Really cheap, really nice recipes

Bazz

No, not really. It just depends on what you have lying around or what's on special. The most useful tool I find for such a purpose is the Vegerator site where you just key in the ingredients you already have or those you can get real cheap / on special & it spits out a recipe. I tend to find the cheap ones aren't so nice & the nice ones aren't so cheap!

carmz85

im always buying on a budget some wks i can go to 180 some 130..here are my fav cheap recipes..also buy ur meat at a butcher its much cheaper i always try and get my chicken from red lea as they do bulk cheap

apricot chicken drumsticks and rice
1-2kg of drumsticks depending on how many ur serving
french onion soup packet and apricot nectar
rice

our kids love wings so we get 2kgs of them from red lea for $5.00

wings u can do heaps with add bbq sauce and bake or make ur own marinade with whatevers in ur pantry .

we love chicken chassuer so i buy the packet mix and tomato paste .
serve with rice or mash potato.

devilled snags
snags and gravy

noly

Hi Volcano I hope this helps.
Simmered Mediterranean Beef.
1 Tablespoon olive oil.
500g gravy beef.
2 Stalks celery.sliced.
1 onion, finely chopped.
1 carrot finely sliced.
1 small zucchini sliced
1 x 425g can tomatoes.
1/2 cup beef stock.
1/4 cup red wine.
seasonings to taste.
1/2 cup raisins.
2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped

1./ Heat oil in a large frying pan. Brown meat on both sides.. Transfer to a plate.
2./ Saute celery, onion, carrot and zucchini in the same pan. Stir in the tomatoes, stock wine and seasonings Bring to the boil stirring.
3./ Reduce heat. Return meat to pan. Simmer covered for 40 to 45 minutes or until meat is tender.
4./ Stir in raisins and parsley, Serve with pasta and bread of choice.......Cost: about $7.30.

noly

Hi Volcano, I have a few recipes here from a mag called Food Ideas 2001 I hope they help you out.
Italian Meatloaf. Serves 4. Cost $8.50
500g minced steak
1 egg
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup fresh or dried breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
200g mozzarella cheese. sliced
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 tomatoes finely chopped
10 basil leaves

1./ Combine mince egg & breadcrumbs,sauce parsley and garlic in a large bowl Mix well to combine.
2../ Lightly press 1/2 the mince mixture into the base of a foil-lined 10 x 20cm loaf tin.
3./ Top with tomatoes, cheese, and basil. Lightly press remaining mince mixture over this. Smooth top.
4./ Bake in a hot oven (200*c) for about 1 hour or until cooked through.
5./ remove from tin. Serve sliced with vegetables or salad, or on Italian bread with salad.

Anonymous

Hi
i love to make food.i can make great ,tasty veg food in minimum budget and time.
1 option:cheapest one you can prepare maggy,noodels for batter test you can fry it in pan add 2 tea spoon of oil,when it hot add some chopped onion,green chilly,than spices add water than maggy.

if you want to eat some chinese what vegetables you have in your freez take it like capsicum,green chilly,tommato,mashroom,paneer,or chicken choped it .
than take pan on heat add some oil choped ginger garlic,than add capsicum ,when it soft add chicken or mashroom then add 1 tablesppon tommato sause, haif table sppon soya souse,vinager and chilly sause its nice starter.

if you would like to eat some pakorda than its very simple 1 cup gram flour add some onion slices ginger garlic paste green chilly paste mix in bowl add half tea sppon turmeric powder,corriender powder,red chilly poder than mix it well add water and prepare smooth paste .
heat pan add oil in pan leave it for hot in this hot oil put paste in form of small balls with spoon or hand like pakorda when it will brown than take it and have it

willscarlett

It's good, as it's getting into the colder season where soups, stir - fry's and curies are welcome. This is great because soup's and such can be made in bulk and frozen for a long while.
A good soup recipe is taco soup:
Mince meat, taco seasoning, finely chopped carrots, celery, canned tomato, kidney beans all cooked together; the key is slow cooking time.
You can also grab almost any meat and vegetable in your fridge, cook it up and make a stir - fry.
You can also simply buy ears of corn, boil these and have a warm corn on the cob smothered in butter. Although simple i's a very yummy meal :)

Miss Prim

Hi Volcano
Have you tried to Google for cheap recipes on the Internet as you can pick and choose what suits you best and work out your budget in the process.

