[Mummy2907]

Like most families, we're on a really tight budget and I'm always on the lookout for cheap, nourishing meals for dinner. I realise there are always options like cheese on toast, egg-based dishes like omelettes, etc. that are very cheap, but I guess I'm looking for more 'traditional' dinners. 'Cooking' rather than just 'assembling' if you know what I mean

One of my cheapest is one I mentioned in another thread, and basically consists of all our left-over veggies at the end of the week, cooked up with some dry herbs and spices, a bottle of passatta, and then all blended to make a healthy pasta sauce. Combined with ALDI spaghetti, the whole thing costs about $5 for 4 people.

So... please share your suggestions

[Cherish]

Soup of any description

[Akatara]

My kids like chicken drumsticks with rice. I think they are cheap when you buy a big pack.

We do a homemade honey soy marinade.

Maybe add a few carrots and corn on the cob.

[JBH]

I like red lentils cooked with some water, some spices (usually cumin and turmeric), some garlic, a box of frozen spinach, a tin of chopped tomatoes and a couple of diced potatoes. Sometimes I add frozen peas or cubed pumpkin. At the end, add some salt, a tablespoon of olive oil and, if you have it, some garam masala and leave to sit for a couple of minutes before serving. It's easy and delicious, cheap is an extra benefit.

Soups are always good. Pumpkin soup is good with some curry spices and cocunut milk for something more interesting.

I often make casseroles, but serve them as topping for baked potatoes, so we eat less meat.

[Mrs Mel]

Impossible pie-
3/4 cup plain flour
4 eggs
2 cups of milk
4 oz butter
3/4 cup grated cheese

Add any veggies you like, we use - spinach leaves, carrots, mushrooms, capsicum, shallots- grated finely. Then we add dry herbs, Rosemary, Thyme and Basil.


Mix together and put into greased dish. Bake for around an hour and serve with whatever you like.

Only my husband and I eat this so we often get 2 nights out of it.

This post has been edited by Mrs Mel: 24/11/2012, 08:22 PM

[gina70]

I love this challenge of using 1 chicken breast in so many ways: http://www.destitutegourmet.com/one-chicken-breast-challenge

[ChunkyChook]

Tray of snags, tin of tomatoes, onion and mash.

Cook the snags, fry off the onion, cut up the snags, add a tin of chopped tomatoes, simmer for a bit and serve with mash. And frozen peas, corn, carrot on the side to make it a bit healthier.

[MoonPie]

I've just made a pasta bake. Pasta, tinned tomatoes, all the veggies from the bottom of the crisper, mince if I've got it, three bean mix or refried beans, cheese, garlic, salt pepper etc etc etc. Seems likes lots of work (cook pasta, brown meat etc) but I found that I had the dishes done by the time the bake was done.

Made enough for 3 meals

[Pup-pup]

The other day we had pulled pork. You put a pork shoulder chop in the slow cooker with at least salt & pepper but I added chicken stock and American BBQ sauce. Then sort of mash it with a fork. It was $3 for the large chop. Then I bought a baguette from woolies for $1. I served it with a garden salad. One chop served two adults and two toddlers.

[amabanana]

Chicken noodle soup made with drumsticks, cheap veg and homemade noodles.
Fried rice
Rice paper rolls
Corn and potato chowder
chilli con carne made with beans