Meal planning, sharing recipes and ideas to make the weekly budget go further.

[Seaside3]

Ok, snappy title, I know.

Having recently loved a thread where the op bemoaning the price of minced beef, (i didn't love that) and seeing how helpful people were, I decided to start my own thread.

We are a large family, but currently just 4 of us live at home. 2 adults, 2 teens who eat adult portions.

I aim to spend around £70 on average a week, we do eat out a couple of times a week, but £70 should roughly cover it.

New shop arriving tomorrow, hoping it will cover the week.

To start though, tonight we had Asian style pork, rice and garlic broccoli.

Asian pork - minced pork, onion, grated garlic and ginger, Chinese five spice, carrot, courgette broccoli stem, sweetcorn, peas, dark soy, chilli flakes Fry, add a little water if required.

Garlic and ginger broccoli... fried sliced garlic and root ginger, red onion, broccoli florets. Added a couple of splashes of water, soy and a sprinkle of sugar. Would have used honey, but didn't have any. Fresh coriander leaves.

Basmati rice

Added a fried egg.

Served 4 for dinner, 2 extra servings for lunches.

Would love to hear others go to family meals.

I think you're onto something @sashh

Thursday i made two great Instagram recipes. The first was roast chicken with nduja and linguine. I didn't bother stuffing the chicken, I just put the sausage on top if the onions, beneath the chicken. Then I cooked the pasta separately as we were all hungry. I did toss it in the roasting tin and used the onions etc as the sauce. Served with green beans (with lemon zest and juice). Simple but delicious. Fed 6 of us with left overs.

Then I served this pudding with ice cream. I used normal milk as no plant milk and didn't bother peeling the apples, because why?

Both recipes are now on my mental rota for another time.

Chicken
Apple pudding

The chicken sounds really good!

I'm doing the hairy bikers sausage and black pudding hot pot today. Given the size of the pot I make it in, it's going to be at least 2 portions of leftovers.

Partly inspired by your thread @Seaside3 and partly to clear space for Xmas goodies, I’ve decided this coming week to shop my freezer & cupboards and instead of a “big shop” I should hopefully only need to do a top up for fresh veg, fruit, eggs and milk.

Today we’re having smoky bean shakshuka with bake at home bread rolls.

Tomorrow I’m making this from The Green Roasting Tin. I haven’t made it for ages but another mner mentioned it on a thread and I have shop bought pastry in the freezer and cheese that needs using up. I’m also going to make broccoli & blue cheese soup which will cover a few days wfh lunch for dh & me.

Monday will be pesto haddock tray bake (haddock in freezer).
Tuesday - shepardless pie with carrot & swede mash (filling already made and frozen).
Wednesday - smoked mackerel pasta with garlic lemon broccoli/green beans (yup, mackerel from the freezer)
Thursday I think something bean based and Friday will be frozen pizzas I stocked up on while they were on offer, with a tub of coleslaw and a bag of salad. And wine 😄.

The chicken was delicious. I dont think I've ever made a hairy biker recipe, despite the fact that dave came from nearby. I'll look up the recipe and give some thought to vlackpudding replacements. It's just not something I ever buy.

@sharplemonshark great meal plan. I love quiche but never think to.make it. I need to change that!

We failed again tonight and got another ready meal. We had been put all day helping pwople - first erecting a tree at our local pub (friends run it), then helping our son and his girlfriend at their 1st Christmas fair, and then helping my boss briefly at same fair. We had talked about eating out, but decided to save the money and got an m and s Thai meal. Followed by a slice of cake from son and girlfriends stall.

Now im planning next week's meal. Watch this space.

I reckon you could just sub it out for more sausages, or maybe some haggis. It was delicious and huge, definitely 3 portions left.

Hello! Yesterday we had something from the freezer for tea.
Today green soup (with haricot beans). I poached an egg in the soup, had no bread so served it with mozzarella sticks.

Tea.waa baked beans, sausage and potato wedges.

We need this week to be as cheap as possible, so picked up 2 packs of sausages, 2 packs English muffins, a swede, tea bags, chocolate chip muffins, satsumas and potato wedges for &8.25 in tesco. All but the tea bags and qedges were reduced.

Tomorrow it's sausage and egg muffins, then quinoa chicken, veg and halloumi from freezer too.

