I have £30...

[LucyDeSpiderman]

how can I feed 2 adults & a 2 year old for a week?
We don't like pulses or beans .
Is it possible?

Bol sauce:
Chop 1 onion finely, sweat it in a large saucepan till it goes translucent. Add your mince and fry until it's gone brown.
Add 2 cans of chopped tomatoes (cheap ones are fine), handful of dried basil, and some garlic (minced or powder or whatever). Bring to the boil, then turn down to minumum, put lid on and leave to simmer for hours.
Then leave overnight (fine out on the stovetop), and then next day bring to bubbling for 10 minutes.

Chili = add can of kidney beans and other beans and some paprika or chili.

I also include any veg or bits of bacon/ham that are in the fridge needing eating.

Ok this is how I make mine, it's not really complicated, just lots of options very much based on what I have...

Chop onion and garlic, fry gently in large saucepan with oil until soft. Add a little chilli if you like (fresh/dry/whatever). Add diced carrots or celery if using. Fry gently a bit more. Scoop most of the veg out when soft to make room.

Turn up heat a little bit, chuck in peppers and/or mushrooms/bacon if using. Fry off. Scoop out.

Put in splash more oil and mince, fry until just beginning to brown. Chuck all veg back in. Add tinned tomatoes/passata/fresh toms/whatever. Mug of boiling water with stock cube. Or stock. Or just boiling water. Splash of red wine if you have any lying around. Add lentils if you're sneaking them in (you won't taste them!).

For depth of flavour add in any of these you have: splash of Lea&Perrins or teaspoon of marmite/bovril, squirt of tomato puree and/or tomato ketchup. Tsp of dried herbs (Italian/Basil/Majoram). Give a good stir, put lid on, leave to simmer on low heat for as long, poking it occassionally to stop sticking.

When reduced serve with pasta.

Next day, add more tomatoes, tinned/cooked kidney beans, maybe tinned/frozen sweetcorn, Either add some tabasco/dried chilli to the main sauce, or if you can be bothered fry up another onion with some chilli, plus cayenne/coriander/paprika/if you have them. then add to sauce, warm through for as long as you can. Serve with rice/jacket pots.

Thankyou everybody for your help
Our meals for this week are:
Pasta with tomato sauce, sausage & bacon.
Spaghetti bolognese
Cheese & potato pie with baked beans
Jacket potato with cheese & beans (and maybe something with the braising steak - haven't thought of anything yet though)
Faggots (our 1 'treat' this week ), mash & peas

That will get us up to Friday, when we can go & do a 'proper' shop. All of that, plus bread, milk, cereal, crisps & chocolates for dp's lunch, washing powder, fabric conditioner, washing up liquid, toothpaste, nappies for dd (thank goodness ds is potty trained!) and fruit (just apples & bananas this week ) cost just over £52. Not too bad we didn't think, although I think dp may struggle with the lack of meat .

Thanks again

Tesco got good offers on spuds this week 0.95 for a large bag of baking potatoes.

4 packs of tuna always BOGOF in one of the supermarkets, so eight cans for price of 4.

Pasta, garlic tomatoes, large value packet of mince, spag bog one day, meatballs or shepherds pie the next.

Try here I find loads of inspiration there.

FrugalBecauseSheHasToBeTiggaxx

Re braising steak:
You could make the bolognaise sauce as suggested above (minus the mince). Instead cut up the braising steak into bite sized pieces and brown it and add any other veg you have to use, e.g. carrots, more onions, and slow cook in the oven for 2-3 hours. Towards the end of cooking, add a tin of kidney beans. If you want it spicy, add some chilli powder and cumin if you have it.

Makes a lovely chunky chilli. Good with rice, jackets or mash.

Tuna or corned beef is nice and can be eaten cold so would be good for packed lunches.

Flan:
1 large tin corned beef or 2 tins tuna
3 eggs
half cup grated cheese
1 inch slice of bread (without crust)
1 grated onion
chopped parsley or sprinkle of dried herbs
1 and half cups milk
black pepper

1. Put everything into a large saucepan except the eggs.
2. Mix with a fork until milk comes to the boil.
3. Remove from heat. Add eggs and mix together.

4.Put in a greased flan dish and bake for 30 - 40 mins.

You could add extra veg such as diced red pepper or a sliced leek. A spoon of horseradish can give it a nice kick. Or if using tuna, a squirt of lemon juice.

Should have said, Tuna or corned beef flan. Sorry.

And cut the bread into cubes before adding to the pan.

Or here

IHeartMartinLewisButHisWebsiteSucksBigGreenEggsTiggaxx

30andMerkin - many thanks for your spag bol recipe - i am in a simialr predicament to the OP (but me, a fussy 3 year and an even fussier 13 year old) and they both asked for seconds Am doing the leftovers with a baked potato tomorrow.

Many thanks to all the ideas on this thread, I have finally got round to sorting out a proper meal plan

Yay! Glad to hear it jetcat (altho appreciate everyone wanting seconds isn't actually that great if you want to get another meal out of it..!)

oh trust me 30, it was fab to see my youngest, who normally manages about 3 forkfulls and then says she has had enough, ask for more. And then for my oldest to come into the kitchen with a clean plate before i even sat down with mine

with the tomatoes and bacon I would make tomtoe soup with crispy bacon and a dolop of philly cheese on top.

With the brasing steak and pastry-steak pie?
egg sandwich 1 day for lunch?

simple pasta and sauce,
cottage pie easy and cheep to make

Bolognaise I buy a bag of quorn and cheapest minced beef onions a bag of grated carrot, diced pepper, garlic and if cheap either fresh or frozen green beans, herbs and cheap tins of plum/ canned tomato I use left over and add chilli and beans for con carne or add some gravy and tinned [red sauce beans] for cottage pie with any other veg that is around the kitchen.
Braised steak with loads of veg make a stew and blend left overs for soup the next day [or dh can take some with bread in a flask for lunch]
From French Women don't get Fat, ratatouille for dinner, quick blend makes pizza/pasta sauce for next night and blend with stock or soup on the third day It works and tastes nicer as it 'ages'.
Baked Apples with cinnamon makes a lovely pudding.
I also cheat when buying washing powder I buy 2 boxes cheap own brand and a box of nice special offer and mix them well cleans as well but smells nice as well.

Knottylocks I really like the sound of your flan I might make it fri night for my Mum

knottylocks - the flan does have a pastry case?

RE Flan:

No pastry case needed - that's part of the joy of it. Mush it altogether, bung in oven. Done. Eat hot or cold.

Um, it won't look particularly tasty during the mushing* stage. But tastes very nice once cooked.

(*technical term )

Isn't 'Flan' a marvellous word? Has a certain comedy value.

thanks knotty

Huuuuuuge beef casserole with mash.