Food on the cheap

Sapphire27

What food/recipes do you make regularly?

Maybe we could offer tips/alternatives to reduce the cost?

gayleygoo

I think you'll need to tell us what you do like so we can give more suggestions!

Although my OH is kinda the same, he'd rather not eat pasta, rice etc if he can help it, but since I cook he eats what he's given! He has grown to like a good curry and has decided he likes noodles much more than rice.

Other than that, potatoes are the main source of carbs - they can be done in so many ways and served with a slow cooked cheap meat joint and plenty of vegetables. Leftovers can just be fried up as bubble and squeak. If you are currently using things like chicken fillets, pork chops, steaks etc as your meat portion, they do work out expensive. Try chicken legs (or jointing a whole chicken into the separate pieces), slow cooked pork shoulder, pork belly (there is little more delicious in this world than slow cooked pork belly with apple sauce!!), some nice sausages, boiled bacon/ham/gammon joints. Bulk out meals with cheap veg, stuffing and lots of gravy.

If you think you are spending too much on food, we can help you work out where to cut down - even if you try to have some very cheap melas during the week so you can better afford the more expensive ones (OH likes a good steak or mixed grill occasionally, but only if we have been good withe the budget for the month!)

Could you be spending too much on snacks, convenience foods, jars of sauce, breakfast cereal etc? There may be ways of cutting down without having to eat meals you don't like (although I do believe you can learn to like, or at least tolerate, most foods, if they are cooked nicely!)

Seanymph

I didn't like pulses, but have now found an excellent enchillada recipe (fry onions, garlic, add beans - two tins, two sorts - and a tin of tomatoes - throw in enough cooked rice to make it stodgy and a packet of fajita mix. Serve in fajitas with salad and sour cream and chive dip.

i have served this to lots of poeple now all of whom 'hate beans' and all of whom have loved it.

And I second the above - say what you like, and let people work from there Quorn mince is the same as meat mince, but half the price - red lentils can be added to anything for bulk and protein....

What did you 'used' to eat and love, and we'll work on that.