Meal for two for 50p. Suggestions?

chrisbethany

Hi All

I've only got through to page 3 or so of this thread, copying all the great recipe ideas so I hope I'm not repeating things but wanted to add a couple of thoughts.

Our grocery bill has dropped dramatically since we went veggie in the summer. After being surrounded by sheep on hols we decided we couldn't eat meat again. This is purely a personal opinion, but I have to say neither of us has missed it, which has really surprised me, and we love meat.

Although I'm as keen as anyone to save the pennies, I did try to balance this with fair trade and free range issues. For meat eaters, I notice that Aldi sell free-range chickens (much cheaper than elsewhere) and free-range eggs.

HM risotto - fry chopped onion til soft, add rice (arborio rice is a bit more pricey but gives a delicious creamy texture and taste) and stir for a minute. Add frozen peas and carrots diced small, water and veg stock cubes, and simmer for 20 mins or so, til cooked - cost negligible, and I defy anyone to miss the meat!!

I've always made 'waste not, want not' soup - delicious and using up LO, and other meals with bubble & squeak, etc. It's amazing what you can do when the purse is empty!!

Keep the ideas coming - this is a great thread! :j

Chris

JoCastro

First post
This thread is amazing, thank you so much for the great recipes!
One to make baked beans a bit more interesting: cook some sliced mushrooms and some bacon bits (i usually use the cheap cooking bacon from the market/butcher etc - i find smoked has most flavour so you don't need as much) in garlic with a drop of oil/butter to stop it sticking. When bacon and mushrooms are cooked add tin of beans and heat through. yummy. can also add barbeque sauce or brown sauce, or use chorizo instread of bacon, or leave the meat out completely. very cheap, very quick very tasty!
Will have a look for some more recipes and post later. In the mean time thank you all for all your ideas!
jo
xx

JoCastro

Ok, not sure how much this one will cost but it's very filling. It usually does my husband and me for 2 meals.
4 large potatoes
2 small onions/1 large
4oz/100g of cheddar (can reduce this if you want to save a bit more)
100g of bacon bits
1 teaspoon of paprika
A couple of tablespoons of plain yoghurt

Cut the potatoes into thick wedges and boil them for about 15 minutes until tender
Finely slice the oninos and cut the bacon into small pieces and cook them on a low heat in a saucepan until the bacon is cooked and the onions nice and brown.
When the onions are browned, spread the mixture over the bottom of an oven proof dish.
Drain the potatoes and arrange them on top. season well and sprinkle with the paprika
Grill for about 3 minutes until it’s golden brown then spoon over the yoghurt and sprinkle over the cheese the return to the grill for another 2 – 3 minutes until the cheese has melted. Serve with green veg.
Sounds like more work than it is. thinking about it the whole meal prob costs just under £2, but given that it feeds 4 hungry adults that's not too bad!

And another:
leftover rice
1 small egg per person, beaten
handful of frozen peas

Heat rice in a small saucepan stirring constantly. Add egg and peas and cook on a medium heat (keep stirring). Season to taste and serve. Much nicer (IMHO) than the chinese cos it's less greasy and very cheap - pullets' eggs are 10p each where i am and the rice and peas can't const more than a few pence. You can add some shredded left over chicken/pork if you want, then it's dinner instead of lunch

rubygems

Just found this thread and am so glad that we're not going to starve this month! Have an unexpectedly low food budget and I was panicking about what we were going to eat so yay! A meal I made the other night was chickpea curry:

• 2tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2tbsp Asda curry powder, mild or medium
• 400g can Asda chopped tomatoes with garlic
• 350g new potatoes, boiled and cut into 1cm cubes
• 400g can chickpeas, drained
• 2tbsp lemon juice
• 2tbsp Asda mango chutney plus, if desired, extra for serving

Method
1 Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and cook until soft. Add the curry powder and stir over a low heat for 1 minute.

2 Add the canned tomatoes and 50ml water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, chickpeas and lemon juice, and simmer, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes.

3 Stir in the mango chutney and serve with naan bread and, if desired, more mango chutney.

(I just copied and pasted it off Asda's website in case you couldn't tell!) I left out the mango chutney and it was fiune, easily enough to feed 4 or 5.

little_miss_moneysaver_3

Hanniebis wrote: »

Blommin' credit crunch.. :mad:

What a great thread, lots of ideas for me to try!
Looking at some of the prices, they've jumped up. In Tesco i'm convinced tinned toms (value) were 42p last week, wasn't long since they were 33p! Things are definately not getting any cheaper!

Can't think of any great 50p is recipes just the usual jacket pot with various fillings, beans on toast and omlette. Made nice curry once with value curry sauce worked out very cheap with one of those big turkey legs.

NJW69

Fortunately I don't have to economise that much on shopping now but do try to make the best value of all we do and these are some of my favourites that I put together when I used to have £20 a week for food that I still make now just because they are so good!

Corned Beef Hash - this is real comfort food and healthier than it sounds (when I did Weight Watchers I worked out this out as 2 points per portion!)

