A cheap recipe for the whole family
This spaghetti meatball recipe comes in at just 73p per person for a family of four. This spaghetti meatball recipe is so easy to cook and is great if you are a beginner cook looking for something gorgeous that the whole can eat.
This meatball recipe includes making homemade meatballs and the sauce yourself. Please don’t be put off! It’s really simple to do and tastes so much better then the shop brought version.
The great thing is that you can make the sauce and the meatballs the night before if you prefer or even put them into a slow cooker to cook while you are out for the day. It’s one of those dishes that feels like a warm hug on a plate! First things first, you’ll want to gather your ingredients: spaghetti, minced beef (or turkey if you’re feeling fancy), breadcrumbs, an egg, garlic, and plenty of herbs like basil and oregano.
The flavors in the sauce are divine and can be used for any other tomato-based dish like spaghetti bolognese or lasagne.
The meatballs go great in a New York sub-style sandwich as well with chips on the side.
This meatball recipe goes perfect with homemade garlic bread and then a sprinkling of parmesan cheese on top if you like it.
If you are looking for more £1 a head family meals then have a look at:
7 Simple Beef Mince Slow Cooker Recipes – These are the best £1 a head beef meals that you can also cook in the slow cooker. They can be easily prepped before you need them.
65 Dirt Cheap Meals for Your Family – Having trouble filling up your meal plan? Then use our massive list of cheap meals to help.
The Best Fakeaway Recipes For Under £1 a Head – Instead of reaching for the fakeaway menu, why not cook one of these amazing meals instead.
If you are a beginner cook or don’t really have the confidence to cook home-cooked meals then have a look at Spicentice.
We tried them when we first had the kids to overhaul what we were eating. The thing we love about Spicentice is that they send you these little spice packs that clearly lay out the ingredients in a shopping list style with the easy to follow method.
All the packs are simple and easy to cook meals that you can then use again and again for ideas.
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Spaghetti Meatball Recipe
This recipe takes about 15 minutes to prep and about 45 minutes to cook. Once it’s all in you can leave it though so don’t think you have to keep watching it.
Complete spaghetti meatball recipe shopping list
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 = 73p a head
For the meatballs you will need:
500g lean minced meat. This could be fresh or frozen.
1 onion chopped finely
1 garlic glove chopped
1 egg
1 tsp salt
Tomato sauce
500g passata
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
tsp sugar
tsp salt
Spaghetti Meatball Instructions
Start by cooking your spaghetti according to the packet instructions. We cook ours for 12 minutes but we like ours soft, so if you prefer al dente then a couple minutes shorter than that should work.
Add the minced meat, 1 chopped onion, crushed garlic, egg and salt.
While that’s bubbling away, mix up your meatballs. Combine the minced meat with breadcrumbs, an egg for binding, minced garlic for flavour, and sprinkle in some herbs.
If you like your meatballs spicy then you could also add chopped chilli flakes or Spicentice do a great spice pack that livens the dish up. Remember to use our code LASAVE20 for 20% off every purchase*.
Mix the ingredients together with your hands and make them into ball shapes. They should be quite small. We made about 16 small balls.
Preheat your oven to 200C. Put your meatballs on a baking tray on some greaseproof paper. Spray the meatballs and bake for around 30 minutes or in till they are cooked through.
For the sauce:
Put the pan on a low heat. Cooked the second onion and add the garlic. Cook for a minute.
Stir in the passata with the salt and sugar. Then add the balsamic vinegar with about 150ml of water. Put the lid on and cook in till bubbling. Then turn off the heat.
Now comes the fun part! Toss those delicious meatballs into a simmering tomato sauce—homemade or store-bought works just fine. Let everything cook together for about 15 minutes so those flavours can mingle beautifully.
Once your spaghetti is ready and drained, serve it up with a generous helping of sauce and meatballs on top. Don’t forget to sprinkle some grated parmesan over it all for that extra touch! There you have it—a simple yet scrumptious spaghetti meatball dish that’s sure to please everyone at the table. Enjoy!
Related Posts:
- Vegan Shepherd’s Pie For Just 82p Per Portion
- Beginner Chilli Con Carne Recipe for Just 95p a Head
- Low Cost & Healthy Slow Cooked Traditional Spaghetti Bolognese 97p a head
Saving money on your shopping bill
Make sure you sign up to our free Resource Vault. We have over 15+ printables that you can download as many times as you like.
We’ve included everything from filled in budget meal plans to recipe ideas and shopping lists.
(By joining our free Resource Vault you are agreeing for us to email you about our other money saving ideas. You can unsubscribe at anytime by clicking the link at the bottom of every email.)
Remember to join our free Facebook group too, Money Saving Mums.
If you are struggling to save money on your food bill then have a look at our posts below:
The Ultimate Budget Meal Planning List: 31 Meals Under £1 Per Serving – This post is about giving you more cheap family meal ideas.
Feeding a Family on a Budget: This Weekly Shop is Just £18 – This talks you through how we got our shopping bill down to £18 a week. Use our menu and shopping list.
31 Aldi Slow Cooker Recipes For The Whole Family – These are great slow cooker recipes that you can chuck in the slow cooker before you leave in the morning.
Remember to meal plan every week. Everything gets put down, including snacks and desserts. You can use our free meal plan to then make a shopping list. Take it with you and stick to it!
Use cashback websites like OhMyDosh*, Quidco* and Swagbucks* whenever you can.
If you’ve never used Swagbucks before then have a look at our review here.
You can read more about how we make money with OhMyDosh here.
Use loyalty cards like Tesco Clubcard or Boots Advantage Card* as you get freebies back.
Pack lunch instead of buying lunch at work.
Use up any leftover food that’s going off. Smoothies, cakes and slow cooker recipes are perfect for this.
Downshift your brands. Start at the bottom and work your way up. You’ll be surprised at how nice a value product tastes. If you don’t like it, then go up one and try that. These meals are all made from food brought from a discount retailer.
Switch supermarkets. I’ve saved over £30 a week just be switching from Asda to Aldi. Try it!
Cook from scratch. It’s may take longer but is a lot cheaper than buying pre-made.
Buy in bulk. The bigger box of nappies you buy, the cheaper they are. Works with most things, apart from cake, unfortunately.
Cut down on alcohol or only buy it from discounters.
We hope these tips help you save your family money.
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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