Five budget friendly recipes from TikTok experts to cut your food bills this January
The start of the year can be tough after the excitement and expense of Christmas, and with recent research showing that Brits have spent up to £900 each on festive shopping, it’s no surprise that January budgets are being slashed across the UK. Â
But the wonderful world of TikTok may just be the answer for 2024, as alongside the North Sea and Target shopping haul videos, it is the perfect place to find budget friendly meal ideas that are easy to make and delicious for all the family.
With the hashtag #budgetmeals hitting over 1 billion views on the social media platform, and hashtag #cheaprecipe racking up 217M views, you can discover hundreds of ideas to help you batch cook meals, use up leftovers and feed the family for as little as £5.Â
To help shoppers throughout January community retailer SPAR is offering great value deals on a range of store cupboard staples from just £1.25, and have rounded up five budget friendly recipes on TikTok to help your money go even further: Â
Google Trends have already shown that searches for ‘cheap recipes’ and ‘money saving tips’ peaked on January 2nd as households plan for a lean month ahead.Â
Dishes by Daisy’s Tomato Orzo
As part of her series showcasing £1 meals for 30 days, Daisy has created an easy dish packed full of flavours with her Tomato Orzo recipe.Â
Simply fry chopped onions and garlic together, and then add in your orzo and a can of chopped tomatoes with spices and herbs such as paprika and oregano.Â
Cook until all mixed together and then start to slowly add the stock like a risotto. Stir through some parmesan and top with torn basil leaves for an Italian sensation which won't break the bank.
Beat the Budget’s Crispy Chicken Wrap
Mimi Harrison has turned her incredible recipes into a best selling Beat the Budget cookbook to show you how to save time, money and get incredible food on the dinner table every day.Â
For a delicious mid week lunch try her Crispy Chicken Wrap recipe, complete with cornflake breadcrumbs.Â
To get the perfect breadcrumbs, pour cornflakes into a freezer bag and crush with a bottle or rolling pin to get a fine consistency for the chicken. With your eggs and flour in separate bowls, dip each piece of chicken in each, coat in the breadcrumbs and put into the air fryer.Â
Once the chicken is golden and crispy, add to a tortilla wrap with your choice of cheese, salad and sauce!
Gayle Chapman’s Pesto Pollo Lazy Lasagna
Best known for her quick and easy recipes for all the family (including an incredible Marmite Jacket Potato) Gayle knows the one pot meals that will make dinner time a walk in the park.Â
Her Pesto Pollo Lazy Lasagna is a one-pan wonder that is creamy, delicious, and pleasingly easy to make and costs just a few pounds per person.Â
Start with a traditional bechamel sauce and once this is nice and smooth add parmesan, grated mozzarella and a few tablespoons of pesto.Â
Add in leftover chicken, cut up lasagna sheets into triangles and strips, and submerge into the sauce. Top with parmesan and mozzarella and a dollop of pesto if needed and cook for 15 minutes until the pasta is cooked through.
Cooking with Fran’s Carrot and Tomato Soup
With over 100,000 followers on TikTok Fran’s known for her fantastic recipes and getting the best deals when it comes to some of the tastiest food out there.Â
Her Carrot & Tomato Soup is a perfect winter warmer which won’t break the bank and uses store cupboard items you have on hand to make a quick weeknight dinner.Â
Simply chop up red pepper, tomatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and chillies, drizzle with olive oil and cook in the oven for 45 minutes. Once they are cooked, use a handheld food processor to blitz it all together and add in coconut milk and vegetable stock to get a smooth consistency. Serve with a cheese toastie for some extra comfort on a cold night!
The Batch Lady’s Halloumi & Chickpea Traybake
Suzanne Mulhooland, aka The Batch Lady, has risen to popularity helping followers across the world master batch cooking and getting the best out of simple recipes to fill the freezer with.Â
To make her quick and easy Halloumi & Chickpea Traybake add chickpeas, peppers, red onion, aubergine, carrots and spices such as cumin, coriander and paprika into your freezer bag with olive oil and harissa. Slice your halloumi and add to a smaller freezer bag.Â
Once you are ready to use, defrost fully and arrange the vegetables onto a baking tray, without the halloumi. Cook for 20 minutes, remove from the oven, add the halloumi and cook for another 15 minutes for a perfect winter warmer.Â
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