1 tin of corned beef (you can get lower fat versions now or just scrape the fat off the edges before you chop)
1 large onion
5lbs of potatoes
3-4 carrots
Gravy granules or stock cube
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown sauce

1) dice the potatoes into about 1" chunks, dice the onion and chop the carrots.
2) place into a large pan with enough lightly salted water to cover and boil until soft.
3) dice the corned beef (chops easier if chilled).
4) add the corned beef into the pan and stir until fully integrated.
5) add the gravy granules or stock cube and season to taste.
6) a squirt of brown sauce stirred into the pan really enhances the flavour.

This will serve 4-6 dependant on appetite.

I serve with steamed green cabbage and fresh (not pickled) beetroot and sometimes crusty bread.


Minced beef - split into three meals for two people of chilli, spaghetti and savoury mince.

This is great if you have little time and can provide three very different tasting meals in one easy swoop.

For all dishes
1lb of frozen lean minced beef (cheaper than fresh in Tesco)
2 large onions
3 carrots diced
2 sticks of celery
salt and pepper

Plus

Chilli-con-carne
1 tin of kidney beans
1 tin of tomatoes
chilli powder to taste
garlic to taste
tomato puree to thicken
teaspoon of cocoa powder or small amount of grated dark chocolate (optional but adds to the authentic Mexican flavour).

Spaghetti Bolognese
1 tin of tomatoes
tomato puree to thicken
oregano to taste
garlic to taste

Savoury Mince
Gravy granules or stock cube
Splash of Worcestor sauce


Standard recipe
1) brown the mince in a non-stick pan without adding any additional oil and then add the chopped fresh vegetables and cook until soft.
2) split into three equal portions.
3) add the additional items for each of the three dishes.

Serve bolognese with spaghetti (value range okay). I generally use wholewheat for extra bite.

Serve chilli with either rice again I use brown rice or alternatively serve with baked potatoes or crusty bread.

Serve savoury mince with mash, jacket or boiled potaoes (or makes a pie filling).


Easy soup - makes 4 portions (from an idea from my Mum!).

A bag of ready chopped stir fry veg.
Stock cube or gravy granules.
Salt and pepper to taste.

This is just so easy and tasty it's hard to believe (my son loves this) and you feel a bit smug having made your own soup (or at least I do).

1) boil the veg in a pan of salted water until very soft.
2) add salt and pepper and a sprinkle of gravy granules.
3) you could add other flavours if required such as chilli sauce (tabasco or Worcester sauce).

This can be served as is (chunky) or liquidised.


Spicy Chicken Rice.

1lb of chicken diced into small pieces
2 onions chopped
2 carrots diced
2 sticks of celery chopped
1 pepper chopped
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
4 cups of rice
Stock
Salt and pepper
Chilli sauce or fresh chilli
Chopped garlic

1) brown the chicken and add the garlic and chilli.
2) add the celery, carrots and peppers cook until soft and season well.
3) stir in the rice and coat in the pan juices and residue.
4) add enough water (stock) to cover the contents of the pan plus 1".
5) bring to the boil and then reduce as low as possible and cover the pan.
6) do not stir and cook until all of the liquid is reduced (about 10-15 minutes).

I sometimes add diced sweet potato as well which is nice.

I hope you enjoy these we always have.

Nic x

spykey_uk

Just read through this, there's some great recipes to try! x

kunekune

JoJo, that's very similar to the beanburgers I do. The extra bit in mine is some grated cheese. My children love 'em. If they are dried kidney beans rather than canned, I reckon it easily comes in at the 50p a head or less.

parsonswife8

Baked beans on toast with a poached egg on top

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Diced, fried potatos and onions with a fried egg on the side

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Leftover rice with peas, onion, some cubed ham and shredded omelette, stir fried.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

self_sufficent_wannabe

When out shopping i bought a good book from a charity shop called Frugal Food by Delia Smith. Thought it was a steal at 75p!

Below is a recipe loosely based on one from this book.

Frankfurters with hot potato salad

8 Hotdogs-45p Asda
600g potatoes- 16p (Asda value 5kg bag £1.36)
1 medium onion thinly sliced- 3p (asda value bag 78p)
90ml veg oil-10p (asda veg oil 1litre-93p)
2 tbsp cider vinegar-5p
1tbsp mustard-2p
a few drops tabasco-3p
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley-10p
1 clove garlic crushed-5p
salt and pepper

Total = 99p Serves 4

Scrub pots but leave skin on.Boil in water until just tender.
Heat 2tbsp oil in pan and fry onion and garlic 2-3 mins.
Add remaining oil, vinegar, mustard, tabasco,salt and pepper and heat until boiling. Remove from heat.
Heat hotdogs (i find in a pan with the water from the tin best)
Drain pots, place in warmed serving dish and pour over oil mixture.
sprinkle with parsley and coat pots with mixture, roughly chop pots to bite size pieces.
Serve with warmed hotdogs.

Must say i havent tried it yet but will be this weekend if i can manage to get some hotdogs, snowed in at the mo!!!

Let me know what you think! I will post others soon.