Sophie Harris, Senior Lifestyle Reporter at What's On, set herself a challenge: create five evening meals for four people using ingredients from Lidl, all within a £20 budget. With grocery costs remaining elevated, she proved that maintaining a budget needn't result in dull dinners. By planning ahead and cooking from scratch, she spent just £18, leaving £2 spare for seasonings.
Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs
Rather than purchasing pre-prepared meatballs, Harris made her own using minced meat, breadcrumbs, and basic seasonings. She prepared breadcrumbs from spare white bread, noting that an egg or cheese can bind the meatballs if breadcrumbs aren't available. Accompanied by spaghetti and homemade tomato sauce — a tin of chopped tomatoes with seasonings — this family classic cost substantially less than shop-bought alternatives. The spaghetti cost roughly 80p, the mince approximately £3, and the chopped tomatoes about 50p. Seasonings were already at home, and garlic bread from the freezer could be omitted. Total cost: £4.
Caesar Pasta Salad
This speedy, fresh dish is ideal for hectic evenings and warmer spells. Cooked macaroni is combined with lettuce, Caesar dressing, and a generous grating of cheese. A couple of bacon rashers purchased for the pasta dish work brilliantly here. Homemade croutons from the same stale loaf add crunch. Leftovers make a brilliant packed lunch. The meal comes in at roughly £3, with most of the budget going on the Caesar sauce. Parmesan is ideal, but finely grated cheddar works perfectly. Total cost: £3.
Jacket Potato with Cheese and Beans
Sometimes the most straightforward meals are the most satisfying. Baked potatoes topped with baked beans and cheese deliver a hearty, filling dinner. A side of salad or coleslaw makes a welcome addition. Harris required two full-size tins of baked beans, four large baking potatoes, and a bag of cheese, which stretched across several meals. Purchasing cheese from budget supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl works out considerably cheaper than branded alternatives. Total cost: £3.
Sticky Chicken, Rice and Cucumber
Opting for frozen chicken is an excellent way to cut costs without sacrificing flavour. The chicken was coated in a sticky sauce and served with fluffy rice and fresh cucumber. Frozen chicken keeps longer and costs less. Long-grain rice purchased in a large bag is remarkably good value. Store cupboard staples like soy sauce, ketchup, and honey did the job for the sauce. The primary cost was the chicken, with battered chicken dippers used, leaving more than 15 leftovers in the bag for other meals. Total cost: £4.
Cheesy Bacon Pasta
This indulgent pasta dish is a personal favourite. Crispy bacon is folded through cooked pasta alongside a rich, cheesy sauce made with just cheese, black pepper, and pasta water. Harris boiled the pasta, fried chopped bacon until crispy, then used the leftover bacon fat to make the sauce. A ladle of pasta water mixed with cheese and black pepper seasons the dish. The bacon, smoked rashers at roughly £2.50, was the primary cost; most was used here, with two rashers set aside for the Caesar salad. Total cost: £4.
Across all five evening meals, the total spend was £18, leaving £2 spare for a couple of seasonings if required. Harris concluded that a bit of forward planning reveals that preparing food from scratch costs less, especially if you already have herbs and spices in the cupboard.
