddenlyappear · 30/04/2011 16:11

Also butternut squash and borlotti bean stew - that's just celery, carrot, onion, butternut squash, whizzed tinned tomatoes, garlic, sage, paprika and borlotti beans.

RubberDuck · 30/04/2011 16:12

I'm making a frittata this week - basically eggs, potatoes and mushrooms. Not horribly expensive. Taking notes on others' cheap meals - I spent £16 on chicken alone for two meals last week Shock.

RubberDuck · 30/04/2011 16:13

(My main problem is that my kids aren't that keen on most pasta or rice dishes which gets extremely limiting Sad)

RubberDuck · 30/04/2011 16:14

OH but they do like this vegetable lasagne recipe:

VEGETABLE LASAGNE

Ingredients

225g carrots
225g courgettes
1 onion
100g celery
1 chicken stock cube (or vegetable stock cube if catering for vegetarians. I prefer the flavour the chicken stock cube gives though)
25g butter
2 level tablespoons of flour
½ pint of milk
salt and pepper (I tend to omit this as I forget, and it?s probably healthier without and there?s salt in the stock ? still tasty)
175g lasagne (although this depends on the dish size ? get the quick cook stuff not the one you have to precook)
175g grated cheddar cheese

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F Gas Mark 5)
  1. Place the chopped vegetables in a saucepan with the stock cube and ¼ pint boiling water. Yes, I know that doesn?t look enough fluid, but trust me, it is. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
  1. Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook gently for one minute, stirring. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually stir in the milk. Bring to the boil and continue to cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, then add seasoning to taste. If too thick, add a little stock from the vegetables.
  1. Put layers of vegetables, lasagne, and only two thirds of the cheese (alternatively!) in a shallow, oblong or square, 3 pint dish, finishing with a layer of lasagne. Pour the sauce over the top and cover with the rest of the cheese.
  1. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
  1. Serve with salad and/or crusty bread.

Serves: 4. Unless you?re us where 2½ people get through the whole batch because we go back for seconds?

Nell799 · 30/04/2011 16:19

For veggie options we do

Jacket spuds with a filling and salad
Veggie lasagna made with veggie and lentils
Veggie chilling made with quorn and beans
Pasta
Veggie shepherds pie , made with quorn or veggie and lentils , and sweet potato topping
Root veg and bean stew
Various homemade soups
Puff pastry baked with tomatoes , onions , cheese , like a pizza .
Homemade pizza
Veggie sausages and mash with veg or beans

For cheap meat meals we do Spag bol, chicken wraps , roast chicken with potatoes and salad , chicken skewers in a Thai marinade with salad and wedges , pork chops with roasted veg.

Trout , wrapped with cooked spinach in puff pastry is nice . Homemade pies . Mackeral is cheap and is nice with sweet chilling sauce rubbed on it .

The kids tend to like some kind of cubed chicken , with shredded iceberg , grated carrot , thin strips of pepper , hallumi cheese mixed in a bowel , served with nice bread or homemade wedges .

virgiltracey · 30/04/2011 18:14

Pasta bakes. pasta, tinned toms, herbs as desired, either a tin of tuna or some cooked chicken, a chopped value pepper and a chopped value onion. put it all in sprinkle with cheese (anything you have but a little bit of boursin makes it yummy) and breadcrumbs and bake. Very cheap and cheerful and eaten frequently in this house. i often top with left over garlic bread. nobody eats the ends here and so i blitz them in the food mixer and put them in the freezer and then bring out to top the pasta bake.

Have discovered that if i buy boursin and keep in the freezer then i can cut off a tiny amount from frozen to top pasta bakes and it will last for ages.

virgiltracey · 30/04/2011 18:15

also if i buy a chicken and do a roast we'll have the scraps with cous cous as a lunch

ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 18:21

Liking that Boursin tip.

Cheap veggie meals that my dds enjoy include:

Lentil soup made with spices and coconut milk and eaten with naan bread or chapatis

Chickpea curry (except Sainsbo's chickpeas are suddenly hideously expensive)

Leek and pea risotto

Leek, cheese and potato pie

Pitta pizzas and salad

Veggie sausage casserole

indifferent · 30/04/2011 18:26

How about noodles - just stir fry noodles with some chilli, garlic and ginger and add in any cheap veg of the week eg peppers, strips of courgette, tinned sweetcorn, mange touts, and any left over chicken or beef or fish if you have some. Lots of soy sauce too.

How about a supper of breakfast - baked beans on toast with scrambled egg. Or a cheese and tomato omelette with baked beans and toast.

I like the idea of Bean quesadillas above, but how do you cook kidney beans? If you get them from a tin do they basically just need heating?

