Cheapest recipies.

Kandipandi

Dont forget you dont need loads of meat for spag bol, lasagne etc, you can bulk it out with lentils, they dissapear when cooked.

vinrute

My favorite at the moment is an American pancake recipe, which makes nice thick pancakes that are perfect for any meal of the day. The most expensive things in it are the milk, butter, and eggs, but even so I think it costs about 50p to make enough for me and my husband. Plus, its something that I almost always have the ingredients for, so a really good spur-of-the-moment meal. Just spreading lemon and sugar or jam on top is quite cheap as well.

Sorry about the US measurement sizes. I always estimate anyway, so you don't have to worry about being too specific.

Makes about 6 medium-large pancakes or 8 medium-small ones.

1 cup flour
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, well-beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. In a separate bowl combine beaten egg, milk, and melted butter and mix thoroughly. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients.

I don't measure anything exactly since I don't have American measuring cups or spoons, so I just estimate it all. I use an average size mug for the cup measurement for the flour and milk, and when I estimate the butter I put it in the mug in the microwave to melt it so it doesn't clump. Then I just estimate the other stuff on a teaspoon.

lightisfading

vinrute wrote: »

I don't measure anything exactly since I don't have American measuring cups or spoons, so I just estimate it all. I use an average size mug for the cup measurement for the flour and milk, and when I estimate the butter I put it in the mug in the microwave to melt it so it doesn't clump. Then I just estimate the other stuff on a teaspoon.

An american measuring cup is nothing like an average size mug :eek: Assuming you mean the type of mug you'd make a cuppa in ... i think US cups are about half that.

According to delia's website
1 cup flour = 150g,
1 cup milk = 220ml.
1/4cup butter = 55g

vinrute

Lightisfading, thanks for the correct measurements. I hadn't realized how far off I'd been. But my dad used to make these pancakes every Sunday, and when I first made them here and estimated the amounts, they tasted just like going home. I think the recipe allows for quite a bit of leeway, so as long as you're basically on target they'll taste great, and for 50p I suggest making a pancake and then altering the recipe to taste.

I do use a basic-shaped mug that I bought at Poundland, though, so I would consider it average sized and it works perfectly for me.


Sorry I can't post exact working measurements, but here is a better idea of how I estimate them:

1 standard sized mug of flour
Slightly heaped teaspoon of sugar
1/2 to 2/3 teaspoon of baking powder
pinch or 2 of salt

in a separate bowl:

1 egg
1 standard sized mug of milk
55g butter, melted

Then mix the two bowls together and start making pancakes.

Btw, if you can't make them all at once, my dad used to store the batter in the refrigerator for up to a day and that worked for him, though I haven't tested that myself.

horsechestnut

A U.S. measuring cup = 8 fluid oz (20 Fluid oz in a pint)
You can use oil instead of melted butter. (55g = 55ml )

moneysaverdebs

Hi I am new here. I have a family of four and am really trying to cut costs. I have managed to get my self in a bit of debt over the past few years and am now trying to pay it off and save a little too.

I already buy mostly tesco value products. I am willing to put the effort in in the kitchen ... although I may not be that great at it. At the moment I can spend about £45.00 - £60.00 on the weekly shop and that also included breakfast ceareals , sandwich things for packed lunches and toilet paper, washing up liquid , washing tablets, cat litter and biscuts and airfreshener and polish.

What are your cheapest meals and recipes ... I want to cut my shopping down by half if I can. I realy need your help on this one as I am not really a thinker in the kitchen department.

Thanks in advance
Debbie

Pink.

Hi moneysaverdebs,

Welcome to MSE

There's a recent thread that has lots of recipes that should help so I'll add your thread to that one later to keep the replies together:

Cheapest recipes???

These older threads might give you some more ideas too:

Meal for two for 50p. Suggestions?

The Cheapest Healthy Meal Ever!

Feed 6 for £1.62

Cheapest meal

Your Cheapest Evening Meal.

cheap, easy family meals

Show Jamie How To Cook On A Budget Champagne Contest

Meal idea's under £1

Pink

nimbo

not a recpie exactly, but try to bulk out stews/soups with lentils etc as they are mucho cheap, and mucho filling....

try to shop just before the supermarket closes, and but thier marked down stock.... as you do this more often you'll get to know the best times for it...

try to bulk cook as it stops you from ordering a takeaway... (or at least it stops me!!!!) pack up lunches the night before as again it stops the purchase of overpriced soggy sandwhiches....

oh and meal plan, so you can effectively use what is in the cupboards, and rotate stock!!!!

brightonman123

sausage with sweet n sour pasta

frozen sauages £2for 20- ist supermarker budget tranges (7-10 portions?)
tesco sweet n our cooking sauce - 79p (good for 2 portions)
pack of died pasta (£1.50, say - 10p a portion?)

preheat oven to 200'C
bake sausages for approx 20mins (use a grill tray to prevent swimming in fat).

10mins in, start pasta - about 8mins in microwave dish, filled with water..

drain water off the pasta, add sausages (cut into pieces i wanted), add sauce, stir together and m/wave again for 4-5mins.

stir again, serve.

these timigs work for fo 3 sausages, and handful of pasta- may need to adjust for larger servings.

bertiebots

The cheapest meal I do is probably pasta in tomato sauce...
1 pack of sainsburys basic pasta 19p
1 tin tomatoes 19p
clove of garlic 5p (get huge bag of fresh from market for approx 70p)
Pinch of oregano 2p?
1 onion 10p?
This will feed five + and is lovely with some grated cheese on top but obviously this bumps the price up from 55p for the whole meal!