Including a month of meal ideas
If you are looking for comfort food family meals or healthy family meals on a budget then this post is for you. These cheap dinner recipes are not just delicious but also come in at under £1 a head for a family of four.
These aren’t hard recipes either. They are all easy and beginner dinner ideas that you can use for a whole month. They range from pasta dishes to easy chicken recipes at a very low cost.
Cheap meals for a week for a family
If you’re struggling to plan meals for a week or a month then why not use our meal plan below. These are cheap family dinners that come in at under £1 a person.
Now I have a confession, this week’s meals come in at £5.04. The shopping list is £5.41, as I didn’t use all the onions, so they’d be ready for the following week.
Everything is made for 4 people and most of the meals can either be frozen or used from frozen ingredients.
The good thing about these meals is they lean heavily on the kitchen staples, so if we’re struggling money-wise for a week, I start to come up with recipes, like below, that we can use, without spending too much extra money.
If you are looking for more £1 a head meals then have a look at:
The Ultimate £1 Per Head Budget Meal Planning List – This is our biggest list of £1 a head family meals that you can use to fill up your meal plan.
A Week of Budget Family Meals For Under £1 a Head – This is a week of family meals that you can use when your budget is getting tight.
49 Aldi Slow Cooker Recipes For The Whole Family – Using your slow cooker is a great way to save money and have a meal on the table when you have been out all day.
Keep reading down below for a whole month of £1 meal ideas.
If you are a beginner cook or would like to increase the amount of recipes you know then have a look at Spicentice. We used them over a three-month period as we got stuck in a food rut cooking the same meals.
Spicentice send out packets of spices with easy to follow instructions so you can make a meal from scratch.
They are great to use if you are new to cooking from scratch or if you are looking to get your family eating new budget-friendly meals and have no clue where to start.
We tried them at the start of this year and loved them. We got stuck in a food rut and they helped by giving us ideas while keeping our food budget really low.
We made the below meals using Spicentice. Try them for yourself here:
Really Easy Homemade Beef Burgers For Under £1 a Head
Easy Chicken Fajita Recipe: A Family Meal for 94p a Person
Spaghetti Meatball Recipe For 73p a Head
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie For Just 82p Per Portion
Beginner Chilli Con Carne Recipe for Just 95p a Head
Chinese Chicken Curry For Just £1.54 For 4
If you’d like to try Spicentice yourself then make sure you use our link here with our code LASAVE20 to get 20% off every purchase.*
Free Resource Vault
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Everything is included from budget planners to meal plans and pre-made shopping lists plus a link to our Money Saving Mums Facebook group!
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Cheap Family Food
If you are looking for a cheap meal plan for the week then have a look at our meal plan and shopping list below:
(Please note that these are based on Asda essential items and that the prices may change.)
7-day dinner meal plan:
650g Asda frozen onions £1.30
250g Asda mascarpone cheese £1.50
125g Just Essentials by Asda Ham 64p
2 courgettes 80p
6 pack Just Essentials by Asda tomatoes 78p
600g Frozen peppes £1.20
400g kidney beans 30p x2
400g chickpeas 33p
400g lentils 55p
200g potatoes 20p
300g sweet potatoes 47p
Total: £8.37 for a week of family meals.
Monday Night:
- Creamy Tomato Courgetti
Low in calories but really high in taste, this Creamy Tomato Courgetti meal is a great way to hide vegetables. I use my spiralizer for everything!!
The original recipe calls for a sauce, but I make my own using mascarpone cheese, which takes about 2 minutes.
Onion 7p, three big tablespoons of mascarpone cheese, 44p, Ham, 25p and 2 x Courgette, 60p.
Total: £1.36 that’s 34p each for 4 people.
Tuesday Night:
2. Veggie Stir Fry
Simple and quick, just chuck what ever you have in. I use rice noodles, as you can chuck them in with a sauce and just fry it all together, but any will do.
3x Tomatoes, 34p, 200g Frozen Peppers, 40p, Onion, 7p, Ham, 25p.
