help with August planning

Tracey04

This is the start of getting everything in order, so if anyone can help with a meal plan I would be grateful.

We like anything with mince, chicken and yellow and white fish (but I find fish quite expensive).

I go to the butchers and spend about £25 on meat, for 30 worth of meals (chicken breasts, top class mince (boys will only eat this type), stewing steak and sausages)

I was hoping that I could make this last alittle longer and fill it out with some other things or different recipes from the usual beef stew, HM chicken fingers, spag bol, chilli etc.

I like a pudding after tea, either hot or cold ideas please

Do you really just have jacket potato with beans or an omellete for tea. I wouldn't have thought this is enough for two children to have.

Lunch times we have butties, soup, or crackers and cheese, fruit

Breakfast children have juice, cereal or porridge, bread and jam and fruit. Eggs on Sunday.

People talk of Lidl and Netto etc, do they do free range, organic cheaper. What is the stuff like.
Is it cheaper to shop there than say Tesco with clubpoints and 2 for 1 offers etc. Too many stores not enough time !!.
Also I find I go into a shop for a pint of milk or loaf of bread and ending up spending £10 on a basket of stuff - expensive milk eh !!

I need to get my bill down to the minium (and to include cleaning stuff and toiletteries) -there are so many different links on this site Im getting lost flicking from one to the other, so I hope you can help so that I have a few days planning before August begins.


Thank you for listening Ive gone on abit I know. Tracey

Softstuff

not much to help a meal plan, but it might help you with mince. If they really only like the lean stuff, have you tried using turkey mince? Its got no nasty bits, cheaper than the extra lean beef mince, and makes a fantastic lasagne. Plus it of course bulks out well with grated veggies - onion, carrot, courgette... whatever meal you put it in.

A few mince suggestions might be:
Nachos - tortilla chips topped with a mix of mince with veggies, mushrooms, then cheese melted over served with guacamole and sour cream (I hate salsa )
Fried flour tortillas - take two flour tortillas, on the bottom one put a little of the above mince mix (we always have this the day after nachos) then some grated cheese, put the other tortilla on top, fry this sandwich, turn and fry the other side. Goes well with a nice salad.

Meatballs - mince, grated onion, various herbs and spices (throw in whatever you have to taste), garlic, 1 egg, a little tomato puree. Mix well, make into small balls, grill each side till browned.

Meaty pizza - we use ready-made pizza bases (not OS, but I've been working 7 days recently ), take the meat and veggie mix, mix it with some passata, garlic, few mushrooms, and top the pizza. Then throw on some grated cheese and oven bake.

We eat a lot of turkey mince

janeawej

home made burgers are great!
mince i sometimes use pork for a change
mince, herbs (sage with pork, rosemary with lamb,maybe mustard with beef? or whatever u like) egg to bind, salt & pepper, chopped onion, (breadcrumbs if you want to bulk it out a bit)

just mix all together and shape into burgers tho i tend to make mine more of a 'squashed ball' shape! great in a bun or with pots and veg very cheap and much better than brought ones

best if made a couple of hrs b4 u want to use them as this seems to make them a bit firmer i put them in fridge for this, they can be frozen if u want to make up a big batch

Tracey04

thanks anymore ideas

nuttyrockeress

Pork and herb meatballs. i use a slimming world recipie which is made with a ratatouie (sp?) sauce
Use minced pork and herbs, shape into meatballs and grill.
Make the sauce with courgettes, aubergine, onions, tomatoes etc.

Stewing steak makes a nice slow roasted curry too (even better in slow cooker!)