cheap and cheerful meals

[chris.g]

After seeing on the forum a few people asking for advice on cooking on a budget, I thought we could have a thread of recipes.

My cheap concoction would be chicken soupstew, great for these cold days to warm you up.

When we've had chicken, I boil the carcass until the meat has dropped off. Seive the stock and if there's any chunks of meat pick them out. Put in more or less anything you can, potatoes, carrots, turnip, garlic, leeks, any pulses, herbs, stock cube, salt & pepper and finish it off with some quick cook pasta, put any chicken that was saved back in making sure there are no bones. As most of the ingredients are usually in the house anyhow it's cheap, easy and filling. [:)]

[cat 1]

I do corned beef hash and dumpling.Plenty of carrots added.Think the whole thing must cost around £2.50.The kids love it.Tonight made a big fish pie (good friday you see)I thought my youngest was going to puke.She said it was ''mingin''.Don't I just love 'em?

[emma_t]

My friend does a mean corned beef hash and its lovely and so cheap to make.
Pasta is great also as you can add almost anything to it and it tastes great!

I also eat a lot of homemade soup and add lots of pulses and beans to it to make it more of a meal which is great.

[angela18]

i always make a big pan of chilli and freeze it in portions!! lasts for weeks

another cheap meal is liver, can only have when bairn is out she thinks we're cannibals especially when we have with black pudding[:D]

[chris.g]

haha, I'm the only one who likes liver and black pudding, even the hubby who has ate frogs legs, squid/octopus and sushi can't stomach it. I love it fried with lashings of onions, poured over homemade fat chips.........Mmmmmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it......[^][^]

Mind you, I can't touch tripe.....Arghhhhhh..........that IS minging!!!!!![V][:(][xx(]

[angela18]

you've missed the bacon with fried liver and onions. mmmmm. tripe is minging!!!

i paid 64p for liver and was loads in the pack

[maxdebt]

I cook our favourite vegetarian budget meal in our slow cooker. It’s a real bottom of the fridge/veg box meal. Carrots/turnip/potatoes/garlic etc chopped into inch chunks thrown into the slow cooker. You can even add frozen veg if you want. Then add 1 -2 tins chopped tomatoes plus red lentils (thickens it up nicely)and whatever seasoning you have available ( I use dried mixed herbs+ Worcestershire Sauce+veg stock cube+pepper and a bit of salt) My wife likes it a bit more fiery and adds chilli powder ( instead of worchestershire sauce) Set the slow cooker off. An hour before serving turn your slow cooker to high and make up a dumpling mix (30p from asda). Add that to the top of your stew and 45 mins later a complete tasty meal [:)]

[olympic_torch]

Unfortunately, Mrs Torch is culinary challenged.
She made a rhubarb pie last week, it was a foot long and an inch wide.

[maxdebt]

I am stuck in all day (once again my wife is at work all day and I am left holding the babies!)
I just started a cheap and lazy meal using my slow cooker. Asda are doing Coleman’s recipe mix’s 4 for £2. I noticed some of them say ‘Slow Cooker Friendly’ on the back. Any friend of a slow cooker is a friend of mine [:)] I bought 4 of them!!
I chopped some braising steak, carrots, onions and a potato and tossed it into my 3.5 litre slow cooker along with the Beef casserole mix. Usually to cook beef in a slow cooker you would need to cook it for at least 10 hours on LOW. That would be too late for us so I have set it away on HIGH and I will just keep an eye on it. I’m going to serve it with some baby charlotte potatoes.
Anyway I am off to empty last night’s towels from the tumble drier, put away the washing, bathe the kids, get them dressed, clean the bathroom, put on the washing etc etc etc whilst my wife he haw’s all day with her work chums! Sheesh!!

[chris.g]

Oh what a terrible life you have maxdebt, I can hear the violins now......lol

[maxdebt]

Indeed. [:D] She put her coffee down long enough to phone me to say she is working all day tomorrow now ( overtime, we need the money!) so I will have to do the Sunday stuff (strip, wash and remake 5 beds!) Ah well the money will be handy [:)]

[angela18]

poor you.. wish i didn't have to work..

[Moneystinks]

I need help...


I've got some Macaroni pasta in my cupboard that I would like to make Macaroni Cheese with (beleive it or not).

Last time I tried it turned out like lumpy wallpaper paste. Has anyone got a really good (good means easy!) recipe?

Thanks [:I]

[suzanne100268]

Marie - follow this link to tesco website. I make this macaroni for my son - its quick and easy but more importantly cheap (and he loves it).
http://www.tesco.com/recipes/product.as ... 33%7CPasta

[kallis3]

My hubbie is the culinary expert in our house! He is very good at doing huge chilli's, spag bol, curry and it makes loads, so gives us lots of meals.

Last night he did a chicken concoction with chicken breast, some herby potatoes with cheese and some tomato salsa. Tasted a whole lot better than it sounds! It must have been good as daughter says he can do it again! At least this time he can remember what he did - most of his concoctions are one off's.

We too love liver and onions and bacon. Not tried it with black pudding though, will have to do so, sounds good.

Tripe? Uuuuurgh!