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Cheap & nasty meals
degsyhufc
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Things like beans on toast are cheap and easy but are there any that you yourself consider cheap and nasty but is a guilty pleasure?
An example for me would be lasagna and chips.
I make a decent lasagna myself and there some nice ones available in the Finest/Extra special ranges but for this meal it requires a cheapo one. One that costs less than £1. I think ALDI does one for 89p, possibly even 49p.
It doesn't contain much meat at all and is mostly soggy pasta and a lot of thin sauce.
I nuke that and serve it with smartprice frying chips and a takeaway salad (shredded iceberg, sliced onions and pickled red cabbage out of a jar).
Anything else you would consider cheap & nasty as it's using cheap / value ingredients but makes a nice meal?
An example for me would be lasagna and chips.
I make a decent lasagna myself and there some nice ones available in the Finest/Extra special ranges but for this meal it requires a cheapo one. One that costs less than £1. I think ALDI does one for 89p, possibly even 49p.
It doesn't contain much meat at all and is mostly soggy pasta and a lot of thin sauce.
I nuke that and serve it with smartprice frying chips and a takeaway salad (shredded iceberg, sliced onions and pickled red cabbage out of a jar).
Anything else you would consider cheap & nasty as it's using cheap / value ingredients but makes a nice meal?
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Obviously for 80p it's going to be cheap and nasty but it was really tasty......:D
Similarly the Tesco 'Everyday Value' Corned Beef Hash........which wasn't really a corned beef hash, it was a shepherds pie with corned beef instead of mince......lovely with a tin of peas and lots of ketchup
Vesta beef risotto. Lovely.
Not a meal but a cheap and nasty favourite in the past:
Two slices white bread.
One pack of Smiths Square Crisps (can you still get them?)
Arrange the crisps like overlapping roof tiles on one square of bread.
Smother the other with mayo and place it on the other.
Flatten it with the palms of your hand.
That was often a guilty pleasure after my wife had gone to bed.
Edit: I just googled. They became Walkers Square Crisps - didn't realise that.
I guess a fishcake butty, one of my go-to on-the-go snacks, would qualify: a tiny sliver of fish encased in potato, batter and white bread. Plenty of salt, vinegar and ketchup, of course. None of your 5 a day.
I guess the sliver of fish would count as being healthy
Baked beans go well in a Monday pie or even in my mum;s homemade cottage pie. Neither cheap nor nasty, those dishes!
Fry and then grate cheap cheddar on the top
... serve with kingsmill-type sliced bread smothered in marge....
... and a dollop of mango chutney on the side.... which must be the Co-op own brand one as it is so sweet and not in any way authentically Indian.
This is shameful
Lovely! Except I grill the spam after slicing it until it's black around the edges. Bacon Grill is a good alternative!
I pretty much grew up and went through University on Bacon Grill sandwiches (esp Bacon Grill and cheese) - so much better than spam but I had it recently for the first time in years and thought it was revolting stuff.
I've always had a guilty pleasure for anything containing corned beef (pies, sandwiches, hash - anything) - but these days it doesn't really count as a cheap food any more. Occasionally I will slip a can into my shopping trolley as a treat.
Also instant noodles - either Batchelors or supermarket own - but I then pimp them up with whatever leftovers are in the fridge and some chilli sauce
Quite partial to a tuna melt too, not sure if that counts though. White bread buttered on both sides, slices of mature cheddar on each slice and then tuna mayo in the middle. Stick it in the griddle pan until the bread is crispy and the cheese has melted.
Hot freshly cooked pasta smothered in salad cream. The salad cream changes its taste a little and is very tasty. I sometimes add a few frozen peas,corn green beans to give it a bit more of a health kick. And also a tin of brined/water tuna (hate it in oil) for extra nutrition.
Cheese slop - mashed potato with grated cheese mixed in, bit more on top and then cooked again in oven to brown the cheese. Serve with tinned spaghetti/beans.
Iceland's cottage pie I don't add anything to their portion as its too much for me to eat.
I only bought them as B&M were doing 2 King sized ones for £1.50.
I sometimes have a nice fish finger or fish portion (on batter) sandwich in nice bread with grated cheese, tomato ketchup and plenty of pepper.
It's the slatheriest thing you can eat, and I really don't care that the meatballs are made of the sort of stuff that's too poor to be put into anything else or that cheese spread is an insult to man - it's great filthy food.
Probably the cheapest and nastiest would be instant noodles with chopped up mini pepperami and a squirt of ketchp.
However, it has to be a supermarket own bean as while Branston and Heinz both have good flavour I find the texture just a bit mushy for my liking. I like a bit of bite to my beans.
Drain of almost all of the sauce, fry up some left over bacon / chorizo / salami and stir into the beans. If I'm feeling particularly adventurous I'll put a fried egg on top.
Oh, and the beans must be served room temp, can't abide warmed beans, something I got from my grandmother.
Alternatively, Sainsbury Essentials Lasagne oven baked so that the top and edges of the pasta go crispy, on toast.
I like to do this too. I buy the Batchelors low-fat supernoodles, and then mix it with things like sliced peppers, leek, mushrooms, onion, prawns, ham, etc and I love it.
When we were teenagers my best friend and I used to make supernoodles together for lunch pretty much every weekend, they are a great nostalgia food for us!
Some Mr. Mash with a tin of meatballs and gravy poured over top... I've not had it in years but there's something comforting about it. Cheap, carb-y foods tend to be comfort foods, unfortunately.