Cheap family meals

[LPOOL1831]

Hi I have been on the sick for two weeks so money is really tite!! I was wondering if any one can help with cheap meals for myself and a 9 year old...I'm on a really tite budget thanks

I make a risotto with a tiny portion of leftover chicken ( probably the amount you'd get from very carefully picking off the meat from the wings, and maybe that juicy lump you find in a pocket-y bit underneath the chicken). I usually have an onion, and a bit of leek, or a clump of broccoli in my risotto and I may stir a handful of peas through at the end. The key to a good risotto is good stock, so I make mine after I've boiled up the carcass. But perfectly possible to have a good chicken risotto with very little actual chicken in.

Sausage tray bake is lovely - chop up root veg - onion, carrot, parsnip, sweet potato, butternut, and some new potatoes, coat with oil, season and add some herbs if you have them. Cook and serve with a spicy tomato sauce made from frying garlic and chilli flakes in olive oil, then adding a tin of toms and seasoning cook slowly while the tray is roasting. Lovely together.

Also, the Italian cucina povera recipes were made for this kind is situation. Pasta fagioli can be made cheaply with beans, use bacon instead of pancetta, and if you mince or chop it very finely, you can get away with using far less than the recipe calls for. Pasta e ceci is also cheap as chips, healthy and very filling.

Chicken and veg chilli...fry off a couple of onions and 4 garlic cloves, add a couple of chopped chicken breasts or 4 thighs. Add teaspoon of cumin, coriander, chilli powder and paprika (if you have them in) if not just chilli will do. Add two tins tomatoes, stock cube, couple of tins of beans (kidney or whatever). You can also chop up any veg and bung that in. Cook in the oven with lid on for an hour or so.

Soup, made from root veg, tin of toms, tin of sweetcorn, onions, garlic, lentils (for thickness and protein) and stock cube and spices.
Crumble made from cheap apples/pears
That “just add boiling water” custard that costs about 20p for the Basics versions.
Instead of making crumble, you could get a frozen apple strudel for £1 from most big supermarkets. You can get 8 good portions out of one.