Total: £1.06
Wednesday Night:
3. Risotto with Ham & Peas
Using just one pot, this risotto is an easy mid-week meal when you really can’t be bothered to cook. Just chuck it all in and let it cook!
Onion 7p, Ham 50p.
Total: 57p
Thursday Night:
4. Penne with Arrabbiata
I love arrabbiata, but the kids aren’t so keen. This calls for chili, which they hate, so I cook everyones and add some chili flakes at the end for me.
Ingredients: Three big tablespoons of mascarpone cheese, 44p.
Total: 44p
Friday Night:
5. Vegetarian Chilli
4 of your 5 a day, this Vegetarian Chilli only takes about 30 minutes and can be bunged into a pan and left to its own devices.
Itself of buying a bag of vegetables, I cut up my own and roast, and mix and match every time, depending on what we have left over in the fridge. I’ve thrown in ham, pineapple, frozen vegetables and even sweet potato. Anything goes!
Ingredients: Courgette, 30p, Onion, 7p, 400g of Frozen Peppers, 60p, 3x Tomatoes, 34p, Tin of Kidney Beans, 30p.
Total: £1.61
Saturday Night:
6. Chilli Con Carne
This chilli con carne recipe is easy to do and can be frozen for another night. Read how we cooked our Chilli Con Carne recipe here.
500g beef minced meat £1.99
200g frozen onion 32p
3 garlic gloves 7p
300ml tinned tomatoes 28p
400g tinned kidney beans 30p
3 tbsp tomato puree 15p
Half a lime 12p
220ml stock 3p
4 tbsp low cal spray 20p
1 tsp salt 2p
Half tsp sugar 5p
180g Rice 24p
Total: £3.77
Sunday Night:
7. Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
This is a great recipe if you need to feed a lot of people quickly. Make this in the morning and just chuck it in the oven when you need it. Read how to make our vegan shepherd’s pie here.
400g tin chickpeas 33p
400g tin lentils 55p
2 large potatoes 20p
3 sweet potatoes 47p
125g frozen onion 8p
4 sun-dried tomatoes 20p
2 carrots 14p
5 mushrooms 40p
2 celery sticks 60p
2 garlic cloves 5p
300ml vegan stock 3p
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 6p
2 tbsp tomato puree 10p
2 tbsp low cal spray 10p.
Total: £3.31
Menu Planning for me is the hardest, but the most important part of eating on a budget. It gives you a plan you can use to help you buy food more wisely and stop you staring in the fridge for 5 minutes trying to think what to make for dinner tonight. This happens more then I would like… So I designed a few menu planners that work best for me and I thought I would share them. Enjoy!
So after the week, I’d then write what I’ve used from my kitchen staples onto my list for the following week, or on a week I could afford. Here they are below for ease:
Store cupboard ingredients:
Garlic
Dried basil
2 x Tin Tomatoes
Rice 1kg
Vegetable Stock
Frozen Mixed Vegetables (like peas, carrots, and sweetcorn.)
Puree
1kg Pasta
Chilli Flakes
Noodles (2 pack)
Soy Sauce
Passata
More extremely cheap family meals
Make sure you have a look at our another cheap meal idea posts here that could help you to fill up your meal plan and keep your grocery bill down:
Feeding a Family on a Budget: This Weekly Shop is Just £18
21 Budget Family Meals and a £16 Aldi Meal Plan
Pasta recipes
If you are looking for more cheap pasta recipes then have a look at our post here called: 11 Cheap Pasta Recipes That Are Under £1 a Head.
8. Italian Meatball Marinara
This is a gorgeous meatball recipe that the whole family will love. It’s a healthy meal that uses a basic tomato sauce recipe that can be used for loads of meals. Make this amazing meatball marinara here.