Rusty

Serve warm salads on rice. The secret is the sauce. Make your most pungent Thai style flavours and place salad ( with or without meat) on top of rice & drizzle with the dressing. Yum! I've got people after all these years still after my recipe. Just buy what is cheap at the shops, get it home, then make your menu up out of that. It's way cheaper, and an adventure every time. The secret is lots of different herbs & spices. You can grow the herbs for free, & get cuttings from friends!

Anonymous

HI volcano, if you rice pudding it's easy and cheap to make. two cups of rice three cups of milk two and half cups of sugar rose water orange blossom mix and bring to a biol then allow to cool in fridge until thicken and creamy then serve in desert dish sprinkle some crushed nuts or leave plain if so desire

Anonymous

HI volcano, if you rice pudding it's easy and cheap to make. two cups of rice three cups of milk two and half cups of sugar rose water orange blossom mix and bring to a biol then allow to cool in fridge until thicken and creamy then serve in desert dish sprinkle some crushed nuts or leave plain if so desire

Brijewina

Hi,
I can relate very much to being on a tight budget, unfortunately you can't make your bills cheaper once they arrive but you can reduce what you spend on food shopping, at least that gives you a sense of gaining some control back!
Rather than typing out a whole lot of recipes, which was very nice of other members to do for you, I know two main sources to access which may also benefit other members too, and knowing them and not passing the information on would be a crime, if I know something great I feel so much better if I can pass it on and let someone else gain knowledge from it too!
So I came across a little gem a few years back which is a book called the $21 Challenge. The concept is designed around having a thorough look at what you have in your cupboards and fridge/freezer, working out some meals you can make for the week based on what you have, and then shopping for whatever else you need, but only spending $21 or less for the week! I spent $10 two weeks ago and then had $14 to spend this last week but with my daughter being gone a lot I only ended up spending $2 on milk and still have the other $12 for next week!! I had $22 to spend for next weeks shopping so can now put that spare $12 with that and stock up a little bit which is great.
This book is derived from a website that the girls started up called Simple Savings, google it and you'll find it easily. All the information is there to help you with everything I've explained and more but the book itself you may be able to get from your local library and it has so many good cheap recipes in it, I mean lots, from snacks to meals to sweet things.
The other tip I have is a website/blog called Stonesoup, the girl Jules Clancy who runs it and I'm sure won't mind me telling you about it, is a wonder to behold! I first found her because I was googling how to spend $2 or less a day on your meals and she had this great format with a weeks worth of meals that ended up being $2 for the whole day, and really tasty yummy meals too! My favourite from that week was a hearty lentil stew, so yum and healthy and can be served on rice to fill you up more.
She has a free newsletter you can sign up to which contains great info for ongoing cheap and tasty meal ideas, and the best thing about this site is that all meals are five ingredients or less and can usually be cooked in 15 mins also!! She is all about having a minimalistic approach to cooking but producing really yummy things. At the moment she just had a weekly email containing this 10 ingredient list which provides you with 5 meals from the 10 ingredients, genius! If you become a member you will never look back, I love her concept and approach to cooking, it's always easy and inexpensie and so tasty! The newsletter is free to sign up to as I said, and once you're a member you get sent links to some free eCookbooks as well, a baking one and a dinner/meal one, both really good. If the links don't work send her an email and let her know as I had a bit of trouble getting them to work, but then she'll get back to you and send you them in an attachment so they will work then.
As you can see I can't say enough good things about these two little fnds and love to tell others about them as I want other people to benefit also. Stonesoup has an archive which I only found out about recently, but you can access that and find hundreds of great recipes that go back to years ago when she first started that will keep you going for a lifetime! There is also a drop down section on the main page from the 'recipe' heading which you can look up a big list of recipes for whatever category you're looking for and there you'll find heaps of good inexpenive recipes. Hope this information will be helpful to you, both people have changed my life as far as cooking goes, knowing I've always got a good quick recipe at arms length and never have to think about getting takeaway which I can't afford, as these meals are so quick and easy to do, perfect for when you're exhausted at the end of the day and only have minimal energy. I think if you know you can cook something in 10-15 mins you can get yourself through that, and then can sit down and have something really wholesome and yummy too, with the satisfaction of knowing you hardly spent anything to make it, perfect!!
Enjoy and good luck!

