Times are hard, the cost of living is rising, and so, like many people, I’m trying to cook cheaper meals for the family. I recently did the Piri-piri chicken wing, wedges and corn traybake from BBC Food.
Wings are cheap, potatoes are cheap, and corn isn’t crazy expensive. The limes were probably the most extravagent ingredient. Total price, probably £2-£3 per person.
It was great, and the family all enjoyed it. To the point where it would go on the regular rotation even if we had suitcases full of cash stashed around the place!
What are your best economical recipes that aren’t just beans, chickpeas, and rice? Meals you actively looks forward to, rather than just a budget way of getting calories inside you?
On my list for the coming week:
- Carbonara
- Sausage and mash with onion gravy
- Chicken Quesadillas
- Mac and Cheese with salad
- Spicy black bean tacos
- Stir-fried tofu
- Slow cooker leek and potato soup
I can supply recipes for any of these.
Egg fried rice is my go to, I lived on it for 3 months without eating any other meals during the start of the cost of living crisis. You can make 2 portions from 2 eggs, 300ml of rice, soy sauce, ketchup and any mixed frozen veg. Sometimes I would even add some meat if I could get it for cheap. Overall I managed to get my spending down to about £2-3 a week towards the middle of 2022. I adapted a recipe that’s meant to be the filling for Omurice and if you can get some sweet bbq sauce works really well instead of ketchup.
Start cooking the rice in the morning, then leave it in a sieve with a lid over it for the rest of the day. When it’s dinner time start by frying up the frozen veg, just before that’s fully up to temperature add the day old rice. Once the whole meal is almost fully cooked add the eggs and lower the temp. Keep stirring as you cook it and once the egg is cooked add the soy and ketchup then mix through till there’s no white rice left.