The Cheapest Healthy Meal Ever!

jennyjelly

In the usual post-Christmas cash crisis I've fallen back (as usual) on my favourite costs-almost-nothing recipe, and I thought others might like to give it a try as it really is delicious. In our house it's just known as Potato Dish.

You will need:

A bag of potatoes (Value or Smart Price or market) about 5lbs
A tin Value or Smart Price chopped tomatoes
2 onions
A block of Value or Smart Price cheese about 8oz
Oil (olive is nicest if you can get it on offer, but anything will do)
Salt

(Sorry, can't give exact quantities as I just do it by eye - adjust to suit your own tastes!)

Slice the spuds really thinly (no need to peel them, and healthier if you don't)and put a layer in the bottom of a large casserole and sprinkle with salt. Follow with a layer of sliced onion, then a layer of sliced cheese, then half a tin of chopped tomatoes. Repeat the layers until all your ingredients are used up. Drizzle (now there's a real Jamie Oliver word!) some oil over the top and sprinkle with grated cheese. Cover and cook in the oven (if it's on anyway for something else) or the microwave until it's cooked through - the spuds should be really soft with no hard bits left. If you want a crunchy top take the lid off towards the end or bung it under the grill for a bit.

We have sausages or something with it if we happen to have them, but it's not really necessary as it's tasty enough to be eaten on its own.

When my children were babies I didn't want to get them used to overpriced chemical baby foods and they were weaned on a less rich, salt-free version of this blended with milk. They loved it then and still love it now they are grown up.

Hope you like it. :hello:

Kimmywim

oooh that sounds yummy, thansk!

thriftlady_2

yum :T

For a more expensive version add mince to the tomatoes - like a bolognese sauce.

And don't forget potato, onion and bacon hotpot - layers of sliced spuds, onions, bacon with cheese sauce poured on top.

jennyjelly

The bacon hotpot sounds great. Do you cook the bacon first? It might be a bit flabby and white otherwise!

Great variation with the mince too - I will definitely give that one a go.

thriftlady_2

No, you don't need to cook the bacon. The dish is cooked for a long time Here's the recipe

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=1669907&postcount=340

I should say it is adapted (slightly) from Jocasta Innes' 'Pauper's Cookbook'

It's also nice with smoked mackerel instead of bacon.

jennyjelly

Thanks for the recipe link thriftlady, it looks absolutely delicious and I will be making it tomorrow - with smart price bacon of course!

If you used smoked mackerel and added a few prawns (both of which appear regularly in the reduced counters) I reckon this would hold its own in any company, and I shall be making it for some fish loving friends next time they are here. A few green beans and carrots and a bit of broccoli and not even the snobbiest foodie could complain!

Chubacheroo

Oooh or you could add sliced up sausages to it too *drools*. Drat, if only I hadn't planned my week's meals. I REALLY fancy this right now.

pavlovs_dog

mmm thriftlady - yum yum pigs bum! cheers for the linky :beer:

tigerlily

This sounded so good I'm having it for my supper, its in the oven now!!
I did it as follows.....
layer of sliced potato, tinned tomatoes with mixed herbs, next crumbled cheese, then 3 rashers lightly grilled bacon, more tomatoes, more sliced potatoes then grated cheese on top.
My tummy is rumbling!!!

jennyjelly

Oooh Tigerlily, that sounds wonderful. That (or some variation on it) is our meal tomorrow sorted.

I've just made a big biriyani with all the leftover Christmas meat (turkey, beef, lamb and pork) and some onions and peppers, a bit of garlic and curry spices and stock, then the rice and all in the oven for an hour or so. Smells really good, and I'm so hungry that waiting is really hard!

Don't you just love the challenge of making something out of almost nothing? I love using up leftovers, it gives me such a smug feeling!

jennyjelly

You know the best thing about posting a recipe on this board?

Everyone is so inventive that you end up with suggestions for delicious variations that you would never have thought of if you hadn't shared it.

It just shows that sharing pays dividends!