There’s nothing like a good recipe recommendation from a friend, and these 10 highly-rated budget recipes are bbcgoodfood.com’s most popular this winter. With food costs continuing to rise, it can work out cheaper to plan meals in advance, which has the advantage of also helping to reduce food waste.
Searches for air fryer recipes have skyrocketed in the past few months, with this air fryer baked potato recipe proving the most viewed. As well as being energy efficient, air frying potatoes results in a crisp skin and a fluffy centre. Top a humble spud with cheese, baked beans or leftovers.
Talk about popular, this budget vegan curry boasts 908 ratings with an average of five stars. Personalise the curry by dialling up or down the peanut butter and spinach, or switch Thai red curry paste for green. Try making it in the slow cooker, adding the spinach at the end.
This perfect winter warmer uses chunky pieces of carrot and sweet potato alongside chipolata sausages for a cheap, filling meal. The natural sweetness of these vegetables makes this casserole a hit with kids, and if you want to vary the mix try white potatoes, turnip or courgette. Stretch the dish further with a side of pasta, rice or mashed potatoes.
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You can’t go wrong with this iron-rich, low-fat, low-calorie budget supper. It tastes like it’s been cooking for hours, when in fact, all-in, it takes 45 minutes. Plus it freezes well. Good Food members suggest adding butternut squash, kale and cod.
It’s no surprise that a speedy, easy omelette is up there with the most popular budget recipes. Once the eggs have set in the pan, scatter over cheese, sliced ham or cooked mushrooms for a meal in minutes. As eggs are so high in protein, omelettes will fill you up for a good few hours.
The flavours of rich lamb mince and creamy mashed potato make this classic shepherd’s pie a firm family favourite. You can lower the cost of this recipe by bulking out the mince with a can of beans or two large handfuls of red lentils. Pay it forward by doubling the quantities and freezing the second pie.
Make the most of cheaper seasonal vegetables with this popular winter soup. Good Food members report back that it’s the best leek & potato soup they’ve tried, with 341 ratings giving it an average of 5 stars. Reduce the cost and a few calories by switching out the cream for extra milk.
Considering the most popular searches on the website are for chicken recipes and pasta recipes, it makes sense that this chicken pasta bake is in the top three of the most popular budget recipes. To make this recipe more cost effective, increase the amount of pasta and just use two chicken breasts. Double the recipe and freeze one for a rainy day, or freeze any leftovers.
The crispy breadcrumb topping, garlicky-mustardy white sauce and genius mix of cheddar with parmesan cheese all make this mac n’ cheese live up to its name. Good Food members recommend adding leftover sautéed mushrooms, spring onions and crispy bacon bits for extra depth of flavour.
Cheaper cuts of beef, such as braising steak or skirt make this stew a more affordable way to enjoy red meat, while using a slow cooker will keep your energy costs down. Add extra root vegetables, such as swede, or grains, such as pearl barley, to stretch the recipe and reduce the cost per portion.
