Cheap tasty dinner

Recipes, Cooking tips and maybe some 'Home Made' secrets !
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essentialequine
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Cheap tasty dinner

Post by essentialequine »

Was so busy baking yesterday that I forgot about what we were going to have for dinner :oops: anyway had a look in the pantry cupboard and found a tin of condensed tomato soup, then a just about out of date carton of sour cream in the fridge, chucked that in a oven proof dish gave it a good mix and through in a pack of chicken thighs(which were also on their use by date lol) chucked in the oven at gas mark 4 for an hour then turned it upto 7 for the last hour, cooked up some pasta and served, it was lovley, best chicken bake I have ever tasted, could easily be made a veggie option by just puting the pasta in the sauce instead of the chicken and bet that would be just as nice, ohhh just about forgot put a good sprinkle of dried chives over the top before puting in the oven and also took them out and gave it a stir at the half way mark before turning the heat up. )c+ cost about a fiver to feed the 3 of us so cheep as chips as well )t'
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jo68
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Post by jo68 »

hi (f+ (f+ (f+


ooooo that sounds lovely )eat( )eat( )eat(


jo x
mum of 5,nanny to 2,2 cats,1 jack russell,6 chickens and a hubby.
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saint-spoon
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Post by saint-spoon »

using soup as the base for your sauce is always a good cheat if you are short of time (oops sounding a bit like DS). if you think about it it's the same of adding a blackened banana to a can of custard to make banana custard.

)c+ all good student fuel by the way
Bah Humbug
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kate egg
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Post by kate egg »

Sounds yum!

One of my faves is chicken fricasee - chopped breast, mushrooms, onion in chicken stock, salt, pepper and parsley, simmered about 20 mins then a good dollop of creme fraiche or soured cream at the end, warmed back through and served with rice )c+ Chick, cheap and easy!
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Meanqueen
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Post by Meanqueen »

Excellent use of bits and bobs, ee, I often use soup to thicken a veggie stew. Just wondered about the 2 hours in an oven though, me being too mean to pay for the gas. Could the meat be cooked in a pan on the top, or grilled, then added to the soup etc to finish off in the oven? ^b:

Ilona
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essentialequine
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Post by essentialequine »

Meanqueen wrote:Excellent use of bits and bobs, ee, I often use soup to thicken a veggie stew. Just wondered about the 2 hours in an oven though, me being too mean to pay for the gas. Could the meat be cooked in a pan on the top, or grilled, then added to the soup etc to finish off in the oven? ^b:

Ilona


yes very likley, but my oven is LPG and costs me less than £60 a year in gas so I dont mind using it.
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essentialequine
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Post by essentialequine »

was going to add but the edit button is missing again lol, that I was scared to read your reply in case you could do it cheaper LOL :P
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kate egg
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Post by kate egg »

I know thats what I thought, I bet Ilona would have done it (somehow) for half the price :-D :-D
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Meanqueen
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Post by Meanqueen »

Wonder if I am going a tad too far with this mean thing :-D but I can't help it, my brain is programmed to making every meal for less than £1. LPG, hhhmmmmm, that's a thought :-D

Ilona
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kate egg
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Post by kate egg »

LPG does seem a very economical fuel when used for cooking, not sure about heating though, friend I knew lived in a static caravan and LPG heating she was using over a bottle a week in a 2 bedroom place and it was priced at £25 a bottle.
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lancashire lass
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Post by lancashire lass »

I've often made a chicken casserole using the thighs with either tinned or dried packet soup (can you still get these? :shock: ) preferably cream of chicken or cream of mushroom flavour, with a chopped onion and some frozen veg and in the oven on a medium heat until the soup thickens and the chicken skin goes crispy brown - serve on a bed of rice, hmmm )t'

It might cost more than a £1 but you can have more than one meal out of that casserole, and also be baking something else in the oven at the same time, eg a pie which you can have cold next day, and maybe something sweet like an apple pie or rice pudding - just fill the oven up for a big bake up to make it more economical.
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essentialequine
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Post by essentialequine »

Meanqueen wrote:Wonder if I am going a tad too far with this mean thing :-D but I can't help it, my brain is programmed to making every meal for less than £1. LPG, hhhmmmmm, that's a thought :-D

Ilona


LOL you may just be, I mean how long have I been a member :-D

My brain is trying to get programmed into making every meal for less the £5, so I am 5 times less mean than you Ilona :razz: Can I ask you a question? are you on your own or are you cooking for more than one? I am cooking for my 11yr old daughter and a hubby who eats the same amount as my daughter and I put together so he really counts as 2 meals when it comes to amounts.
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essentialequine
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Post by essentialequine »

ETA LPG is great for the cooker, also used to live in a static and we had the same size on there but went through it a bottle every two weeks which would be the same as your pal as we were paying about £48 for the big ones at that time. would hate to be in a static again, but we did it while building our own house.
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Meanqueen
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Post by Meanqueen »

Yes, I am on my own, so it's a lot easier. I am not bothered what I eat, as long as it's healthy food and not meat. I can eat the same dinner 5 nights in a row, I can use up left over stuff, I never throw any food away. I don't have a list or a set plan when I go shopping, I look for what is cheap and healthy. I sometimes have a treat, donuts or cookies, if they have been priced down, would not pay full price.

I eat to give my body fuel to keep it going. Sorry, gone a bit off topic. I understand it's more difficult with a family, not everybody thinks the same, or fancies the same food. I think with me it comes from what my mum said, eat it up or you get no pudding.

Ilona
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mellonia
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Post by mellonia »

Hi Ilona

I was the same when i lived on my own, never cooked anything in the oven, everything came out of a tin, or a packet. I didnt eat that healthy, but lived very frugally indeed as you i only had me and pleased myself. On the eating the same thing, i had the same for lunch for nearly five years, liver and garlic pate on rye. i am not doing so bad now as have cheese and pickle sandwiches nearly all the time,for lunch, i can't face cooked meat, and lost my pot of marmite.

Keep it up Ilona if it makes you happy good to know that you buy the occasional cookie and doughnut, need some treats.

Mellonia

I haven't posted for a while as my son is on the computor 24/7 and i have to ask his permission to go on to look at bank account. Also i am doing overtime so have lost the 1 1/2 hours in the afternoon before the kids get in.
money talks but all mine ever says is goodbye
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