The cheap meal thread

[mrsfran]

A ham hock costs less than £2 and will do you 3 meals. Boil it with some veg and you get loads of ham and a a very nice stock. Use the ham for sandwiches, risotto, soup, salad, whatever you like. Make a soup with the stock - lentil soup is particularly nice with ham stock.

Recipe

Ham hock FTW.

 

[Badgers]

Pasta+pesto+cheese

I like this ^ ^
Pasta, tuna and tomato pasta sauce is also good
Jacket potatoes are hearty, reasonably priced
Homemade burgers are a treat and not too pricey

You can't beat beans on toast though

 

[seeformiles]

Curried pizza noodle naan:

Get a packet of 2 naan breads - spread with butter or marg and add a hopped clove of garlic to each
Cook a cheap pack of noodles (about 20p) and add a tin of toms plus curry powder
Place on top of naans and top with a bit of cheese and some chillis
bake in oven for 20 mins

Serves 2

 

[ringo]

Dal and rice.

Probably the so called "peasant" food from most countries, refritos, veg soups, colcannon.

 

[Epona]

I make loads of ratatouille cos it's versatile - with rice or pasta or spuds as a meal in itself, veg side dish to go with other meals, in a jacket spud, and leftovers also make a good base for curries with the addition of spices and say potatoes and chickpeas or lentils etc.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

A beef stew made with stewing steak and a load of root vegetables costs next to nothing. Stick in a few dumplings if you must!

 

[Disaster]

Tesco value chicken flavour noodles. 8p

 

[May Kasahara]

mash. a bowl of mashed potato jazzed up with some cheese/garlic/mustard/pesto etc. is a surprisingly effective tea.

 

[bouncer_the_dog]

Ratatouille.. I would suggest spending more on decent Aubergines, Tomatoes, Courgettes and Onions (and I find a bit of sieved tomatoes helps). The quantity you get is huge and usually enough to feed about 8 people!!

 

[moomoo]

Ratatouille.. I would suggest spending more on decent Aubergines, Tomatoes, Courgettes and Onions (and I find a bit of sieved tomatoes helps). The quantity you get is huge and usually enough to feed about 8 people!!

And it freezes well.

 

[tarannau]

It goes all sloppy and tastes more bitter after freezing imo. Soggy ratatouille ain't half as nice imo.

 

[moomoo]

It goes all sloppy and tastes more bitter after freezing imo. Soggy ratatouille ain't half as nice imo.

Mines always been alright.

 

[bouncer_the_dog]

I cook all four ingredients seperatley then whack them all together with th sieved tomatoes. I got that fromt he Hugh Fernly Whittstall book. Oh yesw i cook the tomatoes whole!! Anyway its a a high cost but the quantity you get means its cheap per massive portion...

 

[tarannau]

I am, however, a fussy fucker. Overcooked veg is a no no for me. Timing the various veg in ratatouille is the big challenge afaic.

Personally I'm a bit of a fan of pastas on a budget. Spaghetti simply with oil, garlic and browned breadcrumbs, or with a chilli and tomato arrabiata sauce, or with a couple of eggs and leftover ham/bacon. Even macaroni, thyme, mince peas and couple of tomatoes - with a splash of pepper sauce as my gran used to make it.

 

[Kanda]

Supernoodle/Pot Noodle Sarnies.

 

[Rollem]

pasta bake - pasta, mozzy cheese, tin toms, and lashing of basil / black pepper to taste (add pancetta or bacon if you have spare pennies)

 

[CharlieAddict]

rice n' peas.

egg fried rice - spring onions, and peas and an egg!

HK fried noodles with the crunchy bits.

 

[rennie]

Pasta and pesto? Frozen pizza from Iceland?

 

[Part 2]

Cheap noodle soup.

9p noodles, chilli sauce, mackerel in tomato sauce, coriander, veg: onion, pepper, spinach, mushroom

Probably disgusting for some but I eat loads of it.

 

[Yetman]

Peanut butter

 

[zenie]

Pasta+pesto+cheese

I just about lived on that badboy for three months last year

I have done this too for months on end, I can't really eat pasta and pesto now I ate it for so long

At least I can still eat toast!

