Random post of my money saving current meals :)

JG007

been trying to cut food costs so have dropped down to a set of meals to make and take to work that are cheapish and will split for a few days , it does mean I eat the same things for 2-3 days but at least saves cash

I would freeze food but only have a very small freezer space and no space to put another freezer as I don't own the house!

1. Spaghetti Bolognaise ( mince,peppers, tinned toms, herbs, onion, carrot )
2. Chilli con carne (mince, tinned toms, baked beans, spices, chilli, pepers, carrot,onions, small bit dark chocolate )
3. Meatballs with tomato and fennel ( meatballs, tinned toms, herbs, onions, peppers )
3. Mince / veg curry ( mince / various available veg , tinned toms, onions, spices, carrot)
4, Mixed veg with chinese spices ( any available veg , onions, peas, chinese spices, soy sauce, scrambled egg, chilies )

Peppers just cheap ones in mixed bag normally and carrots added to most because cheap and bulk meals out without making much flavour change!

meals need to be fairly easy and quick to make as well as easy to make in bulk so that I dont get lazy and not bother, also need to be easy to heat at work without losing flavour or texture too much

I also tend to use mince instead of solid meat as easy to use and can get pretty cheap

anybody got any other sugestions?

Mrs_Veg_Plot

You could also convert left over bolognaise into a cottage pie or add potatoes to it and make a meat and potatoe pie.

Have you tried searching this site for rubber chicken? For a family of 4 sometimes 5 I can stretch a chicken into a roast followed by a curry/risotto and make a chicken and veg soup from the carcas.

JG007

thanks, quick look before work but will have a search later as I tend to leave chicken as mince seems cheaper but it is nice to have a change

boo81

3 meals my hubby takes to work are:

Lentil dahl - very cheap and sometimes adds a bit of meat or fish if he is extra hungry

Pork cassoulet - pork shoulder, beans, tomatoes

Italian chicken stew - chicken thigh, beans, bacon

They are all very cheap meals and easy to make. All use little or o meat and cheaper cuts. Perfect for lunches :-)

quintwins

since you don't have much freezer space, i personally wouldn't do rubber chicken, as you could end up eating chicken for a week in variations for tea, then chicken soup for lunch ect, i would recomend you get some chicken thights tho, cook them slowly (pref in the sc) the meat falls off and u can still use the bones for stock for soup

our cheapest meal in stew, few onions. few carrots, few taties (we buy a 20kg bag every 2 weeks so we always have loads of taties) and some beef shin, this is £1 or less a pack in tesco sometimes slightly dearer in the butchers, you don't need much, you'll look at the pack and think thats not enought but i use 1 pack (this week packs was 78p so even less in it) for all 5 of us, and we all get a good few peices of meat and it cooks so tender, i cook mine slowly from lunchtime as we like ours to be a wee bit mushy then i add a wee bit of gravy just before we eat it, sometimes i make hm rolls sometimes i don't cause it's very filling

JillS_2

quintwins wrote: »

since you don't have much freezer space, i personally wouldn't do rubber chicken, as you could end up eating chicken for a week in variations for tea, then chicken soup for lunch ect, i would recomend you get some chicken thights tho, cook them slowly (pref in the sc) the meat falls off and u can still use the bones for stock for soup

Yes, I'd agree with that. I cook for myself and even a small chicken lasted about a week if I didn't freeze any of it and it was getting a bit manky by the end of the week though I never got ill from it.

But if OP felt up to it, she could cut the chicken up. The 2 breasts would freeze flattish and take up very little freezer space and be there to provide 3-5 easy meals. The legs and wings could be used to make a casserole (or 2 different casseroles to give a bit of a change) or the breastless chicken could be roasted and then used cold and in made up dishes. And with both of these there could be a lovely big pot of chicken and veg soup with all the little scraps of chicken left.

zarazara

good thread :-)

tessie_bear

op...great idea for a thread ...what are chinese spices ?
we make a chilli in the sc when skint...its nice and really cheap also spag bol and pasta bake

mildredalien

I like making a squash,bean and chorizo stew which lasts me for dinners and/or lunches for a few days!

Basically an onion, pepper and some chorizo fried off together then add chunks of squash and tinned toms. Simmer until the squash is soft (I often oven roast it first) and add some beans at the end to warm through for bulk. Could use bacon or pancetta instead of chorizo if cheaper (although a little goes a long way, its got a lot of flavour) or leave the meat out altogether, and add any spices/herbs you have floating around. A big batch of that lasts me for days and it's really filling!

curlytop12

mildredalien wrote: »

I like making a squash,bean and chorizo stew which lasts me for dinners and/or lunches for a few days!

Basically an onion, pepper and some chorizo fried off together then add chunks of squash and tinned toms. Simmer until the squash is soft (I often oven roast it first) and add some beans at the end to warm through for bulk. Could use bacon or pancetta instead of chorizo if cheaper (although a little goes a long way, its got a lot of flavour) or leave the meat out altogether, and add any spices/herbs you have floating around. A big batch of that lasts me for days and it's really filling!

loving the sound of this,have all those ingredients except the squash-is butternut what you use,we like that.how long would you roast it for before adding to stew?
Gem

JG007

JillS wrote: »

But if OP felt up to it, she could cut the chicken up..

She?

Thanks anyway