Wednesday 14 August 2019

Another Low Cost Menu Plan

I thought I'd share another cheaper menu plan we finished using just recently.  While not all meals are cheap,  we've tried to offset the cost by making some super cheap meals or eating leftovers.

Mon 22nd July -  Potato bake using potatoes bought at $1.99 for 5 kilos.  I probably used less than 1 kilo.  Other ingredients were a few eggs,  lots of veg including silverbeet from our garden,  seasonings,  100g of shaved ham and grated cheese on top

Tues 23rd - Sausages,  mash and steamed veg.  The three of us only need 5 sausages making the meat component cheap at under $2

Wed 24th - Honey mustard chicken with rice.  Two small chicken fillets were used.  Sauce made from scratch and bean and carrots were added to make it a complete meal.

Thurs 25th - Roast beef in gravy from the freezer with mash and steamed veg.

Fri 26th -  Tuna casserole.  Not exactly a cheap meal.  It costs about $5,50 plus a side of veg

Sat 27th  -  Chunky chicken and veg soup.  Cost $ 2.50 for 8 - 10 serves over two meals  I don't count the cost of the chicken stock made from scratch.  Using a chicken carcass costs nothing and most people would throw it out.

Sun 28th - Freezer meals of leftovers.  Freezing the leftovers eliminates food wastage and creates a free meal.

Mon 29th - Chunky chicken and veg soup leftovers.  The stock came from the freezer so I didn't want to freeze the soup leftover from Saturday's dinner

Tues 30th -  Meat pie and veg.  This recipe uses 400g of mince costing $4 plus $1 for pastry and the cost of a few potatoes plus steamed veg on the side

Wed 31st -  Lasagne and veg.  The lasagne was made last month,  portioned and frozen. We had four people for dinner that night costing $1.30 per serve plus veg

Thurs 1st Aug -  Freezer meals for Darren and I

Fri 2nd -  Girello roast beef  in slow cooker with roast veg

Sat 3rd -  Massaman beef with rice from the freezer.  Approximate cost for 6 - 8 serves is $5.50 or 80 cents each serve.  We used three serves that night

Sun -  Homemade pizza.  The dough costs about 60 cents for two pizzas.  Topping are shredded chicken $2 pineapple 20 cents,  tomato or tomato sauce and cheese.  Darren uses fancier ingredients which he pays for or he uses what's in the fridge already.

Recipes for most of these meals can be found on the recipe page 


Honey Mustard Chicken 

Homemade Pizza

Tuna Casserole

Have you eaten a really cheap meal lately ?

8 comments:

  1. A little while ago we bought some very cheap veg and for that week the meals were based on these. A spinach quiche was made from 2 bunches of spinach that were $1 and pantry staples. I think that meal cost $3.50 for 7 serves. A piece of pumpkin cost 80 cents and that was combined with sweet potato, onion and garlic to make 6 hearty serves of soup for around the $3 mark. Lastinight's dinner was three chicken thighs cooked over rice with vegetables and that worked out unde $4. there are three big meals out of that and more rice for later in the week. Meat meals tend to be more expensive. WE have had sausages with mashed potatoes, vegetables and tomato and onion gravy which cost about $7 for 4 serves. Our very expensive meal was a standing rib roast, Yorkshire pudding and roasted vegetables for $21. This did four adults serves. My son has been working at Uluru and he wanted a roast with trimmings for his welcome home meal. The meat was bought for 45 % off and although far more expensive than I would usually use it was way cheaper than dining out and he polished off so much.

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    1. I'm sure your son enjoyed the roast dinner. As you said, cheaper than eating out.

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  2. Great menu - I'm definitely going to try your Honey Mustard Chicken recipe!

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  3. Your meals sound delicious. I used some yellow sticker braising steak reduced to 82pence for 400g. Cooked it in the slow cooker with previously frozen veg and some bits from the fridge. With some flavourings it made 5 portions and was delicious.

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    1. That's a fantastic price for steak. A super cheap meal indeed.

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  4. Dear Wendy, I love your meal plan, even the tuna casserole looks nice and I am allergic to seafood !.is that cornflakes over the top of the tuna casserole please Wendy ?and could I make a chicken casserole like that Please?.i love your recipe for honey mustard chicken, I have used it many times , although it would be yummierif I used all the ingredients you use in your recipe but I was experimenting and didn’t have all the spices at home.it was still delicious!.
    What is Girello roast please Wendy ?, I have heard of it but not seen it for a long time.is it a cheaper or different cut?.
    My menu plan has been all over the place due to me being unwell but that’s where freezer meals and meals from my parents h ave helped , the freezer meals are homemade.
    My cheap go to meals are breakfast for dinner, a quick batch of pancakes and some fruit and cream or ice real , good as a treat meal notvery often.Also baked beans, bacon, sausages etc are cheap and served with homemade toast bread or scones etc is fairly healthy and good for an easy night. As a special treat meal, I was lucky enough to find some eye fillet steak very very cheap and it’s been portioned into meal sizes ( just me) for treat and celebration meals, each piece of steak cost me about $1.40 which is a bargain compared to steak at a restraint and it’s restiraunt quality steak.i like you do Wendy keep a pantry , fridge and freezer full of ingredients to make cheap meals .the meals I have stated are treat or lazy meals not my regular meals.
    Keep up the excellent work Wendy .
    Love Barb W.

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    Replies
    1. I'm sure you could use chicken in the tuna casserole. Yes, it's corn flakes on top.

      Girello roast is a cut of beef that is usually long in size.

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