Super frugal recipes

Poppy1984

Hi I'm really struggling with the cost of food.
I love to cook and I am happy to from scratch and I also love to batch cook and freeze. I am not a fussy eater I will eat most things within reason.
So I should have no problem eating on a show string. However my teenage son with hollow legs is extremely fussy and so difficult to feed! I find myself spending the bulk of my shopping money (£50 a week including all toilertries and household cleaning products etc) on his food and then what's left I try to buy food that I can stretch as much as possible, e.g. 23p noodles that I can pad out with a bit of veg. Mince that I will pad out and batch cook meals with.

I'm looking for some ideas for meals that are extremely cheap to make but still tasty and reasonably healthy. If my DS wasn't so fussy I'd be able to feed us so cheaply but I'm struggling! My partner also comes to stay some weekends so meals for him too (he does contribute to the food shopping when he stays I must add)

Whenever I've googled cheap meal ideas I end up finding lots of recipes that are not cheap at all. Avocado on toast! Avocados cost a fortune!!!!

Ideally I need things that are cheap that I can streeeeeech as much as possible.

Any ideas most welcome

PasturesNew

If you're trying to feed somebody else cheaper then you need to start by identifying what they currently eat that's costing the most and working out how to skip the most expensive parts, or substitute it with something similar.

e.g. chilli contains a pepper .... which isn't "needed" really.
Even "toast" can be reduced to "cheaper/cheapest bread" if it's just being scoffed. And cheese can be changed from "nice/best cheese" to "what's the cheapest mature cheddar".

Look at what you cook and price up everything you cook and identify the budget busting items that can be swapped or omitted entirely.

Even a jacket spud with beans doesn't need butter ....

Don't change what you're cooking - change some individual ingredients within it + look at extra cheap sides so you can cut down on portion sizes. Load up with "cheaper filling extras" to detract from the fact you skimped a bit on the main part.

spadoosh

Hows he fussy?

IM not a huge fan of the packet noodles myself but wouldnt consider myself a fussy eater, id just prefer something better. For me it could be egg on toast which you can get cheaper than 23p.

I cant imagine theres many kids (excluding the anti meat eaters) in the country that are particullarly fussy about mince. Its the base ingredient of burgers, kebabs, meatballs, sausages. Which are normally quite high up on the list of preferred foods.

My big ones are always curries. Learn to make a good curry paste, tin of chopped tomatoes, tin of coconut milk and whatever meat and veg you fancy. There will be a hit on the initial cost if you need the spices but the rest can be scraps from meals and the tinned tomatoes and coconut milk can be had for about 50p each. Youll get a few portions out of it too. Beans and lentils are cheap fillers.

Poppy1984

He eats very plain dry food, no mince, no sauce, nothing mixed or combined. To make sure he eats Okayish for a growing teen I end up spending more to feed him. Because he's so fussy he notices any tweaks or ingredients he doesn't like. He's a nightmare to feed!

I on the other hand don't mind what I eat really so I'm happy to get your suggestions even obscure ones lol

spadoosh

Hard tack it is then. An added bonus it should keep him quiet for a few hours.

Flatbreads seem to be an in thing. And dont get much easier to make, its flour water and a bit of salt. Add salad for a summer wrap, add chesse/tomatoe for a pizza like experience, add cooked meat for a more wholesome meal.

Most stuff you cook in batch is sauce based so i can see the hurdle there, youre going to be more limited to a meat and two veg approach.

Have you tried chicken/turkey mince? Less fat so usually less taste.

Can you give us some ideas of the meals you usually give him, think itll be easier go off a few ingredients we know he does like as opposed to a throw everything to see what works approach.

Poppy1984

It's more cheap recipe ideas for myself I'd like suggestions on, there's no point going over what DS will eat on here as he isn't going to change any time soon. Yea meat and two veg (no gravy) plain pasta plain rice that sort of thing.
I think I'll give the flat bread pizzas a go. DS would maybe eat that with some cheese and garlic on as he will eat garlic bread but not pizza.

I love the idea of super cheap meals I can make for myself that cost pence and that I can batch cook and freeze.

spadoosh

Ahhh sorry, thought you where after meals for the two of you.

First thing is dont buy anything pre made. So no dolmio sauces, curry sauces, fajita mixes etc etc. The sauces are just tomatoes and a few herbs/spices. Probably too much salt to boot. Get a good stock of herbs and spices bought in. Which should be a good base for most bulk based meals.

My go to fave quick recipe is spaghetti carbonara. I use tagliatelli because i like to think im posh but its not that much more expensive and can definitely use proper spaghetti. Cook pasta, meanwhile get a bit of double cream and a couple of eggs beaten, add in a bit of grated hard cheese, i normally use about 100g for two of us but its to taste. Fry lardons/bacon. Take pasta off heat and drain, put back in pan and add all the ingredients whilst stirring. Its not italian spaghetti carbonara and theres a few cheats but its good.

