Feed a family of four for £20 a week challenge

Butterfly_Brain

I have just been down and got some more flat mushrooms from Aldi and I am making this for tonight

Mushrooms encroute
Preheat the oven to 220c/200cfan/Gas 7

4 large flat mushrooms 69p

1 ball mozzarella 44p

½ tin chopped tomatoes 12.5p
(Morrisons 4 tins of KTC tomatoes and various beans for £1 so 25p a tin)

A pinch mixed herbs 1p

8oz HM pastry using 8oz (250g) flour 10p,
2oz(50g) lard (39p 250g)=10p,
2oz marge (39p 250g)=10p,
ice cold water from the fridge and a pinch of salt ..........total 30p

Make pastry.............sift flour with a good pinch salt then rub the fat into flour to breadcrumb stage, add enough ice cold water to make into a dough and rest for 20 minutes.

Roll out the pastry and cut into four pieces, put a peeled and wiped mushroom in the centre of each one followed by a tbsp of the chopped tomatoes to which you have added the mixed herbs and a slice of mozzarella on top. Bring up the sides and seal with a little water, add pastry leaves with spare pastry and brush with a little milk.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Total cost = Pastry 30p, mozzarella 44p, tomatoes 13p mushrooms 69p (SSix)
£1.57
Approx 39p each
Serve with a tin of baked beans 31p and HM wedges (40p)
£1.57 + 71p = £2.28 for a substantial meal for 4 people or 57p a serving.

You can tweak the recipe by adding a crushed clove of garlic to the tomatoes or a splash of worcester sauce.
If you have some bacon, lightly cook it and add that to the mushroom, or how about some sliced chorizo instead of bacon there are lots of different things that you can use to vary the recipe

Lovely in the summer with salad and new potatoes

Maitane

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

Wow thank you to those who voted this post of the month x

I am so happy that it has helped so many with cheap meals

Thanks for your well researched and thoughtful posts - I've lost count of the amount of times we've had inspiration from here.

Tillytrotter1

I agree, you put a tremendous amount of work and effort into this forum and I always enjoy reading your posts and recipes which contain so much useful advice to those struggling.

Well deserved BB

moments_of_sanity

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

Wow thank you to those who voted this post of the month x

I am so happy that it has helped so many with cheap meals

BB, so glad you won the vote. Your posts are always well thought out, described clearly and so very useful.

Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to post, we really do appreciate it :j

Soworried

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

Wow thank you to those who voted this post of the month x

I am so happy that it has helped so many with cheap meals

:T You deserve it BB :j

Prudent

Is post of the month back? I must have missed that! is there still time to vote? Where is it on the forum please?

Thank you Brian for the mushroom encroute recipe. I shall make it tomorrow. I have been really busy for the last few weeks with family issues and getting organised to go back to work after my injury. I haven't had much time to read the thread, but it has refocused me on being more creative and careful with my household budget.

Upsidedown_Bear

Prudent wrote: »

Is post of the month back? I must have missed that! is there still time to vote? Where is it on the forum please?

The October post of the month was won by Butterfly Brain for a post earlier in this thread.

You can nominate one for November in Site Feedback:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5106337

room512

In the mushroom recipe, as the mushrooms cook, don't they release a lot of water? (Therefore making the pastry soggy)

Butterfly_Brain

room512 wrote: »

In the mushroom recipe, as the mushrooms cook, don't they release a lot of water? (Therefore making the pastry soggy)

No you have to wipe and peel the mushrooms and that means only a little liquid comes out. I do not suffer from soggy bottoms because I put my pastry onto a hot baking tray

You could also cut the pastry into rounds and make mini pies instead of bringing the pastry up and around the mushrooms.

room512

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

No you only wipe the mushrooms and that means only a little liquid comes out. I do not suffer from soggy bottoms because I put my pastry onto a hot baking tray

Thanks, will try it as soon as I have bought some mushrooms as it sounds lovely.