By day, 29-year-old Mitch Lane sells nuts and bolts. But by night (and by lockdown), he's a TikTok cooking sensation, sharing indulgent recipes for budget-friendly prices.
The Wolverhampton chef's social media journey all started thanks to a mouth-watering chilli con carne. Speaking to Birmingham Live, he said: "One day I was cooking up a chilli and I thought: 'You know what, I’m going to record this and give people a bit of insight into how I make it'. The next thing you know it’s completely blown up.”
Whether it's a cheesy pasta dish or a saucy bowl of chicken wings, @MealsByMitch has ideas to satisfy all tastebuds and all for less than £5. We've picked five recipes from his TikTok that you can try yourself at home.
Read more: How soaring inflation will affect your household budget and spending over the autumn
Cheesy and easy tuna pasta bake - £4.95
A student favourite, this tuna pasta bake can be portioned and enjoyed for work lunches as well as dinners.
Ingredients:
Wonky onions (55p), penne pasta (29p), can of plum tomatoes (40p), two cans of tuna chunks in spring water (69p each), grated mozzarella (£1.59), garlic bulb (79p).
Method:
Add the penne to a pan of salted water and cook by bringing it to a boil. In another pan, fry two diced onions until soft, then add three cloves of garlic.
After a minute or so, add a whole can of plum tomatoes and break up with the back of a spoon. Add the two tins of tuna and stir, adding some of the pasta water to loosen up the sauce.
Once mixed, spoon in the cooked pasta bit by bit and mix it through the sauce. Add a generous handful of mozzarella, season with salt and pepper and stir before adding to a baking dish.
Cover the pasta with more mozzarella, be extra generous and cover the whole dish - "use the whole pack", laughs Mitch, "you only live once". Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling
"Bog-standard" cottage pie - £4.74
Mitch's basic cottage pie is perfect for feeding all the family. Costing £4.74 from Sainsbury's, it's quick, simple and ideal comfort food.
Ingredients:
Celery (43p), fresh rosemary (60p), beef stock cubes (65p for 10), one loose carrot (9p), one loose onion (8p), tomato puree (45p), four baking potatoes (45p), 20% fat beef mince (£1.85), one garlic bulb (20p).
Method:
Heat up a drizzle of oil in a frying pan and, once hot, add your diced carrot, onion and celery. Leave to soften for around 5 mins, then add three cloves of garlic and a sprig or two of rosemary.
After a couple of minutes, add your beef mince and break up with a wooden spoon. After a couple of minutes, once the mince has browned, stir through some tomato puree and then add around 350ml of beef stock.
Let the mince bubble away and begin prepping your mash by washing and peeling your potatoes. Cut them into chunks and add them to a pan of cold salted water.
Leave the mince to simmer while the potatoes cook, top up with more stock if needed. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and rinse them off, add salt and pepper and mash.
Mitch adds here that if you have it in the fridge, you can add milk, butter or cheese to your mash if you wish. These aren't necessary for the recipe though, so if you'd prefer to stick to the £5 budget then leave them out.
To layer up, add the mince mixture to the bottom of a baking dish and add the potatoes over the top, using a fork to score in those traditional lines. Put into an oven at around 180 degrees and cook for 30 minutes - add a sprinkling of cheese if your budget can stretch to it.
Simple and quick chicken stir fry - £4.97
Pick up wonky veg from Aldi for this recipe to keep your costs down. Mitch said: "This is great for a quick and easy meal after work."
Ingredients:
Mixed chillies (49p), medium egg noodles (85p), chicken drumsticks (£1.79), soy sauce (55p), garlic bulb (79p), broccoli (50p)
Method:
Take the meat off the chicken drumsticks, dice up and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle some oil in a pan and bring up to a high temperature, then add the chicken.
Once the chicken is starting to brown, add in your broccoli florets, and sliced chillis. Mitch also adds six cloves of garlic but adjust this to your tastes.
As the broccoli starts to soften, add in the noodles and a generous helping of soy sauce. Allow to simmer for a minute or so before serving.
These recipes aren't an exact science, they're adaptable for your own tastes. However, if you prefer to follow a recipe, Mitch has released his own cookbook, Bon Appétit , featuring 50 of his favourite meals.
For more recipe ideas, including takeaway ideas and more £5 meals, find Mitch on TikTok @MealsByMitch.
Read more money and cost of living stories here
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