Cheapest meal

[robindunne1]

I'm starting this thread in the hope that people will come forth with the cheapest meal they can think of. I want suggestions on meals that are cheap and nutritious - so no suggesting that a bag of crisps is a meal. I'll start off with what my wife made for tea yesterday:

Corned Beef Ash:

2 Cans of corned beef £1 (50px2)
2 Cans of beans 26p (13px2)
3 potatotes 20p approx.

Plus a couple of pence for the gas in the cooker and we had a full family meal for less than £1.50.

Anyone else have any suggestions?

[moggins]

Tuna & Pasta

1 tin value tuna 38p
1 tin value sweetcorn 21p
a bag value pasta 19p
1/3 jar mayonnaise approx 15p
pinch of all purpose seasoning approx 5p

Cook pasta until tender, drain tuna and sweetcorn and add to pasta, mix together with 1/3 jar mayonnaise and seasoning.

My kids beg me to make this and it costs less than £1 to feed 5 of us.

[elona]

How about a large spanish omelet or filled pancakes with whatever you have in the way of leftovers as filling and sprinkled with grated cheese, before being heated.

I made a large veg curry in the slow cooker for about a pound using a stewpack for 49p (reduced) chopped tomatoes and curry powder.

[Mads13]

Hi All

Cheap Meals:

Sausage & Mash

8 Frozen Thin Sausages (38pence)
4 Large Potatoes Mashed + Little Milk (25pence)
1/2 cabbage, 3 carrots (22pence)
Gravy (10pence)

Enough for 3 big portions=£0.95pence

Shepards Pie

1/3 bag minced lamb (43pence)
Tin Baked Beans (12pence)
4 Large Potatoes Mashed + Little Milk (25pence)
Frozen Value Peas (15pence)
Gravy (10pence)

Enough for 3-4 good portions=£1.05

Spag Bol

1/3 bag minced beef (35pence)
tin value chop tom (10pence)
frozen value sweetcorn(15pence)
Onion (5pence)
Value spagetti (17pence)
value cheese grated small (20pence)

Enough for 3 big portions=£1.02

Toad In Hole

8 Thin Frozen Sausages (38pence)
Batter-2 Eggs, P Flour, Milk (21pence)
4 Large Spuds Mashed little milk (25pence)
3 Carrots (10pence)
Frozen Value Peas/Sweetcorn (15pence)
Onion+Gravy (15pence)

Enough for 3-4 good portions=£1.24

Hope this helps.

Mads13
xxx

[Austin Allegro]

Tuna and rice salad. Feeds two. Quite balanced I think. Difficult to judge the prices but it's dirt cheap.

1 tin of tuna 37p
2 servings of frozen mixed veg (c.10p each based on a 97p bag from Sainsbury's) 20p
Rice (based on Sainsbury's economy white rice) approx 10p
Dash of vinegar, salt, olive oil and herbs etc to season, say 2p

total = 35p each.

[foreverskint]

Bacon pasta:

250g of bacon mishapes, chopped small (25P) (kilo sells for 99p locally)
1 onion chopped finely 10pish
2 cloves or more to taste of chopped garlic 3p ish
splash of olive oil or butter 10p
3 tsp pesto 20p
pack of value spaghetti 19p

saute onion garlic in oil.meanwhile have pasta cooking. add bacon to onions and garlic and saute till cooked, then stir in pesto.

Stir through pasta and serve with parmessan 20p and some nice crusty bread. I usually buy mine cheap or use the part baked rolls from lidls 39p for 6..

total cost £1.46 for approx 4 portions with bread. The kids love it.

This can be made a bit *posh* by adding some cream. I do this if i get a reduced bargain.

[Austin Allegro]

Robindunne1, when I saw your heading for 'corned beef ash' I wondered if the contents of fireplaces and ashtrays were now considered edible!

Or perhaps it was just intended for Ash Wednesday?