500g minced meat £1.99
2 onion 16p
3 glove garlic 7p
1 egg 10p
1 tsp salt 2p
2 tsp low cal spray 10p
1 tin passata 32p
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 3p
Half tablespoon sugar 5p
Half tablespoon salt 3p
210g Spaghetti 8p
Total: £2.95
9. Bacon and Cheese Pasta
This bacon and cheese pasta is my little one’s favorite dinner. She’d eat this every night if we let her, and I have to say, at just £3.41 for the four of us, this is a bargain!
Mushrooms 22p
English medium Cheddar cheese £1.74
Smartprice unsmoked middle bacon £1.04
Smartprice Pasta 31p
Onion 8p
Garlic 24p
Total: £3.41
10. Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
This is one of those “chuck in whatever you have” recipes. It’s mega easy and even grilling the tomatoes only takes minutes.
Wholemeal penne (500g) 55p
Cherry tomatoes (250g) 53p
Dried basil (14g) 69p
Total: £1.77
11. Spicy Sausage and Cheese Bake
As long as you have butter, flour, and milk in your cupboards, then this sausage and cheese bake comes in way under budget.
Smartprice pasta shapes (500g) 30p
Smartprice thick sausages (12 per pack – 681g) 88p
Chosen by You English Mature Cheddar (200g) £1.27
Smartprice mozzarella (125g) 44p
Total: £2.89
12. Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Cheesy pasta is a family favourite in my house. Try it in the slow cooker for an extra easy weeknight dinner.
200g macaroni pasta 13p
200g cheese £1
100g plain flour 10p
Stock cube 6p
25g butter 3p.
Total: £1.32
13. Spaghetti Bolognese
The sauce can be left to cook all day, ready to be mixed with freshly-cooked pasta when you get home.
1 onion chopped 22p
1 tbsp tomato puree 10p
2 tins chopped tomato 58p
1 tbsp caster sugar or to taste 4p
1 celery stick chopped 10p
250g minced beef 83p
1 carrot chopped 7p
2 cloves garlic chopped 4p
1 tsp oregano 2p
2 large mushrooms chopped 75p
1 beef stock cubes 6p
1 handfull Parmesan for sprinkling 20p.
Total: £3.01, that’s 75p a head.
14. Carbonora
This amazing Carbonara recipe is a really quick family meal that you can put together within 10 minutes. It takes 5 minutes to prep and 13 minutes to cook.
Cook the spaghetti first as per the packet instructions, normally for 12 minutes. While it’s cooking, cut the bacon into small chucks and start to fry it.
You shouldn’t need any oil, as the bacon is pretty fatty. Add the mushrooms to the frying pan and fry until soft. Add the garlic.
Whisk the eggs and Grana Padano cheese together in a bowl. Drain the pasta and add it to the frying pan with the egg mixture. Stir quickly so the egg does not scramble. Salt and pepper to taste.
350g JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Spaghetti 14p 2
50g JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Cooking Bacon 37p
62g mushrooms 13p
3 garlic cloves 5p
2 eggs 10p 60g
Grana Padano 80p
Total: £1.59 for 4 people that’s 40p a person.
15. Chicken and pepper pasta
This creamy pasta recipe is great for the whole family. It uses only frozen vegetables and chicken so is really cheap to make.
Read how to make our Easy Creamy Chicken and Pepper Pasta here.
100g Lightest Philadelphia 80p
125g Wholemeal pasta 14p
125g Frozen peppers 25p
125g Cherry tomatoes 25p
10g Garlic 2p
400g Frozen chicken breasts £2.54
Total: £4 that’s £1 a head.
16. Tuscan chicken pasta
This creamy pasta is a real hit in my house. It only takes 15 minutes to cook and is a great fast dinner if you are in a rush. Boil the water for the pasta and add a stock cube. Wait until it has desolved and add the pasta and cook. Normally about 12-15 minutes. In a different pan, add the chicken cubes to the pan. You can use oil but I use a little water to stop it sticking. Add the garlic and tomatoes and simmer on a low heat. Add the cream cheese and cream to the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes or until it looks more reduced. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir.
