Save more on meals to feed all the family

You might have seen some changes on your weekly shopping receipt recently, but there are plenty of ways you can beat your budget with a meal for the whole table. We've put together a list of simple but tasty dishes that you can cook without breaking the bank. Take a look below...

Chicken Pasta

Packed with protein and full of flavour, this pasta dish is a great option for a varied meal. Plus, you could even make extra for lunch the next day!

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2-3 chicken breasts or thigh fillets
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon of mixed herbs
• 2 chopped peppers
• 6-8 small chopped mushrooms
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp of tomato puree 
• 1 courgette
• 1 onion
• 200g dried pasta.

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180-200°C. Wrap the chicken fillets in foil with a little oil, place in an oven-proof dish or
   baking tray, then cook for 20-30 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat and cook the onion until golden brown. Add all the vegetables, chopped tomatoes, garlic, tomato purée and the mixed herbs, and mix well. Cook on a low-medium heat for 20 minutes, until vegetables are soft.
3. Remove chicken from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
4. Add the pasta to a saucepan of boiling water and cook according to pack instructions.
5. Shred or cut chicken fillets into bite-sized pieces, then mix with the cooked vegetable sauce.
6. Drain the cooked pasta and add to the chicken sauce and mix.
7. Serve with garlic bread.

Vegetable Bake

This vegetarian-friendly bake is great for mixing up your meals - you can take out or add in other vegetables however you like! It's also handy for those with specific dietary requirements.

Ingredients:

• 6 large tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 aubergine
• 3 courgettes
• 6 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 onions
• 2 tablespoons of mixed herbs
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 6 tablespoons of grated cheese.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Cut the tomatoes in half, the aubergine into slices and the rest into cubes.
3. Cut and crush the garlic.
4. Place the tomatoes on a baking tray, cut side up, spread crushed garlic onto each one, roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
5. Add the oil into the frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion and cook until golden brown. Remove from the pan and place them in an oven proof dish.
6. Arrange the tomatoes, aubergine, and courgettes in the dish, season with salt and pepper, brush over the vegetables with olive oil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
7. Mix the cheese and mixed herbs together, then sprinkle over the roasted vegetables, continue baking for a further 30 minutes.

Stir fry

Looking for something quick and easy to put together after a busy day? With this sizzling stir fry dish, you'll have tonight's food sorted in minutes.

Ingredients:

• carrots
• peppers
• onions
• baby corn
• sugar snap peas
• spring onions
• pork, chicken or turkey – thin strips
• chilli (optional)
• 2 x tbsp soy sauce
• 2 x tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• salt and pepper
• egg noodles.

Method:

1. Thinly slice all the vegetables and sauté in a frying pan/wok.
2. Slice and add in the meat. Then add the soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce, along with the seasoning.
3. Meanwhile boil the noodles for 2 minutes, drain, and serve with the stir fry.

We hope that gives you a bit of inspiration for some easy meals to get started with. For more exciting dishes and cooking ideas from our community partners, download our community cookbook. Keep an eye out for our next blog post, where we'll give you even more ways to beat your budget.