NettoSuperstar · 30/04/2011 18:27

falafel

aubergine parmigiana

leek and squash cannelloni

ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 18:29

Tinned kidney beans just need warming through - and the Basics ones are only about 20p a tin.

piebald · 30/04/2011 21:52

Baked potatoes
When you cook mince for a Shepherds pie or anything really bulk it up by adding red lentils.
When you have had a chicken really pick over the carcasse and add to a fried rice dinner with onions peas and some ham or bacon (anything really)
Learn to joint chickens, once you know how its easy. Buy two whole chickens and cut into 4 legs for one night, 4 breasts for another (or 2 depending on size of family) and make soup with the bones and one night have a soup and toasty tea

BecauseImWorthIt · 30/04/2011 21:56

Something I used to cook a lot when we were students - potato bake:

In a large casserole dish, layer sliced potatoes (don't bother peeling them), sliced onions and any other veg that you have to hand.

Season each layer and add chopped garlic.

When you've filled the dish, pour over a can of Campbells condensed mushroom soup, mixed with an equal amount of water.

Cover the dish and bake for 30-40 minutes until cooked/all the liquid has been absorbed.

You may need to take the lid off and continue the cooking to make sure that it's not too watery.

You can also add grated cheese to the top and cook until that's browned.

TheSecondComing · 30/04/2011 22:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bumperlicioso · 30/04/2011 22:02

.

BornToYolk · 30/04/2011 22:10

Lots of veg (cauli/brocoli/carrots/beans) in cheese sauce on a baked potato.

Or go to recipes and look up Moroccon Vegetable Tagine. It's bloody lovely, and cheap to make.

stressedHEmum · 02/05/2011 20:20

spicy beans on toast - make a bean chilli using 2 tins kidney beans, 2 tins tomatoes with chilli, a chopped onion and some garlic. Toast enough slices of bread on one side and then sprinkle the other side with a little grated cheese and toast. Serve the beans on the toast.

refried bean quesadillas - soak overnight and cook a bag of dried pinto beans with a couple of chopped onions, some garlic and PLENTY of black pepper. When they are done, use half of them to make refried beans. Put them in a frying pan with a knob of butter, a good shake of lime juice and some chilli powder. Stir about with a masher until the are hot and mostly smooth. Make into quesadillas with cheese, serve with salad and salsa.

Use the other half of the beans to make bean chilli, bean curry, Mediterranean beans, bean burgers or whatever.

Boil 3lbs of potatoes which you have diced in water flavoured with about 1tblspn curry powder. Meanwhile, fry 2 onions with some garlic and curry powder until translucent. Add a couple of tins chopped toms and some frozen spinach, simmer about 15 mins until saucy. Add the drained potatoes and a couple of spoons of mango chutney. Cook for 10 minutes or so. Serve with wraps and natural yoghurt

Cauliflower and bacon soup - 1lb frozen cauli, 2 decent sized potatoes, 2 chopped onion, 2 or 3 rashers bacon cut into little pieces, veg stock

Bacon and potato bake - 1 baking potato per person sliced thinly, 1 onion per person, sliced thinly, 1 rasher of bacon per person, cut into tiny bits, 1/4 pint white sauce per person, grated cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Layer the potatoes, onions and bacon up, seasoning between cycles and finishing with potatoes. Pour over sauce and bake for about 2hrs at 160, until potatoes are very tender.

Patatas bravas - roasted potato cubes in a sauce made from onion, pepper, tinned toms, garlic, smoked paprika and chilli powder. You can add some sliced chorizo to the sauce when you are frying the onions.

Smoked salmon pasta - pasta tossed in a sauce made from cream/milk and philly melted together flavoured with lemon and black pepper/ Toss in one of those packets of salmon trimmings and a bunch of rocket/watercress.

lemon pasta - cook a bag of pasta, in a big bowl mix the juice of a couple of lemons, a good glug of olive oil about 4oz of grated parmesan and plenty of black pepper. Mix the drained pasta into the dressing and add a good bunch of rocket.

toad in the hole with either veggie or meaty sausages.

Sausage and bean pot - cook some sausages and chop them into chunks. Meanwhile fry a chopped onion with some garlic, add a tin of baked beans, a tin of kidney beans, a tin of chopped toms and either some herbs or some chilli powder. Simmer these for about 10 minutes, then add the sausage chunks. Simmer for another 10 minutes until everything is well blended and delicious. Serve with mash.

leek and potato soup - leeks, potatoes, onions, grated carrots, veg stock.

borlotti bean soup - 2 tins borlotti beans (or dried beans cooked) a couple of chopped onions, a couple of cooked sized potatoes, cubed, garlic, veg stock, chilli flakes

chick pea, garlic and pasta soup - 1/2 a bag of dried chick peas cooked according to pack, a couple of onions, chopped, a lot of garlic (5 or 6 cloves) chopped, 1/2 a bag of pasta, 4 pints or so veg stock, some basil. Soften the onions and garlic in a little butter. Add chick peas and stock and simmer for about 20 minutes. BLend half the soup until smooth and then return to the pan. Add the pasta and simmer for 10-15minutes. Add chopped basil or parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Use the other half of the chick peas to make curry/falafels/hummus or chick pea salad (a bit like egg salad without the eggs)

SUmmer curried pasta - cook a bag of pasta, chop a couple of tomatoes. In a bowl mix a big pot of natural yoghurt with some curry paste or powder. Mix the pasta and tomatoes into the yoghurt. Sprinkle with some chopped coriander leaves of you like.