1 chicken stock cube 5p,
200g JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Pasta Shapes 15p,
1 tbsp mixed herbs 5p,
2 JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA frozen Chicken Breast Fillets £1.26,
2 garlic 10p,
175g tomatoes 25p,
100g JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Soft Cheese 26p,
25ml double cream 20p,
400g tin tomatoes 28p,
200g frozen carrots 22p,
100g Spinach Leaves in Water 30p,
50g Grana Padano 73p.
Total: £3.85 that’s 96p for four people.
17. Tuna pasta bake
This pasta dish is easy to make and great if you need a quick and cheap meal.
500g pasta 50p
50g butter 10p
50g plain flour 5p
600ml milk 80p
250g strong cheddar £2.15
2 x 160g cans tuna steak in spring water £2.40
330g can sweetcorn 47p
Total: £6.47 that’s £1.61 a person.
Vegetarian recipes:
If you are looking for more vegetarian and vegan meals then have a look at:
31 Cheap Vegetarian Meals That Are Under £1 a Head
7 Vegetarian Pasta Recipes That are Under £1 a Head
18. Vegetarian Chilii
4 of your 5 a day, this Vegetarian Chilli only takes about 30 minutes and can be bunged into a pan and left to its own devices.
Itself of buying a bag of vegetables, I cut up my own and roast, and mix and match every time, depending on what we have left over in the fridge. I’ve thrown in ham, pineapple, frozen vegetables and even sweet potato. Anything goes!
Courgette 30p
Onion 7p
400g of Frozen Peppers 60p
3x Tomatoes 34p
Tin Kidney Beans 30p.
Total: £1.61
19. Homemade Pizza
This is an easy quick Friday night dinner. You can make the dough in the morning or straight away as it doesn’t need to sit. We use plain flour, dried yeast and some water to make the dough.
Taw Valley Mature Cheddar (approx 100g) 85p
Onion 10p
Chopped tomatoes (400g) 31p
2 x mozzarella (125g) 44p each
Loose closed cup mushrooms 20p,
Total: £2.34.
20. Veggie Stir Fry
Simple and quick, just chuck what ever you have in. I use rice noodles, as you can chuck them in with a sauce and just fry it all together, but any will do.
3x Tomatoes 34p
200g Frozen Peppers 40p
Onion 7p
Ham 25p.
Total: £1.06
2 x Courgette 60p.
Total: £1.36 that’s 34p each for 4 people.
21. Vegan tacos
These vegan tacos are really easy to make. They aren’t spicy at all, and the homemade salsa is really fruity.
Read how to make our vegan tacos here.
175g pack baby corn £1.20
190g frozen red onion 25p
100g frozen peppers 20p
½ tsp cumin seeds 5p
2 tsp olive oil 5p 1
10g kiwi 11p
400g tin tomato 42p
100g wholemeal flour 20p
1 large garlic clove 5p
5g dried coriander 5p 1
1 tsp vegan bouillon powder 5p
½ tsp smoked paprika 5p
85g red cabbage 20p
Total: £2.88 that’s 72p a person.
22. Sweet Potato Carrot Soup
This sweet potato carrot soup recipe is really easy to make and is great for weekend lunches. Everything you need should be in your cupboard or freezer.
Read how we make our Sweet Potato Carrot Soup Recipe here.
The roasted sweet potatoes taste really nice in this soup.
500g chopped and cubed sweet potatoes 55p
400g tin carrots 49p
3 tbsp olive oil 5p
100g frozen onion 16p
2 garlic cloves 5p
1L vegetable stock 5p
100ml tin coconut milk 82p
10g pinch chilli flakes 10p
Total: £2.27 that’s 56p a person.
Related Posts:
- 29 Easy and Kid Friendly Budget Recipes for Fussy Eaters That the Whole Family Will Enjoy
- 21 Cheap Meals for a Week for a Family
- 31 Easy Family Slow Cooker Recipes
Chicken recipes
If you are looking for more chicken recipes then have a look at:
Cheap Chicken Recipes That Are Under £1 a Head
13 Leftover Chicken Recipes That Are Under £1 a Head
23. Southern Fried Chicken
These are one of my family’s favourite meals. This friendly meal is great with homemade chips and corn of cob. Get the kids to help you make them too.
