10 Meals You Can Prepare for Under a Fiver
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MEALS UNDER £5
Moving out for the first time and have no idea how cook? Show off your newly found cooking skills to your flatmates with these quick, easy and super cheap recipes that’ll make you look like a top chef!
These meals are also super healthy with plenty of meat and vegetarian options, with most costing similar to a meal deal that can last all week! Try out these recipes for yourself (once your maintenance loan has run out and can no longer afford Deliveroo)!
Bean burgers (V)
Cost: £4 (Asda)
Items:
KTC Chick Peas (400g), KTC Red Kidney Beans (400g) and KTC Rosecoco Beans (400g) 3 tins for £1,
Spring onions 74p,
Fresh coriander bunch 87p,
Chosen by You seeded white burger buns (6) 85p,
Onion 10p,
Smart price seasonal salad (180g) 44p
Method
Tip all the beans into a colander and rinse under cold running water. Drain well. Pour into large mixing bowl and mash until roughly crushed.
Add the breadcrumbs, spring onions, coriander and egg and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix together then divide shape and divide into four chunky burgers.
Place the burgers on a foil-lined grill pan and brush with olive oil. Cook under a medium-hot grill for 5-6 mins on each side until light golden and piping hot.
Serve the hot burgers in burger buns and salad.
Chilli potato cakes with fish fingers
Cost: £3.28 (Morrisons)
Items:
Baby potatoes (1kg) 89p
Mature White Cheddar (approx 140g) £1
Fresh coriander (31g) 79p
Savers fish fingers (10 per pack – 250g) 60p
Method
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins until tender. Drain.
Add the oil to the pan and fry the chili and paprika for 1 min. Add the remaining ingredients and coarsely mash, season to taste.
Divide into 8 and pat into flat, round cakes.
Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry potato cakes in 2 batches for 1-2 mins on each side until golden. Serve with guacamole, tomato salsa and leaf salad for a light lunch or starter.
One pot chicken pepper bake
Cost: £3.99 (Tesco)
Items:
Everyday Value chicken thighs & drumsticks (566g) £1.50
1 red and 1 yellow pepper 2 for £1
Everyday Value small potatoes (1kg) 69p,
Fresh flat leaf parsley (31g) 80p
Method
Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Fan 180°C/Gas Mark 6. Start with a large shallow baking tray. Add the chicken, peppers, potatoes, oil and herbs and using clean hands, mix everything together so that all the oil and herbs are coated evenly.
Spread everything back out on the tray and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40-45mins or until the potatoes are tender, the chicken is golden and crisp and the peppers are juicy and sweet. (Check after 20mins and give everything a toss through.)
Tumble everything onto a large serving platter and take to the table with a big green salad and a fresh baguette to share.
Spaghetti and meatballs
Cost: £3.70 (Asda)
Items:
Smartprice pork & beef mince (500g) £1.82
Onions 20p
Smartprice chopped tomatoes (400g) 31p
Smartprice spaghetti (500g) 32P
Fresh basil or parsley (31g) 70p
Tomato puree (142g) 35p
Method
Add the oregano and basil to a bowl and add the mince. Mix mince between your fingers with the herbs and divide into 16 portions. Roll into balls in your hands.
Make the tomato sauce by frying the onion and garlic in the oil until soft. Add the meatballs and fry for a few minutes until browned on the outside. Add the tomato puree and tinned tomatoes, season and allow to simmer for 15 minutes on a low heat until the meatballs are cooked through. Meanwhile bring a saucepan of boiling water to a rapid boil and add the spaghetti. Cook until al dente and strain. Serve the meatball sauce with the spaghetti.
Mango and tomato curry (V)
Cost: £3.46 (Sainsbury’s)
Items:
Red onion 17p
Green chillies (50g) 65p
Loose tomatoes 60p,
Smell mango £1.15
Organic 2% Fat natural yogurt (150g) 49p,
Basics long-grain rice (1kg) 40p
Method
Heat the oil in a large pan or wok. Fry the mustard seeds until they begin to pop, then add the curry leaves, turmeric, ginger, garlic, onion and chilies, and season well.
Once the onion starts to brown, add the tomatoes and mango. Cook for a further few mins or until the tomato starts to soften. Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt.
Serve straight away with plain or basmati rice.
Peri-peri chicken
Cost: £3.97 (Sainsbury’s)
Items:
Basics British chicken wings (approx 900g) £1.88
Colman’s Season & Shake Piri Piri Chicken Seasoning Mix (29g) £1
Lemon 30p
Ginger 10p
Couscous (500g) 69p
Method
Place the chillies, garlic, oregano, paprika, oil, vinegar and lemon juice in a blender or food processor and blend to make a paste. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Place the chicken drumsticks in a non-metallic dish and coat in the chilli paste. Leave to marinate from 10 mins to 2 hours (in the fridge).
Preheat the oven to 190°C/350°F/Fan 170°C/Gas Mark 5. Put the chicken to a foil-lined baking tin and cook in the oven for 35-40 mins until completely cooked through.
Chickpea and potato curry (V)
Cost: £2.04 (Asda)
Method
Cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes. Pierce with a knife to check they are tender.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until soft.
Stir in the curry paste, chickpeas and 250ml cold water. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Drain the potatoes, add to the frying pan and mix well, then stir in the fresh coriander. Serve immediately.
Classic Margherita pizza (V)
Cost: £2.47 (Sainsbury’s) or £3.91 if you don?t already have flour and yeast
Items:
Passata (500g) 79p,
2 x Basics mozzarella cheese ball (125g) 44p,
Basil bunch (28g) 80p
Strong white bread flour (1.5kg) 80p
Allinson Dried Active Yeast (125g) 64p
Method
Prepare 2 baking trays by pouring 1 tablespoon of oil on each tray and spreading it with your fingers or pastry brush. Brush the inside of a large bowl with oil.
To prepare the dough, put the flour, yeast and salt into a large bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in the water with 1 tablespoon of oil. Use a wooden spoon to mix everything together to create a wet dough.
Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and work it with your hands for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in the oiled bowl, brush the top with oil and cover with clingfilm. Leave to rest at room temperature for 25 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
Once rested, turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and divide it into 2 equal halves. Use your hands to push each one out from the centre, to create 2 round discs about 25cm in diameter. Place the pizza bases on the oiled baking trays.
Spread the passata evenly over the top of the bases using the back of a tablespoon. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide the mozzarella between the 2 pizzas and drizzle each one with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Cook in the middle of the oven for 18 minutes until golden brown. Two minutes before the end of the cooking, scatter over the basil and continue to cook. Serve hot and enjoy.
Sweet potato pasta (V)
Cost: £2.57 (Tesco)
Items:
Loose sweet potatoes (approx 350g) 45p
Everyday Value pasta penne quills (500g) 29p
Everyday Value garden peas (900g) 89p,
Everyday Value low-fat natural yogurt (500g) 49p
Counter Pilgrims Choice Mature Cheddar (approx 100g) 45p
Method
Cook the sweet potato chunks in simmering water for 12-15 minutes, until tender. Drain well.
Cook the pasta shapes in a large saucepan for 6-8 minutes, or according to pack instructions, until tender. Drain well then return to the saucepan.
Stir the sweet potato chunks and frozen peas through the pasta. Add the milk and yogurt and heat gently for 1-2 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with the cheese and a little ground black pepper.
