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Bit of a Ready Steady cook idea, what interesting meals can you make for about a fiver.
Or a good budget meal for the whole family.

As it was put to me in these times where every penny counts, what can you put together for about £5 a meal or great value for a meal.

You never know it could keep someone going between jobs.

Excellent thread

A hassle-free carbonara recipe using eggs to create a thick, rich sauce. Serve straight from the pan or turn it into a pasta bake by popping it under the grill.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Total time: 40 mins
Skill level: Easy peasy

350g (12oz) egg Campanelle (pasta shaped like a bell or flower)

2 eggs (use pasturised eggs if possible)

2 egg yolks
6tbsp Parmesan, freshly grated
75g (3oz) Cheddar cheese, grated
227g can lean ham, diced
397g can chopped tomatoes, drained
170g can dairy cream, shaken
2 tbsp chopped parsley
25g (1oz) butter
Salt and black pepper, to taste

1.Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water according to the packet instructions, until just tender.

2.Meanwhile, beat together the eggs and egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl, stir in half the Cheddar cheese and half the Parmesan.

3.Heat the ham and tomatoes together in a small frying pan over a medium heat for 2 mins, reduce the heat to simmering, add the cream and parsley and stir.

4.Drain the pasta well, using a colander and put the pan which the pasta had been cooked in straight back on the hob to soften the butter in. Add in the cooked pasta and the ham and cream mixture and stir to combine.

5.Remove from the heat and add in the egg mixture, mixing well for 2-3 mins to allow the hot pasta to gently cook the eggs and for the carbonara to thicken. Season to taste and serve, topped with the remaining cheese and parsley garnish.

6.It is traditional to serve the carbonara as it is or you could transfer it to a baking dish, top with the remaining cheese and parsley then place it under a hot grill for 6-8 mins or until the topping is crisp and golden.

Easy one for if you have some left overs in the bottom of the fridge.

You will need:

1 small tub sour cream (or creme fraiche)
1/2 tub of philadelphia (other cream cheeses are available from all good stores)
4-6 mushrooms (doesn't matter if they are starting to look like testicles)
As much pasta as you like, of whatever type you like
2 dessert spoons of parmesan cheese
pepper to taste.


Cook the pasta as per instructions on the packaging.

Slice the mushrooms and fry them off in a little butter, oil, or whatever you like.

Drain the pasta but allow enough water to stay in the pan just to cover the bottom of the pan to put in the sauce so that it sticks nicely to the pasta.

Into the small amount of pasta water, add the phili, sour cream, mushrooms, half the parmesan and some pepper to taste.

Once it starts to melts down, add the pasta and stir so that it is covered evenly.

Place into a serving dish and sprinkle the remaining parmesan over the top.

Average cost if you have to buy stuff in, £4. If you have it all lurking in your fridge, nada and you've cleared the fridge

£5 gets you 2 bags of chips and a 2 litre bottle of cider.

Ahh this brings memories of my courtship days when I was living in Oxton.

On a more serious side a fiver a day to spend on meals is a lot when you are between jobs, after all you only get £65 a week and there are other bills to pay.

Years ago when i was unemployed my budget for food was a lot less than this, after bills etc the first thing I spent was for food, sometimes my main meal might have been a £1 zap it meal from iceland. Beer!! if I was lucky I might splash out on a four pack for the weekend. Sunday was the day when I had a truely decent meal, steak and veg etc.

I have no idea how some people I know who do not work are able to pop down the pub several times a week?

If you have a lot of basic foods in such as rice, beans and pasta etc then you could spend a fiver to make these meals varied and enjoyable.

Got to go now a my £5 meal from the chinese has just been delivered

Nomad

Chicken Wrapped in Bacon
This is another easy dish that would be great for a romantic meal for two. There’s nothing to it really. Wrap each chicken breast in a slice of bacon (or two if the chicken is particularly big. Season with pepper and place in a small ovenproof dish. Drizzle with a little olive oil and cook in a preheated hot oven for about 35-40 minutes, until cooked through. You can serve this with some steamed French beans or a simple salad.

Mmmm that's the best TC

I find that the simpliest meals are often the best, nothing fancy. such as a good few baked spuds and some cheese and butter or corned beef.

Use to love it when the pubs on a sunday would bring round a tray of roast or baked potatoes

Nomad

You can eat for free all week if you go to pubs which have quiz nights. There are always sandwiches and sausage rolls and stuff at half-time. Problem is you have to be in a quiz team-or look as though you are by hovering on the edge of one looking intelligent (false spectacles are a good aid to this!)
My quiz team was disqualified for copying last week. On Q7, the team next to us put "We don't know". Our team put "Neither do we!!"

Is anyone watching "Come dine with me" as this week they are from the wirral

yum when are you cooking this babe? i'll have it with new potatoes please

My speciality (as in, the only thing I cook and don't burn!) is toad in the hole.

140g flour, 200ml milk and 4 eggs, beat in a bowl until batter consistancy, then beat it some more to make extra fluffy and leave to one side. Pre-heat the oven to 200 for gas or 220 electric fan ovens.

Meanwhile fry a pack of sausages on the hob (we normally do eight, there's two of us) to brown-ish but not fully cooked then place them into a roasting dish and pore the excess oil from the frying pan in as well.

Put this dish in the oven to heat the oil further for about five minutes then quickly pour the batter mix over the sausages and leave for 15-20 minutes to rise, then cook for further 10-15 minutes depending on how crispy you want it.

Serve with new potatoes mash and gravy, and veg if you're like me and love your greens!

Usually costs about £3 - £1 for 8 sausages from Iceland (though I know you can get 12 in Asda for less than £1, but that's too many for us!) and 50p for a tin of new potatoes, plus a pint of milk and a bag of flour. Very, very filling and if you use a big enough roasting tin it will serve four

Pack of noodles from tesco, 14p or so. Sorted, bosh, diamond geezer!

Can get a maccies for 0.98 per cheeseburger.

Thankyou gem gem I'm sure some of the people on wiki shall appreciate your recipe