Brijewina

I just wanted to say, I love your post!! I've just spent some time going through both the website Simple Savings and blog Stonesoup and find the ideas in both fascinating!

I appreciate the...

You're very welcome, I'm glad these tips were useful to you!

Since writing this a while ago I've recently discovered someone who in my opinion bypasses everything else I've ever discovered, which is a blog called 'A Girl Called Jack'. She is from the UK and has the most amazing recipe ideas that cost extremely little, and I've just spent the last hour or so this morning copying and pasting some into emails that I then sent to myself.

She just completed the Live Below the Line challenge and had some wonderful ideas for very, very cheap meals. They spend ten pounds over there which is meant to be for 5 days but she stretched it out to 7, figuring most people do a weekly shop so she'd do it for that long, so you can see at 5 pounds for 7 days you're going to have a lot of cheap meals, that also were surprisingly tasty looking. Things like sausage hot pots, risotto, stews, plus her general blog/website is amazing anyway even without the LBTL recipes. They're all very affordable and lovely looking. I have tried so many already since discovering her a few months ago and think she's amazing.

Look out for her 'Not so Tagine' if you like things like that, really tasty and goes a long way, I get three dinners out of it usually. She's also very famous for some carrot, cumin and kidney bean burgers, this recipe started her off and got her known, and she just released a cookbook with 100 of her most loved recipes in it. You should read her story called 'Hunger Hurts' quite moving and one to get you thinking! Enjoy

mochachino

Hi,
I can relate very much to being on a tight budget, unfortunately you can't make your bills cheaper once they arrive but you can reduce what you spend on food shopping, at least that gives...

I just wanted to say, I love your post!! I've just spent some time going through both the website Simple Savings and blog Stonesoup and find the ideas in both fascinating!

I appreciate the recipes other members have posted, but these two links contain a wealth of information and some rather creative ideas. Thanks!

Brijewina

Hi, I have this book and it's great. I use it often as I lost my job last year and now need to watch every cent.

Hi Pauls,

Sorry to hear about you losing your job. I wanted to let you know that I recently found some really great recipes on the 'Live Below the Line' website. Not to take away from the cause obviously, but there are some really good and very, very cheap recipes on there, with the concept of feeding yourself for 5 days for $10 total, and both Dani and Julie Goodwin from Masterchef have come up with some really great menu plans. I recommend taking a look at them, can't do much better than $10 for three hot meals a day for 5 days, only $2 a day, bargain! Really lovely roast pumpkin pasta dish from Julie is especially good!

pauls

Hi,
I can relate very much to being on a tight budget, unfortunately you can't make your bills cheaper once they arrive but you can reduce what you spend on food shopping, at least that gives...

Hi, I have this book and it's great. I use it often as I lost my job last year and now need to watch every cent.

Anonymous

Hi, this is a really cheap and easy, either lunch or dinner recipe, just for you :)

Its a cream cheese pasta or cream cheese pasta bake..


1 full pack (small spiral) pasta........
1/4 cup mixed herbs
Half an onion (finely diced).........
2 cups diced (bacon or ham)...........
1/2 cup grated cheese
1 cup thickened cream....
1 cup milk....
1 3/4 cup of water....


