Need dinner ideas for new weekly budget

[penguinparty00]

These last couple of years I've been able to spend a little bit more on the food shop and not really have a budget but as of this month we are going to £50/ week budget which is for 2 adults and a 15 month old who will most eat at nursery. I'm trying to plan food and meals out in advance but am struggling with inspiration and have meal prep block! Please can anyone share any dinner ideas I will be so grateful

The pizza recipe in hugh FWs everyday book. I make a batch up and freeze as ready made pizzas for the next week. Just simmer some Passata or tinned toms for the sauce.
You can also make up a freeze quiches cream works better than milk if you are freezing them.
Veggie lasagna. Aubergine courgette carrots sweet corn peppers onions broccoli cauliflower mushrooms In tomatoes instead of the meat. Lots of white sauce. I usually make about 8 at once.

We always have a couple of cheap meals in the week, baked potatoes or homemade soup. Omelette and homemade potato wedges. I also batch cook pasta sauce, bolognese, chilli etc.

Any likes dislikes or allergies?
Obviously on the whole, meat is going to be more expensive than veggie dishes so including more veggie food is likely to help. If meat is key to you then look to use it as a flavouring, finishing touch rather then the ‘main event.’
Do you have freezer space to batch cook?
The obvious are things like chilli, bolognaise, Sausage casserole all can be either veggie or meat.
Curries are also good, chicken, or cauliflower, red pepper and chickpea, Dahl, particularly if you have a well stocked spice collection already.

Other cheaper dishes are things like tuna pasta bake, Carbonara, pasta arabiata.
I buy a big bag of peppers and red onions most weeks and use them in various curries, pasta dishes, frittata, or stuff them with veg, cous cous and mozzarella.

Ah amazing!! Some really great ideas we have a little bit of freezer space so may try do some stuff in the slow cooker!

Home made veggie soups, use lentils and pulses.
Risottos, Jamie O has a great Broccoli one.
Mac cheese with frozen cauliflower and Broccoli in.

Try padding out any meaty casserole-type dish with some washed red lentils.
Very cheap, & they dissolve with slow cooking.

A soup and pudding day.

Egg fried rice
Falafel burgers
Bean stew and dumplings
Leek and potato pie

Goulash is pretty cheap as uses cheaper cuts, and it’s 50% onions to meat ratio. Make large batch and freeze. Add to homemade spaetzle/ gnocchi/ dumplings.

Batch roast veg, lentils and tin tomatoes. Blitz. Cheap veg sauce with protein to add to pasta/ gnocchi ( my 1 year old loves even when in a fussy mood)

Minestrone soup. Can make as chunky as you like. But basically leftover veg in the fridge, with little pasta. Serve with bread. Filling for lunch or dinner

What are you already eating and bored of / what are your requirements?
Here's a £50 for one week of dinners which are usually just reheated for lunch the next day, or put into a wrap with salad bits.

Day1 dinner - chick pea curry & rice.
Day2 mash leftover chickpeas into falafels with some flour if necessary, have with couscous & salad
Day3 500g mince chilli con carne padded out with various types of beans - in jacket potato (just use a big potatoe dont buy actual jacket potato
Day4 lunch: chilli con carne in wraps. Dinner: ratatouille with rice
Day5 big pack of chicken thighs (with bones) w/ potato wedges and veggies. Roast the chicken in the oven and use it for wedges too (just chopped potatoes with skin on, oil and salt). Keep some chicken aside. Boil the bones, using scraping from the tin to make it extra chickeny
Day 6 - leftover chicken prized from bones - use for Thai green curry w/ broccoli and green beans
Day 6 (alternate) wagamama style noodle soup from dried noodles and stock - add a poached egg, broccoli, Chinese chilli oil, cabbage and spring onions to it
Day 7 - pizza base from scratch, tomato paste and any leftovers from the rest of the week! If no leftovers, I'll use tinned tuna

Shopping list: (I'm never sure how much people eat). I'm assuming you have other basics like spices!

