Sunday lunch on a shoestring

Pthree

Good Morning All,

I have a friend coming for lunch on Sunday and we will be out most of the morning so would like something to bang in the oven / slow cooker while we are out, I was thinking lamb..... but I would like to keep it as cheap as possible (while trying to be a bit special) so if anyone has any other ideas??

I realise there are lots of casserole type things I could do but as I live on my own I dont get the chance to do a "sunday lunch" that often so wouln't mind putting a bit of effort in

Thanks P3

PS: No chicken I am sick to death of it!

JackieRHE

Lamb is often quite expensive, but you can buy a cheaper cut if you are going to slow cook it. Otherwise beef or pork.
You could also rough chop potatoes and vegetables and put in with the meat.
Make Yorkshire puds (the batter before you go out) then pop into a hot oven - or buy the ready puds.
Gravy and away you go.

Eviekins_2

What about pork belly? You could slow cook this for hours, the longer the better really. My husband came home with two good sized portions from the butchers last weekend, which I slow roasted and served with creamy mash, green beans, peas and sauteed mushrooms - absolutely delish.
I rested the pork on a sliced onion for the last hour of cooking time (4 hrs in total) and used the pork juices and soft onion to make a really intense gravy.
It was really tasty and best part was it was mega cheap - £2 for the pork belly and it fed five of us! (two greedy adults and three under six!!)

Hope this helps

Grimbal

Tesco's are doing an offer on lamb shoulder at the moment (e.g. 0.7kg for £3.50), which slow cooks wonderfully.
http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/search/default.aspx?searchBox=lamb+shoulder&newSort=true&N=4294963529

I'd either braise it: stick it in an oven dish with onions, couple of cans of tomatoes, herbs, garlic, red wine. Or slow roast it with garlic, rosemary, bit of olive oil

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/food/recipes/article3571065.ece
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/lamb-recipes/slow-cooked-shoulder-of-lamb-with-roaste


If you have the oven on anyway, could I suggest delia's chocolate bread & butter pudding for dessert ? it's amazing, and so easy to make: you prepare it all 1 to 2 days ahead, let all the chocolatey goodness soak into the bread. Then just pop into the oven about 40 mins (30 mins cooking, 10 to stand) before you
want it
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/sweet/chocolate-bread-and-butter-pudding.html

Lilyplonk

I like to use the Asda SmartPrice Lamb Stewing Packs - cost about £4.50/kg - (I'm sure the other supermarkets do something similar) in the Slow Cooker. It contains pieces of neck, small shank pieces and odd shaped chunks of chops.

None of that matters when it's going to be slow-cooked - it will all fall off the bone anyway :drool:.

I dust the pieces of meat with flour and brown first in a large frying pan, put into the slow cooker along with diced onion, sliced carrots, diced swede, chopped celery, some rosemary/mixed herbs, Lamb and Veg Stock cubes dissolved in boiling water. If you want to s-t-r-e-t-c-h it further, you can add some pre-soaked Soup&Broth Mix or just some Pearl Barley. I don't put potatoes in with the stew - just do some mash separately to serve with it. You can add some Mint Sauce to the gravy if everybody likes it - otherwise leave it out and let folks help themselves if they want any.

camNolliesMUMMY

I'd do a beef casserole in the sc

jemb

What about a chicken from Aldi? £2.99, stuffing in asda ad the like smartprice is 12p, some potatoes, home make yorkies and some veggies? You can put the chicken in your slow cooker and it will be soooooo juicy! Inch of water on tinfoil balls. 6 hours on low.
Either that, or what about Gholash (sp?)? Diced beef, chopped carrots, tinned toms, water, bit of paprika and some water, in over for as long as you fancy on low (oven though). Take some of the juices out half hour before serving and mix with cornflour and add back in. Ta da! Serve with rice and veg. Although Yorkies work well too! mmmm!

rachbc

Lamb shoulder is lob=vely really slowly roasted (and cheaper than leg) - I like with boulangerie potatoes - sliced and layer with onions and alittle stock/ water - roast the lamb directly on the spuds and all the juices with run into the spuds. Whack the oven up high when you get in to brown it all off and jobs a good 'un

LandyAndy

Eviekins wrote: »

What about pork belly? You could slow cook this for hours, the longer the better really. My husband came home with two good sized portions from the butchers last weekend, which I slow roasted and served with creamy mash, green beans, peas and sauteed mushrooms - absolutely delish.
I rested the pork on a sliced onion for the last hour of cooking time (4 hrs in total) and used the pork juices and soft onion to make a really intense gravy.
It was really tasty and best part was it was mega cheap - £2 for the pork belly and it fed five of us! (two greedy adults and three under six!!)

Hope this helps

I'm a big fan of pork belly, too. I usually take the skin off (I don't let the butcher score it) and then cut slits in it and bake it separately rubbed in oil and with a little salt. Makes the very best crackling.

I also like to slit the belly horizontally, open it out, stuff it and tie it up again. Mustard with slices of bacon, black pudding, onion and apple makes a good stuffing

quintwins

What about pork shoulder? tesco currently have it half price at £2.99kg i bought one today, slowcooker it make gravy out of stock and serve with loads of veg, roasties, mash and yorkshire ...yum (guess what we're having for sun dinner )

whiteguineapig

i am going to try the frozen £3.50 roasts from iceland, there is pork, chicken etc, they come in a tray all ready (this might also be for you if you'r not much of a cook like me lol)