To start,

Cook pasta in a pot of water until its about half cooked.
Meanwhile, while your waiting on the pasta we'll start the sauce.
Add water, milk, and thickened cream to another pot, and stir till mixed.
Get a small frying pan and just cook the onion till light golden brown, then add to cream sauce.
Then add the (bacon or ham) to the sauce and leave to cook for about 2-3 mins.
Drain the pasta and add to sauce mix and stir through. Add mixed herbs and cheese and toss around.

Then serve on plate with whatever or eat by itself.

Or,

You could pull out a baking tin/dish, spray a bit of cooking spray in it and add the pasta, then sprinkle cheese on top. Wack it in the oven for 10 mins at about 190, and then its done.

Serves 6.

Xenelle

Hi,
I can relate very much to being on a tight budget, unfortunately you can't make your bills cheaper once they arrive but you can reduce what you spend on food shopping, at least that gives...

Tried this recipe and loved it. So many thanks

Hilary

Quiche.

4 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup plain flour
1/3 cup melted butter
Grated cheese, chopped ham diced cooked bacon, spring onions, chopped can be added.
Shake all together in a bowl with a lid. If you don't have a lid just blend the all thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
Pour into greased quiche dish.
180C, 45 minutes.
Leave to stand 5 minutes before serving.
I usually leave out the melted butter.

Hilary

Potato Bake Microwave

3-4 potatoes 2 onions

1 pkt cup-o-soup chicken & vegetable salt & pepper

1 pkt cup-o-soup pea & ham dab of butter

Thinly slice veges. Mix both soups in 2 cups boiling water. Place veges in alternative layers in dish and pour soup over. Add salt and pepper and dot with butter. Cover with microwave platic wrap and microwave on high for 20 minustes . ( Till all liquid isabsorbed.) Conventional oven 45 minutes, 180C

Hilary

The corn fritters go well with salad and mashed potoatoes.

Hilary

That's meant to be dessert spoonfuls. I really need to proof read better before I post!

Hilary

Corn Fritters

small can sweet corn 1 egg
1 cup self raising salt and pepper

Place corn, s&p, egg in bowl. Blend thoroughly. Add flour gradually to form thick consistency. Drop desertfuls into an oiled frypan and cook each side till golden brown

algo

Corn Fritters

small can sweet corn 1 egg
1 cup self raising salt and pepper

Place corn, s&p, egg in bowl. Blend thoroughly. Add flour gradually to...

I do cornbeef friters 1 cup selfraising 1cup plain can of peas and corn 2eggs mix altogether with fork if it is dry add milk cut left over cornbeef into dices app.5mm by 5mm dice onion stir through mix desertspoon into frypan or on bbq with1mmoil inpan cook till bubbles flip lower heat give 2to3 minutes top with can spagetti or just t/sauce .eat cold for lunch or microwave to reheat enjoy

Captain Slog

Corn Fritters

small can sweet corn 1 egg
1 cup self raising salt and pepper

Place corn, s&p, egg in bowl. Blend thoroughly. Add flour gradually to...

Hi Hilary,
You're Hilarious! I'd love to spend some time with you in the Kitchen. Thanks for your excellent recipes, especially the Corn fritters one. I've been after the Corn Fritters Recipe for ages, and haven' found it till I found yours.
Have you tried my NASTY Curry, yet? Its that long winded effort above. Sorry! I can't do Recipes as nice as you can write them.
I see even you, too, have minor spolling mistooks while tipping, too, aye? Where's 3-PO whwen you need him? Ha!
Good one, mate! I'll be looking out for more of your recipes.

Hilary

Porcupine meatballs

500g minced steak 1 chopped onion
1 can tomato soup 1/2 cup rice
1 egg salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients except soup. Form meat mixture into balls. Place in casserole dish & cover with soup mixed with a can of water. cover and cook for an hour, 180C

Hilary

There are some good recipes on the internet.
.." Taste.com.au members are adamant that this recipe is a winner!"