Meat: pack of chicken thighs, minced beef
Dry: rice, noodles, couscous, tinned chick peas, tinned various beans, flour, tinned tomatoes, passata paste, eggs, jalapeños, wraps
Heavy vegetables: one bag red onions, a garlic, one bag mixed potatoes:
Vegetables: broccoli, red cabbage, green beans, carrots
Salad veg (this are where it can get fairly expensive but I get these at least:) lettuce not from a bag, cherry tomatoes, cucumber

Some really helpful recipies which have just highlighted how lazy I am in the kitchen haha I will definitely be using some of these It's crazy but DS eats like a king and we kind of go quick and easy!

Shakshuka.

Veggie burritos - lots of beans, rice and veg. I do buy the jars of jalapeños and salsa but you only need a small amount of those.

Veggie lasagna. Aubergine courgette carrots sweet corn peppers onions broccoli cauliflower mushrooms In tomatoes instead of the meat

In all honesty, the cost of an aubergine, courgette, and all the other veg, it would actually be cheaper to buy a packet of mince. I've coated up a veggie lasagna before and it was no cheaper.

*costed

youtuber claires journey makes meals on £35 budget for 4 adults and she's based in uk
well.

This lentil daal works out super cheap per person and its super tasty. I also roast whatever vegetables are left in my fridge and chuck them in too to vary it

www.spicepots.com/blogs/recipes/lentil-daal

@Comedycook you'd get a lot of sauce if you even just used one cauliflower etc - enough for about 3 lasagnes if you froze portions, don't you think?

[quote Odoreida]@Comedycook you'd get a lot of sauce if you even just used one cauliflower etc - enough for about 3 lasagnes if you froze portions, don't you think?[/quote]
Would you want to eat a cauliflower lasagna? I wouldn't. For the cost of an aubergine, a pepper, a courgette and a pack of mushrooms, you could have bought a packet of mince. Of course it won't be the absolute best quality, highest welfare mince but I'm just making the point that vegetarian food is not necessarily always chapeast.

If you eat meat, a good trick is substituting half the meat for lentils or chickpeas. Curries, stews, chilli, cassoulet etc all are under £5 for a meal. Pasta cheaper still. My kids have eaten spicy food from babies just watch the salt and not too much chilli (add extra at the end for adults)

Monitor the salt intake. Try looking at recipes online.

@gogohm

If you eat meat, a good trick is substituting half the meat for lentils or chickpeas. Curries, stews, chilli, cassoulet etc all are under £5 for a meal. Pasta cheaper still. My kids have eaten spicy food from babies just watch the salt and not too much chilli (add extra at the end for adults)

I agree with this - I always pad out meat dishes with either mixed beans, lentils, chickpeas or extra carrots, celery.

Veg is almost always cheaper from a market if you can get to one and have the time. Carrots, onions and potatoes are affordable and are enough for a curry with lentils, beans etc.

The 'mince' layer for my lasagne is a tin of tomatoes with carrots, onions, celery and whatever I have - mushrooms, peppers, green beans etc all work. Doesn't have to be courgette and aubergine - I'm not that keen on either, but would use them if they were the cheapest option - not going to happen in the winter.

Mac and cheese is a winner in our house, just a basic cheese sauce with some Dijon mustard or garlic in it and macaroni pasta. I put bacon lardons in and top with sliced tomatoes, parmesan and oregano and then grill it. I used to use cooking bacon cut up into small pieces rather than lardons as it's cheaper. I always make a big batch, a full 500g bag of macaroni and then freeze some for either microwave lunches or quick teas. If you can afford some leafy salad on the side that will make it a bit healthier.
I also love a big batch of chilli with half frozen for a later date. Add more beans and less meat. We serve ours with either rice, tortilla chips or toasted pitta breads. A sprinkling of cheddar goes well with the tortilla chips and soured cream goes with all of the options.
Cottage or shepherds pie bulked out with lentils and half the meat is always good, and lentils make excellent curry sauces. We make our own flatbreads to go with curries.