This is how we make our Southern Fried Chicken.
4 chicken breasts £1.40
150g breadcrumbs 65p
2 eggs 20p
4 tbsp plain flour 15p
4 tbsp milk 10p
2 tbsp low cal spray 10p
4 potatoes 40p
4 corn of cob 52p
Total: £3.52
24. Tomato-Baked Chicken
This is great if you have toddlers in the house too. It’s healthy and will keep you all full up.
Smartprice Chicken wings (1kg) £1.65
Tomato & garlic pasta sauce (560g) 92p
Smartprice British small potatoes (1kg) 50p
Baby button mushrooms (150g) 86p
Total: £3.95
25. Sweet and Sour Chicken
This easy to make sweet and sour chicken recipe is perfect if you have friends coming over. Make a huge batch with brown rice and add as many vegetables as you like!
Here’s how we make our sweet and sour chicken recipe here.
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts £1.16
1 x 425g can pineapple chunks in natural juice 50p
2 tbsp cornflour 2p
½ tsp dried chilli flakes 2p
2 tbsp dark soy sauce 5p
2 tbsp tomato puree 2p
1 medium onion 8p
300g frozen peppers 43p
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 5p
Total: £2.33
26. Peri-Peri Chicken
This does take a bit of prep but is perfect for a weekend fakeaway. It takes about 30 minutes to cook and goes with wedges, rice and salad.
You can also have this with tortillas and salad if you prefer.
4 chicken breasts £1.40
3 garlic cloves 9p
Small piece of ginger 2p
Rind of lemon 3p
5 tbsp lemon juice 9p
2 tbsp cooking oil 3p
1 tsp salt 2p
4 potatoes 40p
180g Rice 24p
Total: £2.32
27. Chicken Fajitas
Making your own fajitas is a great family treat! Make sure you marinate the chicken and peppers before you cook as it does make them taste amazing!
Here’s how we cook our yummy fajitas.
This takes about 40 minutes to cook. If you like it spicy then add some chillis too.
4 chicken breasts £1.40
2 peppers 30p,
100g frozen onion 16p,
1 Lime 6p,
3 garlic cloves 9p,
1 tbsp salt 2p,
1 tsp sugar 5p,
8 pack Tortillas £1.
Total: £3.08.
28. One-pot Chicken Pepper Bake
With little washing up involved, this one-pot chicken pepper bake is one of my personal favorites. It’s great for Sunday lunch or if the extended family comes round.
Chicken Thighs (1kg) £2.75
Green Pepper 50p
Tin of Baby potatoes (550g) 32p
Total: £3.99
29. Chicken Kebabs
You can make these homemade chicken kebabs with chicken breast or chicken thighs. We prefer chicken breasts as you can cut them into chunks easily.
If you are planning to use the pitta then you may want to finely chop the vegetables smaller. You can also make the marinade as spicy as you like.
My children do not like spice but you can add chillis or flakes to the sauce for that extra kick.
Read how to make our Chicken doner kebabs here.
300g frozen chicken breasts £1.08
100g red peppers 25p
100g green peppers 25p
425g tin pineapple 90p
Marinade:
5g turmeric 5p
5g mild curry powder 10p
5g smoked paprika 5p
5g tomato purée 7p
150g natural yogurt 20p
5g garlic clove 10p
Total: £3.05 that’s 76p per person. (4 people)
30. Chicken Doner Kebabs
This chicken doner kebab recipe is really easy to make. We use frozen chicken breasts but you can use chicken thighs if you prefer. We make our own chicken doner kebab marinade which we smother all over our kebab meat.
Read how to make our chicken doner kebab here.
Our kebab marinade recipe is:
50g low-fat natural yogurt
Curry powder
Chilli powder
Dried coriander
Finely chopped chillis
Optional spices are: smoked paprika garlic powder onion powder It is really easy to make chicken kebabs healthy.
