nothing beats pasta with diced tomatoes and fresh basil, a glug of olive oil and a few shavings of pamesan for a posh but cheap as chips meal.
I feed 2 adults, a toddler with a healty appetite and a baby for 5 / 6 euros every night. That includes loads of fresh fruits and vegs, most organic. The secret is to cook as much as you can, don’t rely on pre-packed products, out of the season fruits and vegs. The odd free range chicken gives us 3 meals. Every scrap of meat is used and a little goes a long way when bulked up with pasta, potatoes, lentils, carrots, etc…. For the larder basics, I buy Aldi, Lidl (excellent olive oil), and supermarkets own brands (Tesco’s finest tinned cherry tomatoes make a beautiful sauce). I also buy a lot of “reduced to clear” items, most of them non perishable such as sugar, etc…
Grow your own herbs on your windowsill, much cheaper than the packed ones (at 1.59 the packet!!!), always fresh, and give you a bit of a garden too 🙂
This is a great idea for posts. When trying to feed a crowd on a low budget I usually make something mince based, as you can get 2lb mince for between 6 and 8 euros, and even cheaper in some butchers, which will feed about 6-8 people. I love spag bol,with homemade sauce (onions,garlic,red wine,chilli flakes, italian herbs, tinned tomatoes, mushrooms) or keema or chilli con carne (f;avoured with cumin & chilli). With leftover spag bol sauce, you can mix it with slightly undercooked penne, top with a generous layer of grated cheese and bake in oven for about 20 minutes for a delicous pasta bake.
A bigger challenge is low carb meals that are as cheap…
p.s. love the blog, keep up the great work-I dont know if ye get enough compliments about how great it is!
This is great Mitchell, thanks so much – really useful to see the exact cost. It’s a perfect family meal as you can get the kids to put their toppings on the pizza themselves.
This is a great idea! The Pizzas were great. The kids helped and had a ball. Flour everywhere. Any more recipes? Keep them coming. It’s great to know what to buy and where to buy it, and how much it will cost before you go to the supermarket. Thanks a mill. Denis
Thursday 19 August, 2010 at 6:29 pm
Pineapples?! Ewwwwwwwwwww! I can save him money straight away; by buying fresh mozzerella and canned tomatoes.
Thursday 19 August, 2010 at 8:42 pm
nothing beats pasta with diced tomatoes and fresh basil, a glug of olive oil and a few shavings of pamesan for a posh but cheap as chips meal.
I feed 2 adults, a toddler with a healty appetite and a baby for 5 / 6 euros every night. That includes loads of fresh fruits and vegs, most organic. The secret is to cook as much as you can, don’t rely on pre-packed products, out of the season fruits and vegs. The odd free range chicken gives us 3 meals. Every scrap of meat is used and a little goes a long way when bulked up with pasta, potatoes, lentils, carrots, etc…. For the larder basics, I buy Aldi, Lidl (excellent olive oil), and supermarkets own brands (Tesco’s finest tinned cherry tomatoes make a beautiful sauce). I also buy a lot of “reduced to clear” items, most of them non perishable such as sugar, etc…
Grow your own herbs on your windowsill, much cheaper than the packed ones (at 1.59 the packet!!!), always fresh, and give you a bit of a garden too 🙂
Sunday 22 August, 2010 at 1:07 pm
This is a great idea for posts. When trying to feed a crowd on a low budget I usually make something mince based, as you can get 2lb mince for between 6 and 8 euros, and even cheaper in some butchers, which will feed about 6-8 people. I love spag bol,with homemade sauce (onions,garlic,red wine,chilli flakes, italian herbs, tinned tomatoes, mushrooms) or keema or chilli con carne (f;avoured with cumin & chilli). With leftover spag bol sauce, you can mix it with slightly undercooked penne, top with a generous layer of grated cheese and bake in oven for about 20 minutes for a delicous pasta bake.
A bigger challenge is low carb meals that are as cheap…
p.s. love the blog, keep up the great work-I dont know if ye get enough compliments about how great it is!
Monday 23 August, 2010 at 9:42 am
This is great Mitchell, thanks so much – really useful to see the exact cost. It’s a perfect family meal as you can get the kids to put their toppings on the pizza themselves.
Monday 23 August, 2010 at 8:01 pm
This is a great idea! The Pizzas were great. The kids helped and had a ball. Flour everywhere. Any more recipes? Keep them coming. It’s great to know what to buy and where to buy it, and how much it will cost before you go to the supermarket. Thanks a mill. Denis
Monday 23 August, 2010 at 10:14 pm
Hi guys, I’ve put this up on the blog as it tied in with a recent (awful) dining experience story that I wanted to upload.
Monday 23 August, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Hi MummyPages, thanks for the link!