Why do we need cheap and easy dinners? Well, June and July have been financially taxing months, with seven family birthdays, including my daughter’s 21st, a new car that had then to be taxed and insured and our recent holiday to Wales. I had money put by for all of these things but now I have completely used up my reserve and need to start saving straight away. So I am tightening the belt!
Fortunately I have some language students booked in over the next six weeks and yesterday I sold four dresses in one day on eBay – kerching! It will all help but I need to stop any inessential spending and stretch the groceries as well. I always revert back to a few cheap and easy dinners when I am saving money.
My top ten cheap and easy dinners:
Jacket potatoes with tuna and salad or veg from the garden.
Chick pea curry and rice.
Omelettes filled with cheese and whatever is sitting in the fridge – I often have mushrooms or sweetcorn lurking that need to be used up.
Vegetable bake – again this uses up the veg in the fridge or freezer. I add cheese sauce to cooked veg, cover with cheese and breadcrumbs and stick it under the grill to brown, or I might stick some cooked sliced potatoes on top and out it in the oven.
Liver and bacon casserole. I enjoyed this Hairy Bikers one recently.
Sausages and mash – easy comfort food. I use Aldi sausages and serve with beans or peas.
Macaroni cheese. I will add bacon to this if I have any.
Red dragon pie from my old Vegetarian Kitchen cookbook by Sarah Brown. I found it online here. It’s not quite so quick so I would make this at the weekend rather than after work. It’s really tasty!
Smoky chicken and chick peas, recipe here.
Vegetable paella or risotto. This Slimming World one is nice.
What are your go to cheap and easy dinners?
ilona says
My cheap and easy is something cooked in one pan. Start with a bit of chopped in oil, mushrooms, peas, onion, anything, Cook till soft, add spices, then break two eggs in it and scramble. If large quantity eat it as it is, or have a bit of salad or a spud in the microwave.
Mrs LH says
My quick go to meal is chips, egg & beans. When all the kids were still at home I’d buy a full sack of potatoes as it worked out cheaper. Not the healthiest especially as I fry in dripping but certainly tasty and moreish! !
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
One of my favourites too
Jackie Walder says
Corned beef, egg, chips and sliced tomatos although nowadays I tend to chunk up a spud into wedges and cook in my Remoska. comfort food that won’t break the bank
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
What is a Remoska? Intrigued