Super frugal recipes

pandamonium

I realise you are after recipes for yourself, but JackieO is a legend when it comes to stretching food and making a meal from nothing. If you PM her she will send you a copy of her cookbook.

frosty

When my sons were teenagers it was difficult to fill them up.
I used to buy French sticks from Tesco when they reduced them to 10p each,slice them lengthways and place them on a baking tray spread with tomato sauce and top with grated cheese and then add anything that needed using up in the fridge,then bake until cheese was bubbling it was a great hit when their friends turned up.

jackyann

I think I may have misunderstood as well, but home that you can get something helpful from the replies.
I had a relative rather like this, and he has grown out of it.
I do think that I would allow him simply to eat plain rice or pasta, if that's what he will eat and it's what you can afford. Our family did this, and it took the pressure off.
If he has got a special need or mental health issue, then an appropriate referral, including dietician would be a good idea.

Poppy1984

PasturesNew wrote: »

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.

Thank you brilliant tips here!!

Poppy1984

buildersdaughter wrote: »

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!

I will have a chat with him, he's happy to make meals for himself, he'd live off rubbish if I let him but I worry about him getting good food when he's growing so much.

He doesn't like bacon, sausages, lentils, jacket potatoes or coleslaw :mad:

Poppy1984

maman wrote: »

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.

No SEND just very fussy to the point it's like a phobia, I didn't really explain myself fully in my op.
I'm trying to be very frugal with my food shopping because I'm currently trying to pay off debt.
I'm not starving so that DS can have extravagant meals hehe. I just want to experiment with very frugal recipes for myself

I already shop at Aldi but the odd things I have to buy else where yes you guessed it for DS!

Thank you for all those meal ideas I've made a note, some great ones there!!! I could quite happily eat all of those

Poppy1984

frosty wrote: »

When my sons were teenagers it was difficult to fill them up.
I used to buy French sticks from Tesco when they reduced them to 10p each,slice them lengthways and place them on a baking tray spread with tomato sauce and top with grated cheese and then add anything that needed using up in the fridge,then bake until cheese was bubbling it was a great hit when their friends turned up.

I love this idea thankyou! He won't eat tomatoe sauce but would probably have garlic butter and cheese I on the other hand love the sound of the pizza sticks! this thread is making me hungry lol

Poppy1984

jackyann wrote: »

I think I may have misunderstood as well, but home that you can get something helpful from the replies.
I had a relative rather like this, and he has grown out of it.
I do think that I would allow him simply to eat plain rice or pasta, if that's what he will eat and it's what you can afford. Our family did this, and it took the pressure off.
If he has got a special need or mental health issue, then an appropriate referral, including dietician would be a good idea.

It was my fault, the way I written the op was confusing! I do hope he grows out of it. He is better than he used to be when he was little. I will have a chat with him. There's no additional needs or mental health problem thankfully.

Brambling

A thick vegetable soup is cheap and filling especially if you add things like potatoes or lentils and can be made with what veg is on offer or as a way of using left over veg lurking in the bottom of the fridge. A mug of soup Is also good to help fill you up before dinner, therefore eating less of something more expensive.

Poppy1984

Brambling wrote: »

A thick vegetable soup is cheap and filling especially if you add things like potatoes or lentils and can be made with what veg is on offer or as a way of using left over veg lurking in the bottom of the fridge. A mug of soup Is also good to help fill you up before dinner, therefore eating less of something more expensive.

Oh yes I love making homemade soups!