As the weather gets colder and colder, it seems winter is approaching much sooner than anticipated. And with chillier - and darker - nights making their way into our schedule, the desire to whack on the heating at full blast is becoming more and more tempting.
Yet while the cost of living crisis - including energy, fuel and food prices hiking up - has caused a tidal wave of stress to ripple throughout the nation, it seems many are preparing to forgo luxuries such as central heating in favour of layering up to save the pennies.
We've all been thinking about how we can cut costs in a bid to tighten the purse strings - and unload the financial stresses of the current climate. And one of the easiest places to do that is in the kitchen. From shopping at budget supermarkets such as Aldi, Lidl and Asda - to name a few - to cooking meals in bulk to save on food waste.
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With that in mind, here we've rounded up five budget-friendly recipes to batch cook that will keep you and your family full for the whole week.
Spicy sausage ragu with spirali recipe from Tesco
For a quick and easy meal that requires hardly any effort, this pasta dish from Tesco recipes is a flavourful mid-week meal that nutricious and delicious - and not too heavy on the purse strings.
Serves: 4
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 300g pork sausages, casings removed
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½-1 tsp crushed chillies, to taste
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 400g spirali pasta
- ½ x 30g pack flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped
Method
STEP 1
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and sausages and cook, breaking up the sausages with a wooden spoon, for 10 mins, stirring every now and then.
STEP 2
Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a further a minute before adding the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Reduce the heat to medium and leave to simmer for a further 15 mins.
STEP 3
Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the pack instructions. Drain, reserving 2 tbsp of the pasta water, then toss the pasta with the sauce and the reserved water. Divide between 4 plates and sprinkle the parsley over the top.
For the recipe and method, see here
Spaghetti Bolognese by Jamie Oliver
This firm family favourite comes from Jamie Oliver's website Money Saving Family Recipes, which is full of recipes that prove "you don't need to sacrifice quality to save your pennies". What's great about this recipe is that it makes double the amount of sauce you need. So freeze half to make use of another day.
Here's what you need and how to make it, as per the 'Naked Chef' himself.
Serves 6
Time: two hours
Ingredients
- 3 red onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 3 carrots
- 3 sticks of celery
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 2 rashers of higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon , or pancetta
- olive oil
- 500 g lean beef mince
- 1 x 400 g tin of quality chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar , or red wine vinegar
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- 1 organic low-salt beef stock cube
- 500 g dried spaghetti
- 40 g Parmesan cheese , optional
Method
STEP 1
On a chopping board, peel and finely chop the onions, garlic and carrots, then trim and finely chop the celery. Pick and finely chop the rosemary leaves, before finely slicing the bacon or pancetta.
STEP 2
Put a large saucepan on a medium-high heat and add one tablespoon olive oil. Add the bacon, rosemary, garlic and vegetables and then cook with the lid ajar for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened and just turning golden, stirring occasionally.
STEP 3
Stir in the mince, turn the heat up to high and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until browned all over,stirring and breaking it up with a spoon as you go. Once this is done, add the tomatoes, tomato purée, vinegar and bay leaves.
STEP 4
Fill and boil the kettle. Crumble the stock cube into the mix and pour in 400ml boiling water.
Stir well, turn the heat up to high and bring to the boil.
STEP 5
Season with pepper, reduce to a low heat, then cover and simmer for around 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
STEP 6
Remove the lid and continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened and reduced.
Meanwhile...
Re-fill and boil the kettle.
STEP 7
Carefully fill a large pot three quarters of the way up with boiling water, add a tiny pinch of salt and bring back to the boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to packet instructions – you want to cook your pasta until it is al dente - this means it should be soft enough to eat, but still have a bit firmness to it.
STEP 8
Finely grate the Parmesan cheese onto a clean chopping board (if using).
STEP 9
Once the spaghetti is done, ladle out and reserve a cup of cooking water and keep it to one side, then drain in a colander over the sink. Taste the Bolognese sauce and season with a little more pepper or vinegar - if needed. Carefully pick out and discard the bay leaves.
STEP 10
Put half the sauce into a container, leave to cool, then freeze for another day. Stir the spaghetti into the remaining sauce, adding a splash of pasta water to loosen, if needed.
Divide between bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (if using) and then serve.
To find the recipe, see here.
Double bean & roasted pepper chilli from BBC GoodFood
This gorgeous veggie recipe by Sarah Cook for BBC Good Food is an amazing one pot wonder budget meal and serves a whopping eight people. For a family of four that's two meals in one!
Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 2 yellow or orange peppers, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil or rapeseed oil
- 2 x 460g jars roasted red peppers
- 2 tsp chipotle paste
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 400g can refried beans
- 3 x 400g cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 x 400g cans black beans, drained and rinsed
Method
STEP 1
Put the onions, celery and chopped peppers with the oil in your largest flameproof casserole dish or heavy-based saucepan, and fry gently over a low heat until soft but not coloured.