[Luis]

Cheat's Chicken Cassoulet

leftover chicken from the roast
Pack of 4 Sausages (about 49p)
Big Tin Beans (from 6p but I am a Heinz snob, sorry)
Big Tin chopped Toms (19p)
A big Onion (10p)
Some 'erbs (Oregano usually)

Cook Sausies under grill, Meanwhile sweat onion in a little oil, chop the chicken into chunks.
Drain oil, Chop sausies into chunks and throw onions, sausies, toms, beans, chopped chicken and 'erbs into big pan and warm thoroughly for about 20 mins.

Serve with rice, Instant noodles or pasta as per preference.

About 90p for main meal, very filling and a big fave with our lot.

Luis.

[LilacLillie]

I'm not into exact cost yet, being a newbie, but know this is a real cheapie meal :)

7 oz red or green lentils
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt (or not)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
3-4 hot chillis
3-4 tbsp chopped mint
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp oil


fry garlic in oil with cayenne pepper, pour in 750ml/27fl oz water, lentils, turmeric and salt, bring to the boil. part cover with lid, simmer on low & cook for about 50mins, or until the lentils are soft. Add mint and chillis, stir & simmer for another 5mins. Yum....................with rice
LL

[r.mac]

[QUOTE=foreverskint]

250g of bacon mishapes, chopped small (25P) (kilo sells for 99p locally)

QUOTE]


ooohhh, where to do buy these? I use chopped up bacon in loads of dishes, but usually find myself using a pair of scissors on full sized rashers?!

[vanoonoo]

tesco sell value bacon pieces for cooking and its really inexpensive 670g for 78p I grill it all and them crumble it up getting rid of any rind or fat that may be in there. its usually a mix of smoked and not smoked and sometimes a mix of back and streaky but its fab for using in meals like carbonara.

[debbym]

ASDA do bacon pieces too...

[Curry Queen]

1 x Large chicken (1.8kg) - £3 - cooked in slowcooker = 4 meals for 2 (adult/child)

Meal 1: (last night)

breast meat from one side of chicken
1 x large jacket spud cut in 2 (cooked in foil with chicken)
veggies from freezer (left-over from previous meal)
gravy made from juices in slowcooker

Meal 2: (tonight)

Chicken rissotto - using breast meat from other side of chicken, stock made from chicken carcass, and onions, rice and seasonings.
Served with HM foccacio bread (picked up from another post on this board)

Meal 3: (tomorrow night)

Mediterranean chicken - using meat from one leg & wing and adding value tomatoes, herbs/spices and diced onions/peppers/courgette/aubergine.
Served with linguine and garlic bread (left over foccacio bread spread with HM garlic butter and toasted)

Meal 4: (Saturday lunch)

Chunky chicken soup - using meat from other leg and any other scraps, cooked in broth made from carcass, adding selection of veggies from fridge and some pearl barley.

Most likely be enough leftover to freeze a portion too

[Mrs Thrift]

Wow, Curry Queen, your menu has got me drooling all over my keyboard, even though I've already had my lunch today! I might even be inspired to try some of your ideas myself, so thanks for that.

[Curry Queen]

Hehehe ... most of it is from tips I've picked up across the boards so I have everyone else to thank for it really

Mind you if I don't trot off to the kitchen shortly and get the dough started for the foccacio bread (well, shove the ingredients in the breadmaker LOL!) we won't be having that tonight ... this place is just toooooo addictive

[Mrs Thrift]

Tell me about it....my lunch hour ended 14 minutes ago....oops!

[mink35]

Morrisons sell bacon pieces/offcuts on their bacon counter. I buy these for making quiche.

[seese]

Try 2 value tins of soup any flavour 78p.

Any leftover cooked vegetables.

1 pkt dumpling mix 45p made into small sizes.

20 mins in the oven.

less than two pounds for a heartwarming stew.

We like ours with crusty bread bought at any large supermarket after 5pm cos its usually half price or less.

[hilstep2000]

I make a carbonara type spaghetti with bacon bits, cooked in the microwave, add some tinned value mushrooms and a tin of Campbells condensed muchroom soup. Heat up, pour over spaghetti, add chesse on top! My kids love it!

[Luis]

aargh, aargh - more of these please - huge cash crisis this month, and need ideas to feed us cheap.