Meal for two for 50p. Suggestions?

sluggy1967

fluffy mash potato with cheese on top microwaved to melt it & tomato sauce, luvvvly!!!!!

Mermaid

This is one of my favourite things to do when I'm on my own and I need a quick meal:

A couple of handfuls of mixed veggies (e.g. carrrots, mushrooms, courgettes, onions, peppers, beansprouts or whatever is in season)
Two pitta breads
Tablespoon vegetable or olive oil (add a couple of drops of sesame oil if you like)
Sweet chilli sauce

Chop and slice veggies finely and stir fry to your preferred softness
Meanwhile lightly toast two pittas until soft and pliable, not crispy
Cut slit along one long side of each pitta
Fill pitta pouch with veg and add a dash of chilli sauce

Pittas - 12p (34p for 6 wholemeal pittas from Tesco (put rest in freezer))
Veg - about 20 - 30p
Sauce - 2p (I buy 700ml for £1.25 from ethnic grocer)
Oil - 2p

Total about 46p

You could try other sauces, e.g. hoisin, if you don't like chilli sauce

Be warned - it's messy to eat - have a napkin/kitchen roll to hand!

Mermaid

sluggy1967

jb100 wrote:

Some of these recipes are fantastic! 2 of my kids won't eat tomatoes, tinned or fresh, so quite a lot of the meals are out - why do so many have tomatoes in?
I am struggling to keep my bill under £100 a week for 5!

Do they eat tomato ketchup? If so, you might get away with substituting the tinned tomatoes in some of these recipies for an oxo cube to make a gravy & some ketchup (or better than ketchup, tomato puree which is much cheaper from somewhere like Lidls) I do this a lot 'cos my son says he won't eat tomatoes that he can see!

summersnearlyhere

One of our favourites is Cheese and Onion Pie! When I'm really in the mood to cook I get loads of ingredients and make as much as I can and freeze it.

1 onion
Grated cheese (Tesco do a value bag of ready grated cheese)
1 egg
Pastry (Tesco do a value pastry mix for those who can't make pastry)
Salt and pepper
Milk

Roll out pastry and cover an oven proof dipped plate. Cover with a layer of chopped onion and then grated cheese. Adding a little more chopped onion and then grated cheese to create a nice thick filling. Beat egg with a little milk and pour over cheese and onion. Add salt and pepper. Then roll a pastry lid, brushing the edge of the base before hand with a little milk. Seal the edges (I use a fork and it gives a nice professional looking edge) and brush the lid with milk. Pierce (ha wouldn't let me put pr ick) the surface with a fork and cook in oven for around 30 minutes. Serve with baked beans! Delicious. When I cook it my family fight for more. I now make a huge batch of pastry and prepare as many as I can, cook them and freeze what's left just to warm up for quick teas when I'm working.

Another tip I find when cooking spag bol or chilli con carni I always end up with a little bit left but by preparing bigger batches I can freeze portions specially for the number of people to eat at a time and get an extra meal out it. I buy value kidney beans, chopped tomatoes, mushrooms etc and add value peppers to my chilli con carni to make it go further and it's lovely.

Great thread, I've noted some ideas to help reduce my shopping bill! :T

Mermaid

summersnearlyhere wrote:

One of our favourites is Cheese and Onion Pie!

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cook in oven for around 30 minutes.

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Like this idea, what temperature oven?

summersnearlyhere

Ha Mermaid the reason I didn't put it is because I changed to electric a few years ago and can't get my head around it! I cook it at about 180°C and until it goes a nice golden brown and I think if I was using gas it would be around mark 5! Hope this helps!

Best thing about it for me is if you've fussy kids they can help and see exactly what's going in, they love it when they've helped cooked it!

r.mac_2

this is a great thread and full of some fab tips.

i have decided that i am going to start incorporating a 'something on toast' night into the weekly meal plans. Often there is a night where OH is out and I am in by myself and those are always the nights i can't be bothered to cook so it should work brilliantly.

I also want to include a 50p meal once a week as well (but a non toast based one). That alone should help us to keep making savings on the food budget.

Its also great to hear about what 'value' line prducts are available (and good) - for example I never knew that tesco made value lasagne sheets!

tiff

dianna8106 wrote:

hi i love this thread anyone got a budget version of a sunday dinner my huby really enjoys one with all the trimming but also steak which bumps up the cost!
please keep the recipes coming
diana

My Grandad used to make a roast dinner for himself with 2 slices of roast beef from the deli counter or if it was too expensive he would use the Birds Eye frozen beef in gravy, which is less than a £1.

Uniscots97

Pumpkin wrote:

If you use a value tin of plum tomatoes (whole not chopped) instead of the pasta sauce you will save yourself at least 18p. Or for super cheap, super quick tomato soup just whizz one tin in the foodprocessor, heat and serve. If you add a slice of toast each that still can't add up to more than 25p.

Thanks for that, hadn't thought about using plum tomatoes. Used pasta sauce as it was in my store cupboard.

cordial

Pasta/vegetable Bake...

Cook 250gm 'value' fusilli pasta.

Make roux cheese sauce.

Mix sauce and pasta together with any leftover veg, esp. carrots, broccoli etc and pour into open, ovenproof casserole dish.

Into a hot oven until starting to brown on top.

Should be enough for 2/3 servings and below £1.