Skip to content

We use cookies and similar technologies (“cookies”) to help give you the best experience on our site and to show you relevant advertising. If you continue to use this site, we’ll assume that you’re happy to receive all cookies.

5 easy family dinners for £25 - May week 4

From creamy pasta to easy paella, find midweek meal inspiration to satisfy the whole family with our helpful meal plan and enjoy five delicious dinners for less than £25*. We've put together a shopping list for you, shown at the bottom of the page. Don't forget to screenshot it before you head in store.

  1. Monday: Creamy tomato and chilli pasta

    Monday: Creamy tomato and chilli pasta

    2 tbsp olive oil
    3 garlic cloves, sliced
    1 large red chilli, sliced (and deseeded for a milder version)
    250g pack cherry tomatoes, halved
    250g frozen leaf spinach
    300g tagliatelle
    100g cream cheese

    1. In a frying pan, heat the oil over a low heat. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 3 mins, or until softened. Add the tomatoes and spinach; season. Cover the pan, turn the heat to high, and cook for 7-9 mins until the spinach has defrosted. Meanwhile, cook the pasta to pack instructions. Drain, reserving 150ml cooking water.

    2. Remove the frying pan from the heat and stir in the cream cheese. Add the pasta to the pan with a splash of cooking water; this will give you a glossy sauce.

    3. Toss the pasta with the sauce, adding the reserved water to loosen it. Season to taste and serve with a green salad on the side, if you like.

  2. Tuesday: Griddled polenta with lemon kale and mushrooms

    Tuesday: Griddled polenta with lemon kale and mushrooms

    1½ tbsp olive oil
    3 onions, finely sliced
    3 garlic cloves, crushed
    180g pack kale, woody stems discarded
    380g pack mushrooms, sliced
    500g pack Italfresco ready-made polenta, quartered
    ½ x 125g pack soft goat’s cheese
    1 lemon, zested and juiced

    1. In a large frying pan, heat ½ tbsp oil over a medium heat. Add the onions and fry for 5 mins until starting to soften. Increase the heat to high and cook for 5 mins more, adding the garlic for the last 1 min.

    2. Add the kale and 100ml water; cook for 2-3 mins until the kale is wilting and bright green. Season, remove from the heat and set aside.

    3. Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Toss the mushrooms with ½ tbsp oil and griddle for 5 mins each side until crisp and golden. You might need to do this in batches. Stir into the kale and onions, then set aside.

    4. Brush the polenta with the remaining ½ tbsp oil and sear in the griddle pan for 3-4 mins each side until golden and piping hot.

    5. Divide the polenta between 4 plates, add the kale and mushroom mix and crumble over the goat’s cheese. Scatter with lemon zest and squeeze over the lemon juice to serve.

  3. Wednesday: One-pot linguine with olives, capers and sundried tomatoes

    Wednesday: One-pot linguine with olives, capers and sundried tomatoes

    500g carton passata
    75g pitted black olives, drained and halved
    30g capers, drained
    75g sundried tomatoes, drained and chopped
    350g linguine

    1. Pour the passata into a large saucepan and stir in the olives, capers, sundried tomatoes, 1 tsp salt and 500ml water. Bring to a simmer.

    2. Add the pasta, and use tongs to stir the pasta into the sauce as it softens. Continue to cook, uncovered, for 11-12 mins, until the pasta is cooked but still al dente and the sauce is reduced and coats the pasta.

  4. Thursday: Chorizo, butter bean and spinach stew

    Thursday: Chorizo, butter bean and spinach stew

    130g pack diced chorizo
    ½ tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil
    1 onion, finely chopped
    2 garlic cloves, chopped
    2 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked
    2 x 400g tins butter beans, drained
    400g tin chopped tomatoes
    1 chicken stock cube, made up to 600ml
    200g spinach
    2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

    1. In a large pan, fry the chorizo in the olive oil over a medium heat for 2-3 mins. Add the onion and cook for 10 mins, adding the garlic and rosemary for the final 2 mins.

    2. Add the butter beans, tomatoes and stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook for 10 mins.

    3. Stir in the spinach and most of the parsley, until the spinach is just wilted. Season to taste. Spoon the stew into bowls and scatter over the remaining parsley. If you like, serve with crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.

  5. Friday: One-pot pork and pea paella

    Friday: One-pot pork and pea paella

    1 tbsp olive oil
    500g pork mince
    1 onion, finely chopped
    40g paella seasoning
    300g paella rice or short grain rice
    300g frozen peas, blanched

    1. Over a medium-high heat, warm the oil in a large frying pan or paella pan. Add the pork and chopped onion and fry for 5 mins, stirring frequently to brown the meat.

    2. Add the rice to the mince and onion, fry for 2 mins until you can hear the rice crackling slightly. Pour in 700ml boiling water from the kettle along with the paella mix. Stir to combine all of the ingredients, cover with a lid, add more water if you think it needs it, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 mins, or until the rice is tender with just a little bite.

    3. Put the peas on top of the cooked paella, gently fork them through to heat up them up. Remove the paella from the heat, and allow to rest for 5 mins, season well before serving.

  6. Shopping list

    1 Tesco lemon
    20g pack Tesco fresh rosemary
    20g pack Tesco fresh flat-leaf parsley
    1 Tesco garlic bulb
    60g pack Tesco red chillies
    5 Tesco onions
    250g pack Nightingale Farms cherry tomatoes
    180g pack Tesco curly kale
    380g pack Redmere Farms mushrooms
    500g pack Woodside Farms 12% fat pork mince
    130g pack Tesco diced chorizo
    200g pack Creamfields soft cheese
    125g Tesco British goat's cheese
    500g Grower’s Harvest tomato passata
    400g tin Grower’s Harvest chopped tomatoes
    2 x 400g tins Tesco butter beans
    330g jar Tesco pitted black olives
    190g jar Tesco capers in brine
    120g Polli Ingredient sliced sundried tomatoes
    500g pack Tesco tagliatelle
    500g Tesco linguine pasta
    500g Italfresco ready-made polenta
    500g pack Tesco Carnaroli risotto rice
    30g Schwartz Spanish paella seasoning
    900g pack Tesco frozen spinach
    900g pack Grower's Harvest frozen garden peas

    +From your storecupboard:
    chicken stock cube, olive oil

    *Based on a family of four. Total cost based on online prices at time of publishing; subject to change