Feeding the family


The cupboards are bare (except for cookbooks) and the pennies are short but the family are hungry and they want feeding now! Here's some recipes that should help you on your way to cooking a feast on a budget.

Cheese topped beef pie – Make that roast beef go further with this tasty leftovers meal.


Potato Salad with Chives - Make those new potatoes more interesting with this potato salad made from store cupboard ingredients. It's suitable for gluten-free and vegan diets.

Sausage and Pepper Pasta - A tasty family pasta dish with options for meat and vegetarian sausages.

Mini Toad in the Holes - A family favourite in miniature. Great for parties and buffets too. 

Beef, Bacon and Guinness casserole - You don't need it to be St. Patrick's Day to enjoy this hearty and warming stew which can be cooked in a slow cooker or the oven.  

Mint Pesto with pan fried Salmon  - A great alternative to basil and perfect with pasta.

Pork, leek and apple casserole  - Classic combination put together in the slow cooker for minimum effort.

Slow Cooker Pork Creole  - Family friendly - not so hot but very tasty. An easy to prepare slow cooker dish.

Hot and Spicy Fajitas  - Ramp up the spice and things get hot with these Chicken Fajitas.

Sausage and Apple Filo Roll  - A jumbo sausage roll flavoured with apple, sage and onion. Made with filo pastry for a quick and easy family meal.

Richmond Mini Meatballs Stroganoff - A quick soured cream sauce for pork meatballs.

Store Cupboard Barbecue Sauce  - BBQ sauce in a hurry and all the ingredients from your cupboards.

Tuna and Vegetable Spaghetti  - Bring out your veggies! Get the kids to enjoy their vegetables with this quick pasta dish.

Asparagus and Bacon Quiche - Great British asparagus made into a main meal or a great picnic quiche.

Smoked Salmon and Courgette (Zucchini) Pasta  - A fresh and light courgette (zucchini) pasta dish mixed with smoked salmon trimmings. 

Bacon and Cheese Muffins - Have at breakfast or lunch these are a great savoury bake with a dash of soy sauce.

Vegetarian Nachos  - Gather your friends and family for this perfect sharing meal.

Sweet Chilli Chutney  - Terrific on burgers and an easy way to jazz up a sandwich.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin Fillet with Root Vegetables  - Save on the washing up - roast dinner in one dish!

Smoked Mackerel Fishcakes - Make a meal of smoked mackerel by turning them into fishcakes.

Pea, Pancetta and Appplewood Spaghetti - Dinner for when you are in a hurry.

Vegetable Bake with Applewood Mash  - Comfort food full of goodness.

Pancetta and Onion Applewood Tart - No skill needed for this high taste family dish.

Slow Cooker Turkey Supreme  - A warming, easy to make meal for all the family and it has some hidden veg in it!

Lamb and potato bake  - A one pot take on Shepherd's pie and no mash to make!

Slow cooker ale-braised beef with dumplings - A perfect winter warmer with some good old fashioned herby dumplings.

Slow cooker carrot and coriander soup  - A thrifty soup made with all the good things you already have in your fridge! Suitable for vegan and gluten-free diets.

Pork and parsley burgers  - Make the most of pork mince with these burgers with a lemon zing.

Chinese five spice prawns with omelette pancake rolls  - Forget the takeaway with this Chinese style dish.

Slow cooker pork and orange casserole - A winnter warming one-pot dish spiced with cinnamon.

Lasagne - A family favourite with a special local ingredient.

Bacon, chorizo and cheese pancakes - Go savoury with your pancakes this year.

Hotdog pasta - A speedy dinner for when time is short and hunger levels high.

Slow cooker barbecued pork with pineapple - Even if it's not BBQ get all the flavour with this dish.

Aubergine pasta bake  - The perfect filling vegetarian dish.

Stoneground Bread Loaf  - A simple recipe using just flour, yeast, salt and water.

Sausage and potato traybake  - An easy all-in-one traybake with minimal washing up!

Stir fry vegetable soup  - Got a bag of stir fry vegetables but don't want to make a stir fry? Soup it is then!

Slow cooker Spaghetti Bolognese  - A family favourite adapted for the slow cooker.

Alnwick Stew  - A frugal but filling bacon and potato casserole.

Bacon, Mozzarella and Basil Pasta Bake  - A filling and tasty comfort meal.

Chicken and Bacon Pâté Parcels - Make the effort for this tasty but family friendly dinner party dish.

Chicken and chorizo hash  - Use up your leftover roast chicken for a plate of comfort food.

Venison and red wine slow cooker casserole  - The perfect, hearty winter meal.

Beef stir fry - Forget the takeaway with this Chinese inspired dish full of vegetables.

Basil and almond pesto pasta  - A no cheese, vegan version of this classic pasta dish.

Chicken with herbs and pancetta  - Don't want to cook a whole chicken? Impress with this recipe using chicken breasts.

Broad bean and bacon risotto  - A creamy bowl of comfort food.

Smoked Haddock Florentine Bake  - Smoked haddock on a bed of spinach topped with potatoes.

Slow cooker navarin of lamb - Great Crockpot recipe of this French style stew.

Slow cooker garlic and herb butter chicken - Great one-pot Crockpot family meal.

Baked turkey steaks with pesto - Easy way to cook turkey steaks and use up leftover pesto.

Honey and mustard pork chops and vegetables traybake - One dish for a complete meal.

Slow cooker sausage and cider casserole - A classic combination of pork and apples.

Pot Roast Lamb with Tomatoes, Leeks and Beans - A relaxed family Sunday lunch.

Slow cooker chicken and chorizo - A warming chicken casserole with the added flavour of chorizo.