5 easy family dinners for £25 - April week 4

Monday: Cheese and mushroom pasties

25g butter, plus 1 tbsp
380g pack mushrooms, sliced
10g fresh thyme, leaves picked
1 garlic clove, crushed
150g fresh greens, washed, thick stalks removed and leaves shredded
½ vegetable stock cube, made up to 200ml
80g grated Cheddar
plain flour, to dust

1. Heat 25g butter in a frying pan over a medium heat until melted. Add the mushrooms and fry for 5-6 mins until golden and tender, and all the water that comes off them has evaporated. Season and stir in the thyme and garlic. Fry for 1 min more until fragrant.

2. Add the shredded greens to the pan and pour over the stock. Simmer for 5 mins until the greens are tender and the stock has reduced. Remove from the heat, tip into a bowl and leave to cool for a few mins.

3. While the filling is cooling, roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to 5mm thickness. Using a bowl or plate with about a 16cm diameter as a template, cut out 4 rounds from the pastry with a sharp knife. Transfer the circles to a baking tray lined with nonstick baking paper.

4. Heat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Stir the cheese into the mushroom filling, then divide the mixture between the pastry rounds, spooning onto one side of each one, leaving a 1cm border around the edge. Brush the border with a little water. Fold the empty pastry side over the filling and crimp the edges with your finger and thumb to seal the pasties.

5. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden and crisp. A few mins before they're ready, boil the peas for 2-3 mins until bright green and tender. Drain well and stir in the 1 tbsp butter and season. Serve alongside the pasties.

Wednesday: Crispy sausage and tomato pasta

1 tbsp olive oil
8 pork sausages
2 garlic cloves, sliced
15g fresh basil, chopped, a few whole leaves reserved
250g cherry tomatoes
300g penne
100g grated Cheddar

1. Heat the oil in a deep-sided frying pan over a medium high heat. Pinch the sausages from their skins into the pan to make small nuggets of sausagemeat. Fry, breaking up with a spatula or wooden spoon, for 8-10 mins until the sausage is crispy, golden brown and well broken up.

2. Add the garlic, fry for 1 min, then stir in the chopped basil, cherry tomatoes and 150ml water. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8-10 mins for the tomatoes to begin to break down.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil and tip in the pasta. Cook for 8-10 mins until tender. Reserve 50ml cooking water and drain.

4. Tip the cooked penne into the sauce and toss everything together. Season well with pepper and add a splash of the reserved pasta water to help coat the pasta with a little sauce. Serve scattered with the Cheddar and reserved basil leaves.

Friday: Broccoli, bacon and pea risotto

1 vegetable stock cube
400g frozen broccoli florets
60g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
10g fresh thyme, leaves picked
300g arborio risotto rice
50g grated Cheddar
300g smoked back bacon, cut into cubes
320g frozen peas, blanched and drained
150g Greek-style salad cheese, crumbled

1. Put the stock cube in a large pan with 1ltr boiling water. Stir to dissolve and bring to a simmer over a medium high heat. Add the frozen broccoli, bring back up to a simmer and cook for 2-3 mins until tender, then transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Reduce the heat to low, cover the stock pan, and leave to keep warm while you start the risotto.

2. Heat half the butter and all the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 8-10 mins until the onion is soft but not golden. Stir in the garlic and most of the thyme leaves and fry for 1-2 mins until fragrant. Stir in the rice and mix well to coat each grain.

3. Add a ladle of stock to the rice pan and stir until just absorbed. Keep adding stock, a ladle at a time, until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender and creamy. It should take about 20-25 mins. When the rice is tender, stir in the cooked broccoli, Cheddar and remaining butter. Remove from the heat and cover with a lid or a sheet of foil. Leave to rest for 10 mins.

4. Meanwhile, put the bacon cubes in a cold frying pan, then place over a medium-high heat. Fry, stirring frequently, until crisp and golden, about 10 mins. Stir the peas into the bacon pan to heat through, scraping any bacon bits up from the bottom of the pan. Stir the bacon and peas into the risotto, and top with the crumbled salad cheese and some thyme leaves to serve.