Wednesday the other pack of sausages, Yorkshire puddings, root veg mash and vegetables for tea, soup for lunch.

Thursday... not sure. Maybe chickpea dahl. Friday i get paid again, so I will order food then.

Today, scrambled eggs in English muffins for brunch.
Tea - thought it was quinoa. Turned out it was chicken with rice and butter beans. Not enough for 4, so added more beans, some sundried tomatoes, cooked some random chicken I had in the freezer. Side was 1 huge courgette cooked in garlic with 1/2 bag of wilted spinach, topped with a kitchen of cheese.

Everything is looking rather empty, but got enough for tomorrow's lunches and tea. Will pick something up Thursday. Spend so far this week : £8 25, plus milk.

I think i will have spent about £20 by friday, when i plan to have shopping delivered.

Photos - yesterday's soup, todays eggs.

This week I mumsnetted the crap out of a whole chicken so I feel quite proud of my meal planning and resourcefulness 🤣

First meal was the whole chicken roasted (I marinate my roast chicken in salted buttermilk for 24hrs, its delicious) with usual roast sides etc. DH had one whole breast, I had 2/3 of one and toddler had 1/3, stretched out with the sides and pudding it was a perfect portion size

Second meal was the leftover white meat in a potato, chorizo and chicken salad

Third meal, leftover brown/red meat in chicken fried rice

Fourth meal will be the carcass (currently frozen) made into chicken and sweetcorn noodle soup, probably next week 🤗 obviously there's no chicken meat left but plenty of chicken flavour in the carcass

Spent £4.50 on a loaf of sourdough today. Had some with leek and white bean soup I made a couple of weeks ago. Topped with bacon pieces.
Tonight, made a sausage, bean, sweet potato and lentil casserole, served with Yorkshire puddings and peas.

Fry a pack of chopped sausages, garlic, smoked Paprika, chopped carrots, sweet potato, lentils, tinned tomatoes, water, passata. Pop in oven and cook. Yorkies from daughters work. Peas.

I freeze my excess spinach before it goes slimy and then use straight from frozen in paneer curry (or any kind of suitable curry really. Paella too sometimes) 😊

@goawaynaughtypigeon I never like shop bought frozen spinach because I find it tastes fishy. Ive no idea why. But does it happen when you freeze it yourself?

I think it tastes fine, maybe if you froze right at the end of its freshness it would be a bit suspect? But when chucked in a curry tbh it just tastes of curry either way to me lol

After a no prep week last week I'm back!

This week's shopping waa delivered last Friday. Ended up with a son at home, unexpectedly. And then an impromptu lunch for 7 on the saturday, so perhaps as well I had restocked! The shop was £90, not surprising after only spending around £20 the week before.

Lunch for 7 was curried cauliflower nd whitebean soup, with creme fraiche and coriander. Friends bought bread and mince pies for after.

Last night we had warm lentil salad with feta, beetroot, almonds, kale, herbs and lemon. Daughter took leftovers for lunch.

Today's prep included courgette soup, Paprika mushroom soup, baked potatoes, beef stew, marinated chicken, chicken nuggets, bean dahl and a roasted red pepper and carrot dip I'm trialling for Christmas canapés. It is delicious.

The soups,dahl and dip all have beans added as im still on a mission to add them everywhere possible.

Tonight we had chicken nuggets (made with panko crumbs, sesame seeds and parmesan), roast potatoes (from daughters work), broccoli, some yogurt dip ans the carrot dip.
Pudding was homemade custard, with a shop bought madeira cake, sliced down the middle and filled with raspberry jam. Jam was a gift from a friend.

Those nuggets look good! I'm on a beef casserole with carrots, spuds and pearl barley today, there will definitely be leftovers.

I'm still following and reading every post here quietly and thanking you for every time I'm inspired to have a clear of the fridge rather than get a ready meal!

I do wish I had it in me to be as prepped as you all but with FT work, 2 smalls (9 and 5) and writing my dissertation I just don't know where I'd find the headspace! however I'm saving recipes and maybe will try to pre plan at least 3/4 out of 7 to bring the food shop down!

They were good! We dint really have breaded products like that, even though I love them. Next time I might make them into sandwiches with good bread, salad and mayo.

