Chilli con carne is one of our easy, go-to budget dinners and is particularly great in winter. All you need is beef mince, 1-2 tins of beans (we prefer kidney beans or black beans), a tin of diced tomatoes, and a packet of the chilli con carne seasoning. You can also add brown onion or a tin of corn if you like. You can get all the ingredients at Aldi which is slightly cheaper than the big two supermarkets. We like to dip plain corn chips in it and sometimes we add toppings like grated cheese or sour cream, but that is optional!

My favourite, simple and easy go to dish is spinach and ricotta cannelloni. I make it entirely from scratch and it is super easy and you can make quite a few meals out of it. It is something I always have in the freezer for those days that you just don’t have the energy to cook and want something hearty.

I’m wrapping up my post partum meal freezing frenzy and thought I’d share what I’m making over this week. Everything will be had on a night for dinner and the leftovers frozen to make another 2-3 meals for 2.5 people. This week the focus has been on more budget friendly meats, so a lot of mince was purchased.
Pork and veg sausage rolls. Satay chicken and veg puff pastry parcels. Pork mince baked ziti with lentils. Cottage pie. Beef and veg stew. Minestrone soup (pasta left out for freezing). I also made a quiche Lorraine just to cut and freeze.
I find these to be easy, some a little more effort than others, but kind on the grocery budget

The good old Bangers and mash, to add some vegies I buy the mixed frozen bag or anything peas/corn with carrot or broccoli and cauliflower. I also buy bulk chicken breast and cut it in to tenders, schnitzels and diced/stirfry for curries and stirfrys. If i have anything that needs to be used I make home made pizzas, quiches and frittatas.

Tacos and burritos, spaghetti Bolognese, chicken pasta bake, soups and stews. Anything with mince is usually a good option, like sausage rolls, rissoles or meatballs. Dishes that are a complete meal with veggies already added in that can just have a carb or starch added to it. I love saucy things like pasta and soups because you can bulk it up with lentils