Cheap, Quick and Easy Meal Ideas
Hello there!
I have just moved to university and it is very important for students to be able to feed themselves on foods aside from Super Noodles and baked beans. These meal ideas are cheap, quick and easy and perfect for anyone who wants good food but doesn't have a lot of time to cook. They are great and versatile for anyone, not just students. Enjoy!
Cheap, Quick and Easy Meal Ideas
Serving: All recipes make enough for one portion but can easily be doubled
Cost per portion* = £2.30
Heat a pan with boiling water and add the gnocchi and frozen peas. Boil for about 5 minutes on a medium heat and then drain and return to the same pan.
Add a dash of oil to avoid it sticking then add the washed and sliced mushrooms to cook until softened.
Add spinach or watercress and leave to wilt then stir in the cream cheese and pesto. Heat until steaming hot and then serve.
Preheat an oven to 200C/ Gas Mark 6 and line a baking tray with non-stick tin foil. Cut the top and the bottom of the aubergine off and cut it length-ways. Place on the baking tray so that the inside is facing up, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until it starts to colour. After this time, take the aubergine out of the oven and spread tomato pesto on each half and top with grated cheese.
Return to the oven for an extra 10 minutes while you cook some pasta for the same length of time and then serve together.
I have just moved to university and it is very important for students to be able to feed themselves on foods aside from Super Noodles and baked beans. These meal ideas are cheap, quick and easy and perfect for anyone who wants good food but doesn't have a lot of time to cook. They are great and versatile for anyone, not just students. Enjoy!
Cheap, Quick and Easy Meal Ideas
Serving: All recipes make enough for one portion but can easily be doubled
Creamy Pesto Gnocchi
Sometimes normal pasta can get a bit boring so why not try gnocchi instead? It is made from potatoes so makes it very filling and you can add a variety of sauces and vegetables to jazz it up however you like.- 125g gnocchi
- 2 tbsp cream cheese
- 2 tbsp green pesto
- Handful spinach/watercress or any leaf vegetables
- 80g button mushrooms
- 80g frozen peas
Cost per portion* = £2.30Heat a pan with boiling water and add the gnocchi and frozen peas. Boil for about 5 minutes on a medium heat and then drain and return to the same pan.
Add a dash of oil to avoid it sticking then add the washed and sliced mushrooms to cook until softened.
Add spinach or watercress and leave to wilt then stir in the cream cheese and pesto. Heat until steaming hot and then serve.
Speedy Stir Fry
The perfect thing about a stir fry is that you can pretty much use whatever vegetables you have left in your fridge so it is a good way of using up items leftover. You can also use whatever sauce you want making it a super versatile recipe.
- 1/2 pepper
- 80g button mushrooms
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 120g sachet of stir fry sauce
- 100g prawns (or chicken/tofu)
- 145g dried noodles
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Cost per portion = £2.24
Slice the peppers into thin strips, wash and slice the mushrooms and dice the onion finely.
Heat a wok or saucepan with a drizzle of oil.
When the the pan is hot add the onion and fry until softened then add the pepper and mushrooms.
Meanwhile, cook the dried noodles in boiling water for about 4 minutes.
Add the stir fry sauce and prawns to the vegetables and heat through until piping hot.
When the noodles are cooked add to the vegetables and serve.
Aubergine Pizza
As a student, this is definitely one of my favourite recipes as it takes minimal effort but is filling and full of flavour. You can serve it with pasta or garlic bread.- 1 aubergine
- 4 tbsp tomato pesto
- Handful grated cheese
- 75g pasta
- Salt and pepper
Preheat an oven to 200C/ Gas Mark 6 and line a baking tray with non-stick tin foil. Cut the top and the bottom of the aubergine off and cut it length-ways. Place on the baking tray so that the inside is facing up, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until it starts to colour. After this time, take the aubergine out of the oven and spread tomato pesto on each half and top with grated cheese.
Return to the oven for an extra 10 minutes while you cook some pasta for the same length of time and then serve together.
Pea and Butternut Squash Risotto
This is definitely a budget-friendly meal for anyone, not just students. By using frozen vegetables the cost stays low and you can add whatever vegetables you have. You can also add chicken or fish to add extra flavour and protein.- 1/2 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 75g risotto rice
- 500ml vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp cream cheese
- 40g frozen peas
- 40g frozen butternut squash chunks
Cost per portion = £0.85
Heat a saucepan with a drizzle of oil and add the finely diced onion. Fry until soft and then add the crushed and diced garlic. Add the risotto rice and stir for a few minutes then add the about 100ml of vegetable stock.
Allow the vegetable stock to evaporate by heating on a medium-high heat. Add more stock each time it has completely evaporated a little at a time.
The rice needs to be cooked for 20-30 minutes so keep repeating this process until the rice becomes tender. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the peas and butternut squash. Take the risotto off the heat then add the cream cheese just before serving.
*all 'cost per portion' have been calculated based on a shop in Morrisons (not sponsored) but shouldn't vary too much from other supermarkets
Heat a saucepan with a drizzle of oil and add the finely diced onion. Fry until soft and then add the crushed and diced garlic. Add the risotto rice and stir for a few minutes then add the about 100ml of vegetable stock. Allow the vegetable stock to evaporate by heating on a medium-high heat. Add more stock each time it has completely evaporated a little at a time.
The rice needs to be cooked for 20-30 minutes so keep repeating this process until the rice becomes tender. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the peas and butternut squash. Take the risotto off the heat then add the cream cheese just before serving.
*all 'cost per portion' have been calculated based on a shop in Morrisons (not sponsored) but shouldn't vary too much from other supermarkets
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