2 pies 1 Post. R.O.G.O.F Read One Get One Free.

After my successful shop last week at Aldi, I was very busy in the kitchen. We managed to spend £39 to feed three adults, a teenager and two children for a full week. It takes a bit of time and effort to save money on your food bill, which can be seen as a negative thing that would put people off. What if I told you that it would create more family time and give you a sense of accomplishment, on top of saving you pounds? We make meal planning a family get together, where we all decide and argue about the following week's meals. It's great, there are usually strops and tears, but we manage to devise a plan and we wouldn't be us if we didn't bicker our way through everything. Involving the children in the process of menu planning and cooking, is giving them valuable life skills that they will use forever, I would say there is nothing more beneficial you could teach them. After we plan the week's meals, I can make a list of the ingredients needed, then shop for them, you MUST stick to your list, do not get tempted to buy things other than what's on there, another reason for the bickering as hubby tends to wander off the beaten track, I just remind him how much money we're saving and he soon comes back. Shopping this way will save you loads of money and the more meals you cook from scratch,  will give you a massive sense of achievement. Get the children involved at every opportunity, even if it's them passing you the ingredients, they love to help and it also encourages them to try new things and eat their meals. We have had two very different pies in the last two weeks that I wanted to share with you.

Firstly my Chicken, Bacon and Sweetcorn Pie:

3 or 4 chicken breasts

4 rashers cheapest smoked back bacon

100g frozen sweetcorn

Pack puff pastry

2 tsp dried thyme

100ml cream

Tbsp plain flour

1 pint chicken stock

In a frying pan on medium-high cook the chicken and bacon adding the thyme

Stir in the flour and gradually add the chicken stock a bit at a time until all the flour is dissolved

Add the sweetcorn and let it bubble for 5 minutes

Finally stir in the cream and transfer to an oven proof pie dish

Top with the puff pastry and cook at 180 for 35 minutes

The next 'pie' is so simple, you could let an older child make it with very little help.

Cowboy Pie:

3 tins of baked beans

2 tins of corned beef

5-6 potatoes

Milk and butter (for mashing)

Grated cheese (for topping)

Roughly chop the corned beef into chunks and put in a deep oven proof dish

Add the beans

Peel, chop and boil the potatoes for 25 minutes until soft

Mash with a splash of milk and a nob of butter until smooth

Spoon onto the beans and corned beef filling

Lightly scrape a fork over the surface and add some cheese

Bake at 180 for 30 minutes

Tea so easy the kids made it

I have to start by admitting this doesn't look the most appetising dish granted. But it's so tasty and you can run wild with this one using up whatever vegetables you have left and turning them into a tasty  treat that the kids can get involved in making. Letting the little ones help is the best thing you can do for them after all its one of the biggest skills they will need in life. So these tasty vegetable fritters are pretty much open to being played with as you see fit try adding spices or herbs anything you like.

Med. Potato grated
Onion sliced
Carrot cubed
Red pepper cubed
Spring onion sliced
2 med tomatoes skinned, deseeded and sliced
2 tbsp sweet corn
2 tbsp frozen peas
100g flour
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
Oil for frying

Put all the vegetables in a bowl
Add the eggs and flour and mix well and season
Heat a frying pan with some oil on a medium heat and preheat oven to 180
Fry a tablespoon of the mix for two mins each side until golden and finish off in the oven for 10 mins.

Meat free midweek meal

A simple but tasty and cheap tea we love in our house. Stuffed peppers with corn on the cob! Ok, granted, it's not a gourmet meal and doesn't look like a lot, but it's very filling and tasty too, You can add any filling you want, if there's some leftover chilli or bolognese stick that in instead of rice. So if you're looking for something new to try out fancy a change give it a go! I'll give you the recipe for 4 people.

4 large peppers                                             

2 packs of supermarkets own brand chicken/ veg flavour rice.                           

4 corn cobs

Grated cheese

Firstly cook your rice as stated on the packet (usually 425mls cold water and boil with rice until water has been absorbed).

Slice the top of the pepper off and put to one side.

Hollow out your pepper so it's like a bowl and if needed just slice a bit of the bottom so it stands up.

When rice is cooked fill your pepper bowls with rice and grated cheese (or optional fillings) and place pepper lid back on.

Cook in a preheated oven on 180 for 20-25 minutes.

Five minutes before they're cooked put the corn cobs into boiling water and they will be ready with the peppers.

Now, as this wasn't a great deal (filling as it is) we decided to have a crumble for dessert. We had some apples given so you can't get much cheaper and at this time of year there are plenty about! I had some frozen berries left which I bought from Lidl, but you could get out brambling with the kids. Tea tastes even better for free! 

6-8 med apples peeled and chopped into chunks (if using cooking apples add sugar when cooking)

Whatever other fruit you want to add

150g flour

75g butter cut into chunks

75g sugar (brown, white, whatever you want)

1-2 tsp mixed spice/ cinnamon (optional)

Add chopped fruit and mixed spice/cinnamon to a pan on medium heat and leave to stew for about 5-10 minutes until soft.

Meanwhile in a bowl pour in flour, sugar and chunks of butter and rub everything in until there are no big lumps of butter left.

When the fruits cooked pour into oven proof dish and top with crumble mix. 

Cook for 25-30 mins on 180

Serve with custard, cream or ice-cream.

Well that's it for now if anyone tries this I would love to know how you get on!