April 2008 Grocery Challenge

Fi27

MrDT wrote: »

I figure you can probably all work out the workings of a bacon casserole, but if there's interest I can post a recipe

Oh yes, we definately want the recipie please! :T

Well done with your meal plan it looks really good

funkyfunkymonkey

Mr DT, loved your meal plan, looks great - lots of variety, healthy and cheap.

Totally agree on the tap water, I love the water where I live and do not like bottled - unless flavoured and fizzy - what a waste of money when it is so cheap straight from the tap.

Not everyone likes their tap water though, so I do understand when others say they would not drink theirs. But I would suggest everyone tries drinking plain tap water, it's very mse.

I'm currently saving a fortune on squash as I have converted DS and DD to plain tap water - they are now drinking more and there is less risk to their teeth (and potential dentist bills).

Yes please to the recipe.

FFM

MrDT

It's really simple and cheap, prices based on tesco a little while back, no time to check if they've gone up recently I'm afraid.

Tatws pum munud (aka bacon casserole)

INGREDIENTS:
1kg cooking bacon (£1.40)
400g loose new potatoes (£0.28) [sweet potatoes also work well]
200g button mushroom (£0.46)
1 1/2 large onion (£0.44)
2 cubes vegetable stock (£0.04)
100g carrots (£0.09) [use frozen if you like]
100g peas (£0.07) [use frozen if you like]
100g sweetcorn (£0.08) [use frozen if you like]
some oil (£0.01?)
sprinkle salt (£0.01?)
sprinkle crushed black pepper (£0.01?)
water (£0.00)

METHOD:

1) Cut any huge chunks of fat from the cooking bacon. Don't bother removing it all, you need some of it, and it's a myth that eating fat makes you fat anyway. You may find another use for the fat but to be honest I tend to throw it out

2) Clean and chop the potatoes and mushrooms roughly. Don't bother peeling the potatoes.

3) Peel and roughly chop the onions, lightly fry them in the oil to soften a little. Drain the oil.

4) Add all the ingredients (other than stock cubes and water) to your cooking thingermajig of choice (can be made in a huge pan on a hob, pyrex casserole dish in the oven, or crock pot in slow cooker - i have never personally tried the pan, tend to go for the casserole dish)

5) Stir it all up, it doesn't matter if you can't mix it too well (this seriously fills my casserole dish so have trouble doing so myself) you will be stirring when it's part cooked anyway and it gets easier when everything's a bit softer

6) Make up the stock with boiling water (or substitute with any stock you have from boiling bones etc) and add to the mixture.

7) Top up with water til all ingredients are just about covered.

Cook on a low heat for a long time, checking and stirring every hour. This isn't an exact science, but for this kind of quantity I tend to put the casserole dish in the oven at about 160c for anything from four to six hours.

I'm not sure that this is the 'correct' way of making the dish, I figure most people change it to suit their tastes. I've tried adding a couple of tins of tomato before now, was nice, but I prefer without. Mum does hers without the sweetcorn peas or carrots, gran doesn't add mushroom etc. Just have a play around with it really

If you give it a try let me know what you think, maybe I just like it for the 'nostalgia factor', but I think it's delicious and a pretty healthy meal really

Oh, and you can expect this vat of food to fill up four adults as a main meal easily, I have a healthy appetite and this does me for at least 4 main meals (freezes ok but the potatoes do tend to go a bit 'soggy'), or can be spread out over eight lunches with a bit of crusty bread for dipping, all at a cost of under £3 total. Maybe I'll add to the Jamie Champers thread lol, been a bit shy so far as I'm not exactly masterchef lol!!


edit: and thanks for the big welcome everyone!!

weezl74

MrDT wrote: »

Tatws pum munud (aka bacon casserole)

Thanks Mr DT, looks nomnomnom (this is grocery challenge speak for 'yum yum yum' and was coined by MrsMacawber)

Just a question, doesn't the title mean '5 minute potatoes'?

My Welsh ought to be better after 15 yrs here!:o

Weezl x

funkyfunkymonkey

MrDT wrote: »

Maybe I'll add to the Jamie Champers thread lol, been a bit shy so far as I'm not exactly masterchef lol!!

Definitely one to add to the Jamie O thread.

Link for anyone who hasn't been following it: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=816965

I've just tried the giant jaffa cake - we've just had it for dessert. I up sized it to a 220g flan case ('cos it was only 10p more for twice the size) and it will do a family of 4 for pudding twice. Total cost was £1.34. It was loverly...

FFM

Frugaldom

Thanks for adding me in this month again
It's going to take me ages to read the posts that are already on the April thread but I'll try to do it by the 1st April, when my new month begins, and I'll post my final March spend at same time. Good luck to all - I LOVE being part of this challenge! It is saving me a fortune and making me realise just how stretchy various foods really are! :rotfl:

MrDT

weezl74 wrote: »

Thanks Mr DT, looks nomnomnom (this is grocery challenge speak for 'yum yum yum' and was coined by MrsMacawber)

Just a question, doesn't the title mean '5 minute potatoes'?

My Welsh ought to be better after 15 yrs here!:o

Weezl x

hehe i know 'nom nom nom' from a website called icanhascheezburger.com, whenever there are pictures of cats eating things the caption involves nomnomnom :rotfl:

you are indeed correct, '5 minute potatoes' is the english translation. bit of a joke when cooking time is 4-6 hours, but the idea is that the preperation time can be as little as five minutes, another reason it appeals to me!

savingfortravel

MrDT
Welcome and thanks for the bacon casserole recipe. OB has got the flu but his little face lit up when I mentioned it!!!!
SFT

nicky1306

Mr DT,

Your bacon casorole recipie looks luurvely! When you say "cooking bacon" I have a smoked bacon joint in my fridge that I would normally boil and have as boiled bacon and veg, could this be used? am i being dumb?!!

Skint_Catt

£175 - determined to beat this budget! Will be easier in May as I'm changing jobs and will have more time but lets give it a go!