Swap lardons out for back bacon. Swap back bacon out for streaky. Swap streaky out for ham. BUlk up with mushrooms if needed but its pretty filling anyway.

Be careful about not wasting the double cream or it can be more expensive than it needs to be, you wont need a lot and they tend to sell them much bigger than needed for carbonara, but then crem in my eyes is a fridge stable. Eat as part of a healthy diet. :rotfl:

Poppy1984

Thank you!!! That's exactly the type of thing I'm after! I will definitely try the carbonara next time my partner is here, already got spaghetti in the cupboard.

I have a big selection of herbs and spices already and always get value tinned tomatoes etc.

buildersdaughter

I know it's not what you were asking, but I have fed teenagers on a budget, and this is how I approached it:
Ask about what he likes - it sounds as if he isn't extravagant, so that should be helpful. Identify what is difficult to afford, batch cook, cook in the time available etc.
Enlist him to cook - if only for himself. Work towards challenging him to produce meals within the budget.
All of this is good for his future. I am assuming he doesn't have special needs which might make this difficult.
I actually think he'd get on with the meals my kids liked, and this is what I would make:
plain pasta & rice, with bits of left-overs chucked in, tiny bits of crisped up streaky bacon, cold sausages chopped up into little pieces. I'd also see if he might like lentils chucked in, as most kids complain they are 'dry'!
Mushy peas? Very cheap to make from scratch.
I agree about burgers, and would suggest home-made meatballs as well, all an be stretched with lentils or beans.
Jacket potatoes? I blessed these! Again, any little bits and pieces can be added.
Have you tried HM coleslaw without mayonnaise? Mine loved that, and very cheap!

Hope that helps!

maman

I hadn't realised you wanted recipes just for you. I know you didn't ask for comments about your son but it does seem strange to try to eat even more cheaply yourself to let your son carry on being 'fussy'. I apologise if he has Asperger's or other SEND issue as I know not mixing foods can be a trait.


I'd make a big pot (I do mine in the SC) of veggie chilli. Pulses are cheap enough and I add onions and mushrooms and courgettes and of course tomatoes along with the flavourings. I even chop up (coarse outer layer removed) the thick stalk from broccoli. Personally I adapt the Hairy Bikers chilli con carne recipe but there are loads of recipes online. http://www.hairybikers.com/recipes/view/chilli-con-carne#4JmjK3RPALmmtRQd.97 I freeze this is portions and have it with either rice or a jacket potato.


Other simple dishes to make for one are things like omelettes and stir fries. Again, you don't need to use meat (usually the most expensive part of a dish) and I just use some soy sauce and a bit of Chinese 5 Spice so no need for expensive bought in sauces. These taste good with noodles.


You can also save by where you choose to shop. I do most of my shopping in Aldi and always try to buy their Super 6 when possible. This week they have swede, carrot, red and white cabbage and parsnips and Maris Piper are only 29p a bag. Ideal for making a roast when your partner's around or just use sausages to make it cheaper than a joint of meat/chicken (f you are going to roast meat then Jamie Oliver's recipe for pork shoulder is lush). https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pork-recipes/6-hour-slow-roasted-pork-shoulder/




I make a big pot of braised red cabbage (adapt Delia's recipe) https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/collections/life-in-the-freezer/traditional-braised-red-cabbage-with-apples and also swede & carrot mash and freeze in portions. That way you can take advantage of the offers on fresh food but you don't have to eat it all in one week.

NewShadow

spadoosh wrote: »

Ahhh sorry, thought you where after meals for the two of you.

First thing is dont buy anything pre made. So no dolmio sauces, curry sauces, fajita mixes etc etc. The sauces are just tomatoes and a few herbs/spices. Probably too much salt to boot. Get a good stock of herbs and spices bought in. Which should be a good base for most bulk based meals.

My go to fave quick recipe is spaghetti carbonara. I use tagliatelli because i like to think im posh but its not that much more expensive and can definitely use proper spaghetti. Cook pasta, meanwhile get a bit of double cream and a couple of eggs beaten, add in a bit of grated hard cheese, i normally use about 100g for two of us but its to taste. Fry lardons/bacon. Take pasta off heat and drain, put back in pan and add all the ingredients whilst stirring. Its not italian spaghetti carbonara and theres a few cheats but its good.

Swap lardons out for back bacon. Swap back bacon out for streaky. Swap streaky out for ham. BUlk up with mushrooms if needed but its pretty filling anyway.

Be careful about not wasting the double cream or it can be more expensive than it needs to be, you wont need a lot and they tend to sell them much bigger than needed for carbonara, but then crem in my eyes is a fridge stable. Eat as part of a healthy diet. :rotfl:

Save money and be more authentic - don't use cream in carbonara at all!

:cool:

https://bakeplaysmile.com/easy-fettuccine-carbonara/