Cheap Budget Meals - Tasty Homemade Recipes Within Budget! Veggie Macaroni Cheese

Following a successful month of budgeting during February's Great British Budget I am keen to carry on as we have been and share some budgeting recipes.

 

Every week I am going to post a new, cheap, budget recipe.

 

I want to show you that when on a tight budget you can still enjoy tasty, nutritious home cooked meals.

 

We live on a tight budget and I am always trying to come up with new ideas for our meals.

 

To begin with here are some of my budgeting tips:

 

* Keep a good store cupboard. Its amazing how a few herbs and spices can transform a meal. Keep in cupboard essentials like flour, seasoning and stock cubes as they always come in handy!

 

* When you go shopping always check out the reduced section for fresh meat and fish that you can freeze. I have picked up some great bargains here, like 2 pieces of salmon fillet for £1!

 

* Always look at the "value" version of foods. We buy value pasta for 30p, rice for 40p, corn flakes for 33p to name a few and they taste exactly the same!

 

* Save any leftovers! Either freeze them for another day or bulk them out the following day with extra vegetables to not only get added nutritional goodness but a second meal!

 

Here is my first cheap budget meal recipe...

 

Veggie Macaroni Cheese

 

Ingredients

 

250g Macaroni (500g bag = 95p)

1 Onion, chopped (16p)

1 Courgette, quartered and sliced (48p)

150g Mushrooms, chopped (50p)

100g Cherry Tomatoes, quartered (65p)

Red or Yellow Pepper (80p)

75g Mature Cheddar Cheese, grated (£1)

12g Butter

12g Plain Flour

300mls Milk

1/2tsp Dried Oregano

Salt

Pepper

 

Method

 

1 - Cook the pasta as per instructions

 

2 - While the pasta is cooking fry the vegetables in a little oil over a medium heat until soft, add the oregano and stir in

 

3 - To make your cheese sauce melt the butter and add the flour

 

4 - Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk until you have a smooth sauce

 

5 - Return to the heat and bring to the boil stirring continuously

 

6 - Once at boiling point remove from the heat, stir in 50g of the grated cheese and season to taste

 

7 - Once the macaroni is cooked, drain and place in a oven proof dish

 

8 - Place the soft vegetables over the top and mix through

 

9 - Pour over the cheese sauce and top with the remaining cheese

 

10 - Place under a high grill until the cheese has melted and browned off

 

This meal served all 5 of us and there were even some leftovers for the twins the following day!

It is  a delicious, versatile meal. Vegetables can be added or removed to taste or to what you have in your fridge. This is a great meal to use up any leftover vegetables that you may have in your fridge at the end of the week!

Serve as it is or with garlic bread.

This meal can be cooked for as little as £4.54 as long as you have items in your store cupboard. That's under £1 per serving!

Enjoy x

 

 

 

I am sharing my weekly budget meal with Cold Tea and Smelly Nappies Thrifty Thursday. Check out tips on what to do with the left over bread crusts and other thrifty, money saving ideas at Thrifty Thursday