50g low-fat natural yogurt 7p
5g curry powder 10p
5g chilli powder 10p
10g lime or lemon juice 5p
10g dried chopped coriander 10p
10g red chilli 10p
300g chicken breasts £1.08
100g green salad 55p
4 pitta breads 25p
Total: £2.40 that’s 60p for four people.
Pork recipes
Pork can be a great cheap meat to have in the fridge on days when you need the kids to eat some a healthy meal.
31. Creamy Tomato Courgetti
Low in calories but really high in taste, this Creamy Tomato Courgetti meal is a great way to hide vegetables. I use my spiralizer for everything!!
The original recipe calls for a sauce, but I make my own using mascarpone cheese, which takes about 2 minutes.
Onion 7p,
Three big tablespoons of mascarpone cheese 44p
Ham 25p
2 x Courgette, 60p
Total: £1.36
32. Ham Stir Fry
Simple and quick, just chuck what ever you have in. I use rice noodles, as you can chuck them in with a sauce and just fry it all together, but any will do.
3x Tomatoes 34p
200g Frozen Peppers 40p
Onion 7p
Ham, 25p.
Total: £1.06
33. Risotto with Ham & Peas
Using just one pot, this risotto is an easy mid-week meal when you really can’t be bothered to cook. Just chuck it all in and let it cook!
Ingredients: Onion, 7p, Ham, 50p.
Total: 57p
34. Easy Sausage and Potato Casserole
This Sausage and potato casserole is so easy to make and really cheap to buy. A lot of these ingredients, including the sausages and puree, can go toward other meals too.
Onion 22p
Tin of New Potatoes 32p
Frozen Sliced Peppers (600g) £1
Frozen Value pork sausages (20 pack) 99p
Chopped Tomatoes 29p
Puree (80g) 75p
Total: £3.57
Mince beef recipes
Mince beef is really easy to cook and is normally pretty cheap. We have more mince beef recipes here.
35. Homemade Burgers
These are gourmet burgers that can be spiced up or down depending on what your family like spice wise. We also cook our homemade chips and add cheese slices.
Here’s how we make our Homemade Burgers.
You can make them in the morning if you don’t have time in the evening.
500g minced meat £1.99
1 onion 8p
2 garlic cloves 6p
1 egg 10p
Pinch of salt 3p
6 burger buns 56p
Lettuce leave 25p
Tomato 50p
Cheese slices 35p
4 potatoes 40p
Total: £4.32
36. Italian Meatball Marinara
This is a gorgeous meatball recipe that the whole family will love. It’s a healthy meal that uses a basic tomato sauce recipe that can be used for loads of meals.
Make this amazing meatball marinara here.
500g minced meat £1.99
2 onion 16p
3 glove garlic 7p
1 egg 10p
1 tsp salt 2p
2 tsp low cal spray 10p
1 tin passata 32p
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 3p
Half tablespoon sugar 5p
Half tablespoon salt 3p
210g Spaghetti 8p
Total: £2.95
37. Cottage Pie
This is a classic cottage pie recipe! Just chuck it all in and grill at the end.
Tin of New Potatoes (550g) 32p,
Beef mince (500g) £2,
Onion 22p,
Carrots x2 9p,
Mushrooms 68p,
Everyday Value soft cheese (200g) 49p,
Total: £3.89.
Laura x
If you enjoyed this post and would like some more family friendly budget recipes or meal plan ideas, then head over to the budget food section here on Savings 4 Savvy Mums where you’ll find over 30 cheap posts dedicated to helping you cook and shop wiser for less. There’s enough tips to help you save over £300 a month! You could also pop over and follow my family food Pinterest boards for lots more ideas on how to eat well and spend less; Family Meal Plans on a Budget, Budget Family Meals & Budget Slimming World Recipes for Families.
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Kelly Eroglu
Monday 4th of September 2017
Some great meal ideas ! The Stir fry sounds fab !
Savings4SavvyMums
Tuesday 5th of September 2017
Thank you. Really hope it helps!