Sandwiches/wraps with fish fingers and salad leaves.

PEa soup - soften an onion in butter, add a bag of frozen peas and either some mint or garlic. Cover with veg stock and cook for a few minutes. Blend until smooth and stir through some cream/milk.

tomato bake - 3 cups cubed bread, toasted, a chopped onion, softened in butter with some garlic, 4 tins chopped toms, basil, grated cheese, salt and pepper, spoonful of sugar. Mix onion, garlic, tomatoes, bread, basil, seasoning and sugar together in a casserole dish. Top with grated cheese and bake at 180 for about 30 minutes.

smoked mackerel spread - mix 1/2lb of smoked mackerel with a tub of phillu type cheese, some parsley, black pepper and lemon juice until it is smooth. Spread on toast/wraps

Smoked salmon omelette made with smoked salmon trimmings, peas and cooked potato slices.

Smoked salmon soup - a tub of philly, pint of milk, a chopped onion, some grated parmesan, a spoonful of mustard , juice of a lemon, some chopped dill, 1 pint stock, 2 packs salmon trimmings. Mix cheese, onion, milk and dill in a pan and gently melt it all together. Add lemon, stock and fish. Simmer for a few minutes. Season and blend.

stressedHEmum · 02/05/2011 21:06

Thought of some more staples:

Mincey rice - 2 cups rice, 1 chopped onion, 1/2lb mince, tin chopped toms, 3 1/2cups water, couple of oxo cubes, couple of squirts tom puree 1/2 a bag of frozen mixed veg, thawed, garlic, pepper. Brown mince with onion and garlic, add toms, rice water, stock, puree and veg. Mix well. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover tightly and simmer for about 20 minutes. Season to taste

cabbage and potatoes - enough potatoes, diced, onion, chopped, garlic, a good sized cabbage or other greens, chopped, curry powder, salt, pepper, oil. Par boil the potatoes. Fry the onions and spices in the oil. Add the cabbage and stir about. Put the lid on and cook for a couple of minutes until the cabbage is wilted. Stir in the potatoes and cook, stirring, until everything is fully cooked.

Mushroom mince. Brown 1lb mince with a chopped onion, garlic and an oxo cube. Stir in a tin of condensed mushroom soup, some chopped mushrooms and a good amount of smoked paprika. Cook for about 20 minutes. Remove from hat and stir in a small carton of sour cream.

Tomato mince - brown 1lb mince with an onion and some garlic, add a tin of chopped toms, a tin of tomato soup and a little tin of tom puree. Cook for about 20 minutes and then add 1lb of thawed frozen peas. Stir in a bag of cooked pasta. Pour into a baking dish, sprinkle over some grated cheese and bake at 180 for about 20 minutes.

Cook enough new potatoes in their skins until tender, mix through some cooked peas, chopped spring onions and a tin of pink salmon. Stir in a tub of creme fraiche and pour into a baking dish. Sprinkle over some grated cheese and bake at 180 for 20 minutes.

Cook some potato wedges, Lightly fry a chopped onion, some chopped fresh tomatoes. Add the wedges to the pan. Pour over 6 beaten eggs mixed with a little milk and seasoning. When the omelette is almost cooked, scatter some cheese over the top and stick it under the grill to brown.

ivykaty44 · 02/05/2011 21:14

I found that lidl sell prawns for a 500g bag at £2.35 froozen so idea for making this but I don't put the 30g of chorizo, sliced in as I don't think it needs it. I also buy froozen peppers and peas and add sweetcorn to this aswell. Which means its a good store cupborad recipe for around 4 weeks once you have purchased the foods.

Use the website for other ideas - you can use the two meals planner and double up for 4 if you don't fancy the four meal planmners - but there are plenty and you can swap dishes you don't like on the list. It gives you an idea of the cost to.

ivykaty44 · 02/05/2011 21:15

I used to do a similar to the tomato mince but added butter beans and reduced the mince meat to 3/4

ivykaty44 · 02/05/2011 21:17

Chickpea curry (except Sainsbo's chickpeas are suddenly hideously expensive)

Go to a good Asian store where they will be sensibly priced Grin

ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 02/05/2011 21:52

I do - but I buy online at Sainsbo's so it's a bloomin pain. Even Waitrose ones are much cheaper!

Munzle · 03/05/2011 10:32

Wow - there are some great ideas here, thanks everyone. I think I've fallen into the trap of thinking I have to cook something 'proper' every night as I thought my Mum used to, but was talking to her last night and she reminded me about some of the things we used to have for tea... egg and chips being her favourite 'can't be bothered' meal. And corned beef hash. Think I should stop striving so hard to be perfect Mummy, but that's prob a whole other thread.

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