STEP 2
Drain both jars of peppers over a bowl to catch the juices. Put a quarter of the peppers into a food processor with the chipotle paste, vinegar, cocoa, dried spices and herbs. Whizz to a purée, then stir into the softened veg and cook for a few mins.
STEP 3
Add the tomatoes and refried beans with one can water and the reserved pepper juice. Simmer for an hour until thickened, smoky and the tomato chunks have broken down to a smoother sauce.
STEP 4
At this stage you can cool and chill the sauce if making ahead. Otherwise add the kidney and black beans, and the remaining roasted peppers, cut into bite-sized pieces, then reheat. (This makes a large batch, so once the sauce is ready it might be easier to split it between two pans when you add the beans and peppers.) Once bubbling and the beans are hot, season to taste and serve.
You can serve this meal with Tabasco sauce, soured cream or yoghurt.
To find this recipe, visit BBC Good Food
Roasted Carrot and Sage Soup with Garlic Pittas from Ocado
This recipe has been created by celebrity chef Lisa Faulkner for Ocado and is perfect for busy families who are looking to save money.
A simple soup is a must for families on the go - especially during winter. Plus, it's a recipe that allows you to leave it cook while you tend to other chores - or make up another meal for later on in the week.
With this recipe, you can even get ahead of the game and roast the vegetables the night. If carrots aren't your thing, you can swap them out for other root veg like parsnips, sweet potato, squash, celeriac or swede.
Serves: 4
Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
650g carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 tbsp olive oil (or swap half for soft butter for the breads)
2 onions, unpeeled and halved through their equator
8 large sage leaves
1 vegetable or chicken stock cube
2 tsp flat-leaf parsley
6 white or wholemeal pitta breads
50ml double cream
Method:
STEP 1
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7; line a roasting tin with a large sheet of baking paper. Add the carrots, garlic and 1 tbsp oil; season and toss. Add the onions, cut-side down; roast for 30 mins.
STEP 2
Remove the garlic cloves and set aside to cool. Scatter over the sage leaves and roast for 10 mins more.
STEP 3
Peel the garlic cloves and put 4 of them into a large pan with the roasted carrots and sage, stock cube and 1L water. Scoop the softened onion flesh out of their skins and add them too. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat a little, cover and cook for 10 mins.
STEP 4
Using a fork, mash the remaining garlic cloves with the remaining oil (or butter, if using) and the chopped parsley; season. Toast the pittas, brush one side with the garlicky oil/butter and slice.
STEP 5
Use a hand blender to whizz the soup with half of the cream until smooth. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with the rest of the cream and sprinkle with black pepper.
Serve with the garlic pittas.
To find this recipe, see the Ocado website.
Sausage and butter bean bake from Delicious.
Another one pot wonder is this sausage and butterbean bake from delicious. magazine. It's garlicky, flavoursome heaven and only requires just over thirty minutes cooking time. The perfect post-work and post-school meal that is quick and easy to whip up.
Serving a family of four, if you don't want pork sausages, you can substitute the meat for veggie sausages or other alternatives. All the needs to be adjusted is the first step. To make this meal, you need a large hob-safe 30 cm casserole dish with a lid.
Serves: 4
Time: 30 mins
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 8 good quality pork sausages
- 2 red onions, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes with herbs and garlic
- Pinch sugar (optional)
- 400g tin butter beans
- 100g cherry tomatoes (optional)
- 50g fresh breadcrumbs
- 20g mixed herbs, leaves picked and chopped – delicious. use rosemary, thyme and sage
- 20g parmesan, finely grated
Method
STEP 1
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a hob-safe casserole over a medium heat. Add the sausages and cook for 5-8 minutes, turning, until browned. Set aside.
STEP 2
Add another 1 tbsp oil and the onions to the casserole. Cover and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 of the crushed garlic cloves and cook for another few minutes.
STEP 3
Add the red wine vinegar, chopped tomatoes, 200ml water and sugar (if you like) to the casserole. Bring to a simmer, then cook on a medium-high heat for 5 minutes until thickened and slightly reduced. Stir in the butter beans, cherry tomatoes (if using) and sausages, then reduce the heat slightly and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the sausages are cooked through.
STEP 4
Heat the grill to medium. Combine the breadcrumbs, herbs and parmesan in a bowl with the remaining oil and crushed garlic, with a good pinch of salt. Sprinkle the mixture over the sausage casserole, then put under the grill for 5 minutes until crisp and golden. (Alternatively, warm the oil in a separate frying pan, add the breadcrumbs and stir-fry until golden and toasted, then stir in the remaining ingredients and sprinkle over the bake.)
To find this recipe, visit the delicious. website.
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