This is another post from Jess who previously contributed with her ham and roasted butternut soup. Jess has put together a complete food shopping list of ingredients for 2 weeks for 4 people. Also included is the meal ideas for 2 weeks, and all different. The cost of the combined meals is a just £1.52 per head. There is an added bonus that Jess will go into greater detail on each meal idea with her tweets.
The Shopping
2 Week shopping for the main meal of the day costed at Asda. I’ve gone for Middle of the market here and not gone for the always cheapest option, but decent & the best value! All hearty meals based on a family of 4 – you can source cheaper goods to suit your budgets. I’ve included absolutely everything here including basic cupboard ingredients too like butter, oil, herbs, flour etc.. So really this can be cheaper still – I will cook these everyday starting Sunday and I will still use the ingredients I have, but will give the usual methods everyday. As it stands if you bought this – it comes in at £1.52 p/h
Or if you prefer you can download the 2 week budget ingredients pdf
Budget Tips
Make stock with all peelings at every opportunity before you compost them . I usually do this on a Sunday when cooking dinner.
Portion Control for Potatoes
Not just from an economic perspective but portion control is essential when feeding a young growing family. Eyes bigger than their bellies springs to mind.
- Sunday roast = 1 med/large cut in 3/4
- Chips = 2 medium
- Mash = 2 medium
- Boiled = 1 cut in half
- New = 3/5 per person
Also, when using veg on a Sunday, I always put a little to one side! You will be surprised how handy they can be! For instance, the odd carrot, bit of cabbage is great for stir fry’s!, also keep broccoli stems. You don’t need to use a whole cauliflower for a Sunday roast! Always look for the biggest, half a decent size is more than enough for 4 + – you have then the other half for another meal
The 2 Week Menu
Again you can download a copy 2 week main meal budget friendly PDF
The Sunday Roast
Roast chicken, Yorkshire puddings, roasties, veg. Homemade stuffing and gravy for 4 people.
Roast Chicken
Put in a pot/tin and season well & rub with a
little oil. any herbs you have put on the top if
you like. Chop a stick of celery and half a
carrot and put in the pot/tin cover with a lid or
foil & put in a pre heated oven at 170 for 120
mins – baste a few times. When ready remove
to a plate & to rest for at least 20 mins and
then carve the meat and dismantle the Brown
meat and put on a plate, keep the bones and
carcass for stew the next day.
Homemade Stuffing
Easy stuffing.
sauté a finely sliced onion & stick of celery & lots of thyme, then add breadcrumbs. Use any you have from old bread to shop bought in a packet! I have found them to me marvellous for stuffing! Mix well & season. oven bake in baking paper for 40 mins.
Yorkshire Puddings
I’m sure everyone has the problem of some rising more than others, this is often to do with the heat being higher in certain parts of the oven than others. It is what it is and no matter! If they taste good? Bingo Try this Yorkshire pudding recipe, and for a treat you could have duck egg Yorkshire pudding, which seems to taste a little more indulgent
The Gravy
Take the contents of the bag/pot the chicken
was cooking in. Transfer to a saucepan or
remove the chicken from the pan you cooked it
in to a warm place and cover. Mash all the
contents down with a masher and then add a
tablespoon of flour. With a whisk keep mixing it
untill it’s a paste in a medium – high heat.
Then take your stock from your vegetables &
our in a bit at a time as you whisk to cook the
flour out.. keep adding stock untill the gravy is
at the consistency you like…turn down to lie
and simmer.
I then add gravy browning for colouring
The Veg
You can steam your vegetables if you wish but I like to boil mine and use the veg water for the gravy
- 1 leek, sautéed for 5 minutes
- 1/4 cabbage boiled on medium for 10 minutes
- 4 medium carrots, boil on medium for 8 minutes then take off the heat and place a lid on to keep warm
- 3/4 swede, boil for 15 minutes then take off the heat and keep warm with a lid
- 3 medium parsnips, boil then roast
- 4 spuds par boil and then roast
- 4 spuds boiled for 8/10 minutes, turn off the heat and cover with a lid to keep warm
- 1/2 cauliflower boiled on medium for 10 minutes, keep lid on to keep warm
- Broccoli, do this last, boil for 6 minutes, do not use a lid as this takes the colour away
- 1 celery chopped for roasting the chicken
- 1 celery & onion chopped to make the stuffing
Cooking Tips
Today I made a batch of Yorkshire’s , InfactI
made 18 and froze them for next Sunday that
way it’s less work the following Sunday & more
economical energy wise. just pop them in the
oven for a few mins and they are as fresh as
the day you made them.
I’ve also made a stock out of the chicken
carcass for chicken stew
I boiled up the veg peelings and tops and ends
for stock.
Any leftover gravy, freeze if not using the next
day! It’s so handy for other things, even if to
just have over chips
You can follow Jess’s thread here on Twitter and so the rest of the great pictures of her Sunday roast. Check back for the rest of the 2 week budget friendly meal plan as Jess cooks up more delicious meals.
Mondays Budget Friendly Meal for 4
Tuesdays Budget Meal
Sausage Caserole here
Wednesday Cheap Meal Idea
Thursday Money Saving Meal
Corned beef egg and chips here
Frugal Friday Meal
Lasagne, baked potato and garlic bread here
Saturday Meal Time
Kofta with flat breads here
Week 2 Meals
Budget Sunday Dinner
Roast pork, crackling and Yorkshire puddings here
Mondays Money Saving Recipe
Cold pork slices with sautéed leftover potatoes here
Tuesday Curry
Chicken curry with basmati rice and homemade chapatis here
Wednesday
Baked (frozen) salmon with new potatoes and watercress here
Thursday
Tuna and sweetcorn spaghetti here
Friday Budget Meal
Pork steaks in a white wine cream sauce with chips & pease here
Saturday Week 2 Budget Meal
Chilli with rice and cheesy tortillas here
Jess Rocks
Jess is from Wales and usually everyday I see her posting some great recipes on Twitter and thankful she has allowed me to share one (hopefully more)
Twitter Bio Follow JessRocks for more great recipes.
lots of fun,♥️love Animals♥️. love cooking♥️. music? & old films?❤️. Make me laugh and I’m on top of the world NO DM’S – instant block.??
Happiest in the kitchen feeding the 3 children who are constantly hungry. Lucky enough to have worked in a Pro kitchen on a voluntary basis to learn the tricks of the trade.. Buckinghams The restaurant with one Table. With Chef Nick Buckingham.(RIP)