How to make the most of cost price meat, veg & fruit

I_want_a_baby

Hi All,

I will apologise as I know this board gets lots of posts like this but...

I have recently started a new job and as a result I can get all my fruit & vegetables at cost price from a wholesaler :money:. I can also get cost price meat from a very highly regarded butchers.

However I have really got into a rut recently with meals and end up taking things out of the food cupboard or freezer. So I wondered if you had this option available - what would you cook or eat to make the most of this saving.

I will add that I have two children aged 1 & 3 who will generally speaking eat what we eat but we are not hugely adventurous. We do prefer to eat meat but could incorporate 1/2 days of veggies meals a week.

Thank you very much in advance!

Stacey

Popperwell

I tend to stick to a few tried and tested meals. Many of us do, truth is many ingredients are just put out in a different order and it is the meat or fish that changes things, likewise how many different ways you can serve potatoes and so on...

Simple comfort often takes a lot of beating and is easy...will you be batch cooking? Will you use a slow cooker at all?

I know that you'll get a lot of help. If you have access to good food take advantage.

tessie_bear

have you seen the grocery challenge recipe list on the first post ? there are loads of great recipes that mostly cooked from scratch, perhaps a look through the recipes books in local libary might give you inspiration

krustylouise

Spag Bol, lasagne, stew, casseroles, pies, shepherds/cottage pie, sausage and mash, roast dinner, soups etc.

babyshoes

I like to batch cook and freeze whenever possible during school holidays / weekends when I tend to have more time and energy so that I have 'ready meals' to use for those can't be @rsed days! Many things freeze well, especially things with a 'sauce' like soups, stews, curries, mince dishes etc. Things like bolognese / tomatoey pasta sauce / curry etc I will just freeze the sauce part, because pasta / rice stores better uncooked in the cupboard and doesn't need to take up freezer space, and it is easy even after a long day to boil some up while the sauce is microwaving.

I like to make potato & veg bakes for a simple, chuck it all in type supper. Sometimes I add some meat like bacon or leftover roast, sometimes not. Layer up thinly sliced potatoes and veg (plus meat if using) ending with a layer of potates, sprinkle powdered soup between the layers and pour a bit of milk (or cream if you prefer) over the top to make a sauce with the soup. Top with cheese and bake for at least an hour until the poatatoes are very soft. If you want a crunchy top, add bread crumbs or crumbled crisps / cornflakes etc and grill towards the end of cooking.

Stir fry is also a good way to use up any veg you have without needing a lot of meat. It is also a good thing to do with leftover roast meat.

Now might be a good time to try unusual veggies you may not have eaten before because they are expensive at retail prices, and some less common cuts of meat too.

If you find you get something and don't know what to do with it or are left with an odd combination of ingredients to use up, feel free to ask on here, people are generally better at answering a more focussed question I find.