Preparation Time
20 minutes

Cooking Time
35 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)
500g extra lean beef mince
1 cup fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
1 small brown onion, grated
1 carrot, peeled, coarsely grated
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
8 chat potatoes, halved
1 bunch Dutch carrots, peeled, trimmed
150g green beans, trimmed

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place mince, breadcrumbs, onion, carrot, tomato sauce, parsley and egg in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Using clean hands, mix until well combined.
Shape mince into a 10cm x 18cm rectangle. Place on prepared tray. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until firm to touch. Remove from oven. Drain excess fat.
Spoon barbecue sauce over top of meatloaf. Return to oven and cook for a further 10 minutes or until top is glazed. Stand on tray for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place potato, carrot and beans in separate microwave-safe plastic bags. Twist tops to seal. Microwave each on HIGH (100%) for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until almost tender. Slice meatloaf. Serve with vegetables.
Keep warm this winter with our selection of casseroles, slow cooker recipes, soup recipes and pasta bakes.

Hilary

... seedling is good not god!

Hilary

Growing your own veges helps. You don't need a lot of space as many vegetables & herbs can be grown in pots. Buying seedlings is god but it'll be even cheaper if you grow from seed. Ask for advice at you local mgarden shop.
I like making meatballs and meat loaf but I don't have a recipe for it. I just use what I have at hand and go by the look of it. Basically I ....
1. Put mince in large bowl (500 to 800g)
2. Add herbs, spices salt & pepper, maybe some lancharshire relish or hot sauce or bbq sauce. Just depends on taste & what's available
3. Add grated veges such as carrot & zuchinni
4. Stir in an egg
5. It should be moist but firm, if it looks to sloppy add some breadcrumbs or crushed weet bix. or rolled oats. Left over cooked rice or potato will make it go further. Also couscous can be used to thicken.
6. For meat loaf ... Line loaf tin with tin foil, grease lightly. Cover with tin foil. cook at 180C for 1 to 1/2 hours
7. Uncover last half hour

For meat balls . Roll into balls. Have a small bowl or cup of cold water handy. Slightly wet your hands and this will stop mince from sticking to them.
Cook meatballs in fry pan.

Captain Slog

Hi Vulcan (Volcano), Everyone,
I thought I'd offer you all my simple and cheap Curry recipe to warm you up. That is, IF you can call the prices of Pork or Chicken these days, cheap.
Anway, here's how I do it, and its all in the preparation. You MUST be well Organised.
Firstly, I like to cook my Rice around Brekkie time, but, if you wish to do it at the time you are doing your Dinner, fine! But this is a Time Saver. So, to is doing your Spuds at the same time.
To a Small Saucepan, add 1/2 cup of Basmati Rice, 1 Teaspon of Salt. Cover with 1 Cup of Cold Water and bring to the boil on HIGH. DON'T go away! in a few minutes, the water starts to get some fine bubbles covering it, ansd a little steam comes off. Give it a stir to make sure the Rice isn't sticking. When the water really starts to boil and the foam starts to rise, quickly turn the heat OFF, lifting the pan slightly to prevent it from boiling over. Lower it and lift it, until the bubbling has stopped. Slap the lid on and FORGET IT!
Next, and this could be done while waiting for the Rice to boil, peel TWO Potatoes (Agria are Best) the size of your Mouse. ONE if it is the size of your Mouse and round. dice it up and add a Teaspoon of Salt. Cover with water and leave aside until dinner Time when you begin doing your Curry.
The Curry is very easy!
Allow 500g (1 Pound) of Diced Pork or Chicken Pieces for this recipe. +/- 500g anyway. Or a Can of Corned Beef! (NO Oil needed)
An Onion half the size of your Mouse and Round, chopped. ONE cup of frozen Veges or Peas, added to the chopped Onions in the Bowl.
Put your Potatoes on to Boil!
Add a splash of Peanut Oil to the Pan (I use a LARGE Sauce Pan 9 Inches Wide and 4 Deep because I don't like a frying pan for this. The hot Oil spits all over the place and makes a mess) and put your meat in to Brown. Stir it alot and get the juices flowing. At this point, I then add ALL of my veges at once and stir them in. As soon as they become opaque, at this point, the heat should be LOW, I add a Teaspoon of Curry and mix it in well. I have a taste to see if it okay. If not, I add another one. Not HOT enough? Chuck in a serve of Cayane. It may need Salt, so add a Teaspoon of Salt and mix well.
Your spuds will have been boiling for a good while now. Get a fork and check to see if they're done. IF they are, remove them from the heat. You Curry may be a little dry, so, pour a little water ffrom the Potatoes into the Bowl you had the Onion and Veges in. Pour a splash of water into the curry and stir it in. You don't want it too wet or runny. If you're happy with it all, you can now drain your potatoes and then add them to the Curry. If the curry was a little too runny, don't worry! The spuds will soon fix that. Mix them in, breaking them up as you do so. You DON'T have to break them all up. Only enough to absorb some of the excess liquid.
This is the final bit, and I'll leave it up to your preference. At this stage I add the Rice to the mix and stir it all in. Though cold from being cooked earlier, it soon becomes hot when in contact with the rest. If you wish to serve it separately, taste it first and see if it has eniough salt. I say this, because, to heat it up again, boil the jug and pour some HOT water on it to refresh it, then drain it. This is why salt must be added.
I like this Curry tasting slightly salty, because it rerally brings out the FULL Flavour of everything. Its how mum used to do it, and I somehow memorised how she did it.
Enjoy! And I KNOW you will.
Oh! And for those who like it BLAZING HOT? PLEASE make sure you have a nice big glass of MILK handy. It kills the heat!

