Meal ideas under £1

BAGGY

Small can of sardines in tom sauce
1 onion
1 carrot
1/3 pack value philly
1/2 carton passata
herbs & garlic
pasta
method
Fry finely diced onion and grated carrot (add any bendy veg if needs to be used up). Add the passata and the tinned fish and mash it down. Add herbs and garlic, boil pasta. When pasta nearly done add cream cheese to red sauce. Yum. Tastes expensive but is cheap esp if you buy value brand. About £1.50 for 4 servings

gayleygoo

Spiced Rice

I just made this for my dinner and really enjoyed it, and it was very cheap too!

300g long grain rice (43p)
1 tin sweetcorn (I used everyday value 325g, cost 32p, or use frozen)
1 medium onion, chopped (20p)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1tsp salt
1tsp sugar
2-4 green chillies (60p)
3-4 garlic cloves (10p)
50g red-skinned or plain (unsalted) peanuts (10p-30p)
100g plain yogurt (45p)
60ml sunflower oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp brown mustard seeds

1) Cook rice with salt according to instructions, preferably by the absorption method to preserve flavour and nutrients. Spread the cooked rice out on a baking tray to cool down for a few minutes.
2) Chop the chillies and garlic, add a pinch of salt, and grind together in a pestle and mortar, blender, or use a wooden rolling pin to mash them together on a wooden chopping board, until it's paste-like.
3) Mix the chilli/garlic paste with the peanuts, turmeric, sugar and yogurt. Sprinkle this over the rice and mix lightly with your hands.
4) Heat the oil in the saucepan you cooked the rice in, and fry the cumin and mustard seeds gently for a minute, don't let them burn. Add the chopped onion and cook until just beginning to soft, then add the sweetcorn, cook for another minute. Then add the rice, and cook until heated through, mixing well the whole time. Season and serve.

This works out cheaply if you have most of the ingredients already, particularly the spices (I didn't use the mustard seeds as I didn't have them, and it was yummy anyway). Add a handful of chopped fresh corriander at the end, for extra flavour if you have it, or maybe a pinch of other spices like garam masala or ground coriander.This could feed upto 4 people for under £3 as a lunch or supper, or add some naan bread (homemade for extra moneysaving) and chutney. You can use leftover cooked rice, which makes this a very easy dish, or other types of rice like basmati or wholegrain, for more nutrients. If you do buy spices, they are usually cheaper in the World Foods aisle of supermarkets, and keep them in airtight jars after the packets have been opened to keep them fresh!

ash28

Pasta with brocolli, bacon, cheese and tomato
All from Tesco.
500gm penne pasta - 30p
Everyday value tomatoes - 88p
1kg frozen brocolli - £1.15 - use about 200 - 250gms
Everyday value cooking bacon 500gms - 81p - use 100gms
100gms laurels farm red leicester cheese from the counter - 60p
Boil pasta - just before it's ready throw in the brocolli....then boil for a minute and drain.
Chop and cook bacon.....chop up 4 tomatoes....grate cheese and add to pasta and stir.

Total £3.74 - serves 4 large portions or 5 medium. And you'll have brocolli, tomatoes and cooking bacon left over for another day.

If you add more pasta it will do lunch another day......

Using up some of the bacon and brocolli

Brocolli and bacon risotto
Arborio rice 500gms £1.10
1 onion - 25p
left over cooking bacon 100gms
left over brocolli - 200gms
Leek - loose - 60p
Everyday value veg stock cubes (10) - 15p
Garlic bulb - loose - 25p
2 or 3 cloves crushed or minced.

Fry onions....for a few mins....
Make up stock to 1.5 litres
add sliced leek, garlic and cooking bacon to the pan.
Add 300gms rice to the pan
cook rice for a couple of minutes stirring all the time...add a little bit of stock and stir until the stock has almost gone...add a bit more stock and stir until the stock has almost gone...keep doing this until the stock is used...
Cut the brocolli into florets and add to the pan...cook for about 5 mins.

Serve with black pepper and/or parmesan if you have it
Cost £2.35 for 4.......cheaper if you use basic long grain rice....£1.65 - and you can miss out the leek. £1.05 - but we like them. And you still have a bacon and brocolli left for another day.....

Using up more bacon...you could buy a bag of frozen peas and an onion and make bacon and pea risotto ....1kg Country store garden peas - Tesco - 99p - loose onion - 25p

Using up more bacon and peas/brocolli
Spanish rice
50gm chorizo - deli counter tesco - 40p
loose onion - 25p
1 red and 1 green pepper - tesco - 2 for £1
1kg long grain rice - 40p
2 garlic cloves - crushed.....left over from previous purchas
can chopped tomatoes - 31p
100gm bacon chopped
100gm peas/brocolli

Fry onion, chorizo, bacon, peppers and garlic over a high heat for a couple of minutes....mean while boil the kettle.
Stir in tinned tomatoes and 300gms rice.....pour over 500ml boiling water
Cover and cook over a highish heat for 10 mins
Uncover and add peas/brocolli and more water if needed - cook for another fiew mins until peas/brocolli are heated through and the rice is tender.
£2.36 for 4.....with rice left over......