Tesco value chicken flavour noodles. 8p

Oh yes, I sometimes put ham in mine too.

I like making Bratkartoffeln, it's a German dish made from fried potatoes with onions and bacon, yummy!!!!

 

[FabricLiveBaby!]

Spaghetti bolognese - Every time.

Tho chicken livers and creamed spinach is good too.


I was working out how much we spent on our bolognese meal.

Shopping list:

2 cans tined tomato: 42 p.
2 onions : 40p
1 carrot : 12 p
2 packs of bacon: £4
Bogof mince: £5 for 1kg
500g pork mince : £1.84
tomato puree (tube) : 40p

Herbs: Basil, marjoram, salt, pepper, garlic.

Pasta Massive bag - Like 3 kg: £3.


OK so of these ingredients we use:

2 cans Tomato: 42p
2 onions : 40p
1 carrot : 12 p
2 rashers of bacon: (4/2/8)*2 = 50p
250g pork mince: 92p
250g beef mince: 1.25
1/4 tube puree: 10p
herbs, about 20p in total
pasta 1/8th bag 37p.

Total meal for 4 = £4.28


serving per person £1.07

 

[seeformiles]

Cheap noodle soup.

9p noodles, chilli sauce, mackerel in tomato sauce, coriander, veg: onion, pepper, spinach, mushroom

Probably disgusting for some but I eat loads of it.

Take out the mackeral and I'd eat it.

 

[Part 2]

Take out the mackeral and I'd eat it.

even cheaper then

 

[fractionMan]

Tom yum noodle soup

Pot of tom yum paste = 1.55. You probably get enough for 40 bowls of soup out of that. So I'll say 5p per portion.
Dried egg/rice noodles 20p per portion max (or use the 9p noodles without the flavouring)
Random veg (half a carrot, half a pepper or something) 50p max
Bit of random meat/seafood (you don't need much - 1 chicken thigh is plenty or a small handful of prawns) 50p max
Dash of fish sauce 1p.

so anywhere between 50p and 1.25 a portion and ready in ten minutes.

 

[newme]

OK, saying that I believe you can get some manky liver for 25p and some onions for ten pence - where the fuck are you able to buy tins of potatoes, peas and carrots for 65p ??? And enough to last you for two meals?

Tesco
Tinned Potatoes - 25p
Tinned sliced carrots - 12p
Tinned Peas - 18p iirc.

 

[KellyDJ]

Jacket potatoes
Home made soups
Mixed bean chilli
Beans and egg on toast

 

[newme]

My 'Ive got washing up to do so this can cook while I do it' cheap pasta dish

250g pasta - Sainsburys 19p per 500g - so 9.5p
Tinned Kidney Beans - 16p
250g Beef/Pork Mince - Tesco 1kg for 1.40 so 35p
One onion - 12p
Tesco Pasta Sauce - 25p, or if ive got the herbs around or prefer something with Chilis then Tinned Tomatoes 21p
Then if I feel it needs bulking out a bit then a Tin of Sweetcorn - 25p

So 1.21 with everything in, makes enough to cover two platter sized plates 2-3 inches high. So maybe probably the size of at least 4 ready meals. Or two large meals, or me if Ive not managed to eat all day.

So 30p for a single portion, 60p for a struggling to move portion and 1.21 for a struggle to move then shortly fall asleep portion.

 

[fractionMan]

you can make chicken or beef curry pretty cheap too.

1 big spoon pataks paste = 30p
2 onions = 20p
2 peppers or aubergine or some frozen spinach or something= £1 max
4 cloves garlic = 20p
1 tub yoghurt or bit of creamed coconut or fresh corriander or something = 50p
cheap chicken or beef = 2 quid (beef shin is good, as are chicken thighs)

Serves 4 at around a quid a portion including rice if you cut back on one of the other ingredients a bit.

 

[cesare]

Tesco
Tinned Potatoes - 25p
Tinned sliced carrots - 12p
Tinned Peas - 18p iirc.

55p, but not two meals worth

That is cheap though, is that their value range?