Captain Slog

Hi Vulcan (Volcano), Everyone,
I thought I'd offer you all my simple and cheap Curry recipe to warm you up. That is, IF you can call the prices of Pork or Chicken these days, cheap.
...

Supplimentary.
As a Helpful hint, I mentioned that I add the boiled water to the Bowl before adding a splash or two to the dinner? This is not only for SAFETY, but for CONTROL of the water. By adding some to the bowl, you control how much you may or may not need.
Be Organised! If you know what to do, you can beak it into stages, like I did. Rice first to cook. Spuds peeled and ready to cook. Before browning the meat, prepare your Onions and Veges, ready to be added. Boil the filled Jug. You MAY need the hot water. Clean as you go.

CAT17

Hi Volcano. Love this time of the year as stews and soups are easy to make, not expensive and can be frozen in meal size lots if you make up a bit pot. Using chicken wings and vegetavles in a stock (packet ready made is good) for chicken soup is easy. Soup bones (beef or bacon) make a tasty soup. Add soup mix Pearl barley etc. to give a richer flavour to the soup. All this is healthy filling and easy. Cheaper cuts of meat (chuck, gravy beef or similar) are full of flavour and very good for slow cooking. Use a packet base for the favour (many varieties are available) and follow the suggestions on the packet. By adding potatoes or rice you can have a very nurishing reasonably priced healthy meal. Bon apetit!

marianne

a really cheap dessert is maltese bread pudding.
It uses stale bread, so just save in the freezer till you've got enough

400 g. sugar
350 g. margerine
3 eggs
1 grated rind of one lemon ( or orange and lemon)
2 tablespoons chocolate powder ( cocoa powder)
1/4 cup. currants or sultanas
glaced cherries
1/4 cup dates (optional) cut into small pieces ( or just use 1/2 cup mixed fruit)
some walnuts or almonds (roasted and cut into small pieces)
one small glass brandy or rum (optional)

Soak bread in water for two hours until soft, drain bread properly Add margerine and sugar. Mix well. Beat eggs and add to the mixture. Add the other ingredients. Put mixture in a container well greased and cook in a moderate oven for about an hour (Till top is brown and crispy).
Really lovely chocolatey flavour, great with custard and cheap!

dolphin65

a really cheap dessert is maltese bread pudding.
It uses stale bread, so just save in the freezer till you've got enough

400 g. sugar
350 g. margerine
3 eggs
1 grated...

ohhh i love mums pudina x