30 budget-friendly meals to cook for lunch or dinner
Delicious has created a blend of cost effective recipes that will help you make the most out of what you may already have in your pantry. And there’s vegetarian options too.
With rising grocery costs and produce supply changes, it can be tricky putting together a hefty meal plan.
Here delicious has put together a blend of recipes that are cost effective and budget-friendly, including dishes that preserve your ingredients, minimise waste, use only a few items, and make the most of what you may already have in your pantry.
Supergreen risotto with pecorino cheese
Warren Mendes shares his super tasty supergreen risotto with pecorino – a hearty rice dish great for a midweek dinner.
Cold nights have never tasted so good.
Turmeric dahl with curry leaf flatbread
Embrace turmeric with this delicious dahl recipe, perfect for a winter dinner.
Chilled chicken and sesame noodles
“Combining leftover chicken with crisp vegies, fragrant herbs and a flavour boosting dressing means you can have this meal ready and on the table in minutes.”
If you thought cream in carbonara was controversial, just wait until you meet our cheesy carbonara risotto. If eating it is wrong, then we don’t want to be right.
Sesame beef with gochujang udon noodles
Move over 2-minute noodles, this beef and udon dish will make your evening.
“Here we’ve flipped it on its head so the bread doesn’t just soak up the sardines’ juices but also the juice of the tomatoes and the dressing,” says Matt Preston.
Use up those canned tomatoes sitting in your pantry in this comforting and delicious risotto recipe.
Chicken larb with rice vermicelli
Make the most of chicken mince with this ultimate midweek dinner.
Chickpea and broccoli stem falafel with mint yoghurt
Budget friendly, nutritious and endlessly versatile, there’s a lot to love about legumes! Darren Robertson has his finger on the pulse with this must-make falafel.
“Curry leaves work well here with their citrusy note. They’re sold in supermarkets,” says Phoebe Wood.
Cheesy baked polenta in tomato sauce
A golden crust and soul-warming sauce makes this versatile bake by Yotam Ottolenghi a satisfying midweek meal.
Tomato, pickled onion and goat’s cheese frittata
“A frittata is an excellent no-waste dish as you can use up brilliant ingredients, from cheese to leftover vegies and herbs,” says Ronni Kahn.
Get your wing fix with this peri peri chicken recipe
Chef and TV presenter Warren Mendes takes a South African trip down memory lane with these barbecued peri peri chicken wings.
“Almost a national dish in the UK, chicken tikka masala has uncertain and widely contested origins. Whatever the case, it’s a hot favourite here, too,” says Phoebe Wood.
Dhal with tomato, tamarind and cauliflower
“In this recipe the spices are tempered – heated in oil – to release their oils and unlock extra flavour” – Hayden Quinn.
This traditional Italian recipe is the best way to use up those canned tomatoes.
Burnt bread and tomatoes with peperonata dressing
This makes a meal of robust toast.
Homemade sausage rolls with spiced kangaroo mince recipe
It doesn’t get more Aussie than kangaroo mince sausage rolls.
“I started making this pasta at Matteo [D’Elia’s former restaurant], and it gained cult-status. So we had to have it on the menu!”
A quick and easy meal that’s budget friendly to boot.
Thick-crust pizza with spiced cauliflower ‘mince’
This quick pizza dough will change your life, and the cauliflower topping will convert even the biggest of carnivores.
Andrew McConnell’s pasta alla Norma (eggplant pasta)
Andrew takes us back to the basics with this quick and easy eggplant pasta.
Baked tomato and provola risotto
Just as delicious as it is impressive, this baked risotto recipe will have everyone begging for seconds.
This is an edited extract from Every Night of the Week by Lucy Tweed. Photography by Lucy Tweed. (Murdoch Books, $35).
Tuna and caper pasta with crispy breadcrumbs
Make the most of canned tuna with this fresh and easy pasta dish.
This was a recipe that went viral on social media. You bake a whole block of feta with tomatoes and herbs. Everything goes super-soft in the oven, so you can mash it into a creamy sauce for your pasta.
Soy and honey chicken wings with lime chilli salt
These soy and honey chicken wings with lime chilli salt pack an extra punch and are the perfect addition to your weekend lunch spread.
“I like to cook this with bone-in cutlets and then, once the chook is done and rested, I cut the bone out and slice the meat. If you find this a little daunting, ask the butcher to debone the cutlets for you first, or use thigh fillets. Thighs are forgiving (not mine, mind you); you’ll just need to reduce the cooking time as explained below.” T
his is an edited extract from Every Night of the Week by Lucy Tweed. (Murdoch Books, $35).
“This dish has become my pasta-loving family’s go-to for a fast weeknight meal. We make it so much it’s become a staple!” – Phoebe Wood.
Originally published as 36 budget recipes to make the weekly shop more affordable
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