I feel you! I was once a single mum kf two toddlers, whilst attending uni and working. You would be lucky if you got more than beans on toast during ring that time.
Now my kids are grown, and I only work 3 days, so plenty of time. I think the easiest way to start is juat by cooking double when you cook. So double bolognaise, put one lot straight in freezer ao youre not tempted to eat it all.
Or just scoop 1 portion out of your meal and freeze. By the end of the week you have a (mixed) tea for everyone without having to cook. Make wraps or use in baked potatoes with side salad.
Or aim for one soup. Its wasy to make a big pan of that you can keep foe lunches or an emergency tea.

Dp does a nice schnitzel alike with breadcrumbs, but nuggets might be the next go. Good tip on the parmesan.

The stew is in and smells good.

@murasaki parmesan and seeds. Part of my never ending quest to improve our diets.

Tonight we had Irish stew and i made dumplings for the first time. They were easy and ive half a packet of veg suet left for more.

I loosely followed this recipe, but added kale. Served with half a baguette, green cabbage (fried with garlic and butter), pikle and beetroot. Served 3, with 2 large portions left over.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA-kRj4I9_Y/?igsh=MWs4bjR3aGI2YmRsaQ==

Today, left overs for lunches. The marinated chicken for tea. I had intended for it to be tomato based, but i ran out of tomatoes. So it became coconut baked. Served woth rice and peas.

Tesco delivery early this week as we have visitors over the weekend, plus all out watching the husbands band tomorrow night. £88, but that included some antipasti for Christmas day, plus a few other bits like dishwasher tablets, toothpaste, loo roll.

Next week im hoping to make butternut soup and a lemony chickpea soup.

Chicken meatballs, to serve with cous cous
Vegetable pilaf
Greek chicken and potatoes
Mushroom stroganoff and pasta
More breaded chicken

A loaf cake
Self saucing pudding

Today, left overs for lunches. The marinated chicken for tea. I had intended for it to be tomato based, but i ran out of tomatoes. So it became coconut baked. Served woth rice and peas.

Tesco delivery early this week as we have visitors over the weekend, plus all out watching the husbands band tomorrow night. £88, but that included some antipasti for Christmas day, plus a few other bits like dishwasher tablets, toothpaste, loo roll.

Next week im hoping to make butternut soup and a lemony chickpea soup.

Chicken meatballs, to serve with cous cous
Vegetable pilaf
Greek chicken and potatoes
Mushroom stroganoff and pasta
More breaded chicken

A loaf cake
Self saucing pudding

Ive no idea where the weekends go at the moment. Another hectic one of gigs, visitors and visits.
Shopping was delivered on Friday to make sure we had food for our visitors. I made the meatballs with apricots and cous cous, really delicious. We were visiting family saturday/sunday. Sunday evening I made Greek style chicken with new potatoes ans salad. Again delicious.

Today I'm planning on doing a bit of cooking, husband appears to have come down with the flu, so I'll be happy pottering and keeping put of his eay.

Photo is Greek chicken. I tossed slices chicken breast in lemon juice, white wine vinegar, mustard, garlic, dried oregano, fresh parsley, salt and pepper. Added new potatoes and chickpeas. Baked in the oven. Remove the chicken if done too quickly. Make a salad of leaves, cucumber, tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes. Those who like them added olives. Dress salad in whatever you like. I juat added balsamic vinegar and a splash if thw oil from the tomatoes. Serve with herby yogurt. (Mint leaves, parsley and yogurt this time)

Today: porridge with hemp seeds, chia seeds, sultanas, cinnamon and a treacle drizzle.
Chicken meatballs with cous cous, salad and harissa yogurt for lunch.
Pasta with veg, roast chicken and blue cheese for tea.

I made broccoli and Stilton soup, using the leaves from a cauliflower and spinach too. Roast butternut squash and lentil soup, which also had a yellow pepper, sweet potato, carrots and celery in.
Filo pastry veggie rolls, made with onions, garlic, mushrooms, walnuts, spinach, haricot beans, cream cheese. Finished with sesame seeds and a honey drizzle.
Baked potatoes
Roast chicken breast
Honey, mustard, balsamic vinegar chicken with new potatoes and mushrooms.
Shopping coming in Wednesday as its the only pre Christmas slot. Ordered lots of canapés stuff, Christmas morning breakfast, wine etc. So expensive £140 shop... but should last. I hope.