Pasta in a creamy sauce.
500gm penne pasta - 30p
Everyday value cream cheese - 49p
Tesco Trattoria green pesto - 80p
Tesco savoury garlic bread slices (10) 65p or large french stick

Boil pasta
Add cream cheese and pesto - to taste and let melt into the pasta - Serve with the garlic bread.

Cost £2.24 - serves 4 or 5

Once you're on a roll you could go on forever!!!

Butterfly_Brain

Cook ½ packet of spaghetti and 2 frozen garlic baguettes, then take the garlic butter out of the garlic baguette and add to the spaghetti, grate one baguette into bread crumbs and sprinkle over the spaghetti and serve with what is left of the bread............ very tasty and cheap
spaghetti 19p for 500g Aldi and 2 frozen garlic baguettes 65p serves three of us..............73p for the whole meal 24p a portion.

Chilli Tuna noodles
Tin of tuna chunks 61p Aldi
¾ pack egg noodles 30p (49p Aldi)
¼ pack frozen peppers 25p (£1 a bag farmfoods)
2 cloves garlic (25p for a bulb 8 to 10 cloves so 6p for two cloves)
chilli to taste 5p
½ tin tomatoes 15.5p

£1.41 or 47p per portion serves three people easily
gently fry the garlic and chilli and add to a pan with the tomatoes, tuna, and peppers and gently heat through trying not to stir because it will break up the tuna. Meanwhile boil the noodles.
When the noodles are cooked drain then add the sauce
simple, quick cheap and easy.

skidia

I'm new to MSE and the forums so don't know if this is in the right place but I really do have to get on top of my spending. Starting with food, starting today, starting here.

I am attempting to last to August 6th using only the money in my wallet (£8.50) and the food in my cupboards/freezer/fridge. This is just feeding me, and I will spend a weekend away with my parents so that's 2 days covered, but that's 12 days at 70p a day, to cover all meals!

I do have a fair bit in store though, and some bits in the garden. Any help in planning meals greatly received!

Below is my inventory

Fridge:
Greek yoghurt 200ml
Mozzarella (2 chunks)
Cooked red cabbage (needs eating)
Medium tomato
Milk
Lime juice

Cupboard:
Flat H/M bread 200g

Beef consomme -tin 400g
Chopped tomatoes 400g (2)
Tuna chunks tin 139g

Udon noodle packet (3)
Pasta shells 250g
Spaghetti 300g
Tagliatelle 250g
Rice 500g
Bulgar wheat 1/2 pack 250g
Popcorn maize 400g

Onions (3)
Garlic - 1 head
Shallots (5)

Corn meal 250g
Plain flour 500g

Soft brown sugar 400g
Desiccated coconut 75g
Flaked almonds 75g
Cashew nuts 45g

Quaker porridge oats sachets (10)
Peanut butter 125g
Thick cut marmalade 450g

Red wine vinegar 10ml
Soy sauce 10ml
Sriracha chilli sauce
Balsamic vinegar 200ml
Worcestershire sauce
Wholegrain mustard 225g
Vegetable bouillon
Beef stock -knorr gravy pot
Yeast - easy bake (4)

Olive oil 125ml
Olive oil spray 150ml
Ale and onion sauce packet 200g
Stir fry sauce packet- oyster and spring onion 120g (1)

Freezer:
Chicken stock, homemade, frozen 150g
Frozen cut leeks 750g
Frozen Pak choi x 2
Frozen peas 150g
Frozen summer fruits 450g
Pollock fillet (3)
Raw prawns 125g
Ready meal sweet chilli chicken and rice

Garden:
Lamb's lettuce - 8 handfuls
Rocket- 5 handfuls ready in a week
Mint
Rosemary
Courgettes - 6 x finger length

[Deleted User]

Half of a £1 ASDA Quiche, and a 19p tin of ALDI new potatoes.

And for a second meal.

The other half of the £1 ASDA Quiche, and two packs of ASDA Instant Noodles.

joedenise

skidia wrote: »

I'm new to MSE and the forums so don't know if this is in the right place but I really do have to get on top of my spending. Starting with food, starting today, starting here.

You'd be better starting a new thread as this will get lost within this one.

There are already a couple of threads on here on similar lines. One is called something like "£7 for a week's meals" and another along the lines of "£20 for a month". Sorry I can't do links to them but use the search at the top of the forum.

Denise

skidia

Thanks, I guess I'll start a new thread then

Berni888

skidia wrote: »

Thanks, I guess I'll start a new thread then

You can also view for tips this one about not buying anything for 6 months!
And this one for challenge for no purchases but to eat out of cupboards and freezer.

I'm sure there's a meal plan one too some place that members are really helpful on but you'll have to do a search as I've gotta go. You'll be surprised at what you can make stretch. Really hope you get on top of the food bill .

paul0909

1kg whole asda smart price chicken £2.50 dice it.

sharwoods cook in curry sauces 2 for £2 pound usually £1.69 each wide variety

1kg smart price rice 40p

could easily feed 6 for £4.90


or


500grams of asda smart price cooking bacon 81p trim the fat and dice it

500grams of asda smart price pasta 29p

200g Philadelphia Soft Cheese £1


boil the pasta cook the bacon add to a bowl and mix with cheese.

delicious cheese and ham pasta for only £2.10 and can feed upto 3-4