Cheap And Cheerfull Dinners !

jimmi5bellies · 27-07-2005, 12:53

Any ideas. Ive one lad with an enormous appetite here. Now normally he is at school for his dinners (he gets free school meals) and i dont eat a dinner. With the school holidays amongst us its costing me a fortune in food.
Any ideas for cheap , filling and cheerfull dinners !

Getting fedup with soup and beans on toast.

To set this challenge even better how about say a limit to 50p per dinner.

Chrissie

garinda · 27-07-2005, 12:57

Soup!

I love it. You can make a big pan for next to nothing, and it doesn't need to be cold outside to enjoy it.

He'll be getting his vegetables too, and if he is a big eater a nice wedge of bread to dip in should fill him.

jimmi5bellies · 27-07-2005, 12:59

Just had Golden Veg soup today Garinda and added corn on the cob to it, lol.

Tealeaf · 27-07-2005, 13:00

Veggie curry with rice; Bubble & Squeak: Hotpot (using bacon bits)

Margaret Pilkington · 27-07-2005, 13:00

How about a large baked potato......cook it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes then finish it off in the oven......cut the potato in half...scoop out the flesh and mash it with a couple of slices of corned beef and a sliced spring onion.......put the mashed spud back in its jacket.....sprinkle a bit of tasty cheese on top and bung it back in the oven for 5 minutes.......tasty nourishing lunch......cheap too... specially if you do more than one at a time.......you could also add tuna and sweetcorn as an alternative to corned beef.

jimmi5bellies · 27-07-2005, 13:06

Sounds good !
p.s. we are not vegetarians so meat dishes are welcome too ! :^O

garinda · 27-07-2005, 13:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

How about a large baked potato......cook it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes then finish it off in the oven......cut the potato in half...scoop out the flesh and mash it with a couple of slices of corned beef and a sliced spring onion.......put the mashed spud back in its jacket.....sprinkle a bit of tasty cheese on top and bung it back in the oven for 5 minutes.......tasty nourishing lunch......cheap too... specially if you do more than one at a time.......you could also add tuna and sweetcorn as an alternative to corned beef.

Yum, yum.

One of the tastiest things ever!!!

You can even prepare these earlier, and just slam them in the oven to brown.

I've served these to people at supper parties who had never even heard of corned beef and converted them.

Home made soup is much cheaper and better for you than tinned stuff. You can get hand held blenders from Argos from £8 if sonny Jim doesn't like lumps.

Margaret Pilkington · 27-07-2005, 13:07

Pasta is also cheap and filling.......home and Bargain have some very good cheap sauces that would do for more than one meal......and you could always bulk them up with whatever veggies you have to hand......sweetcorn,peppers and a sliced spicy sausage.

Smiffy16 · 27-07-2005, 13:08

Tuna and sweetcorn pasta!

Margaret Pilkington · 27-07-2005, 13:09

Wouldn't it be good if a few mums could band together and organise a lunch club for the kids while they are off school....? I suppose there would be some health and safety reason why it wouldn't happen.

Tealeaf · 27-07-2005, 13:11

Spanish Omlette (2 eggs, one medium spud) - should be less than 50p.

Margaret Pilkington · 27-07-2005, 13:12

A long time ago I posted a recipe for winter warmer soup, but it would be just as good in summer.....if you put Winter warmer in the search option it should bring up the recipe.
it is cheap and filling and it freezes well.

jimmi5bellies · 27-07-2005, 13:13

omlette sounds good. Trouble is my son believes that a non-stick frying pan and a metal spoon work well together !

Margaret Pilkington · 27-07-2005, 13:17

Oh he needs educating in the kitchen then....!

Ber999T · 27-07-2005, 13:25

try doing omlette in a wok you can use metal spoons with a wok (not a non-stick wok) I have 2 of them and make a big bol sauce at least once a week and that makes 4 large servings. Or scrambled eggs in micro-wave only take about 2min per egg used to cook, low fat content cooking that way. might put recipes on a thread later.