5 easy family dinners for £25 - Sausage hotpot, courgette moussaka, butter chicken and cauliflower curry...

Monday: Butter chicken and cauliflower curry

1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 lime, juiced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
600g pack chicken drumstick fillets, cut
into bite-size pieces
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
6cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
500g jar butter chicken sauce
1 cauliflower, florets separated into bitesize pieces, tender leaves thinly sliced
200g long-grain rice
10g fresh coriander, finely chopped

1. Toss the red onion in the lime juice and set aside to pickle.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat and fry the chicken for 8-10 mins, tossing frequently, until golden. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 3-4 mins, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften.

3. Stir in the sauce and 100ml water and simmer for 5 mins. Add the cauliflower florets and cook for 12-15 mins, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is al dente and the chicken is tender and cooked through. Stir in the cauliflower leaves.

4. Meanwhile, cook the rice to pack instructions. Divide among plates, top with the curry, then serve with the coriander and drained pickled onion.

Wednesday: Caramelised onion and sausage hotpot

2 tbsp vegetable oil
454g pack reduced-fat sausages
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 carrot, finely chopped
6 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked
100g cherry tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp plain flour
½ vegetable stock pot, made up to 400ml
2 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-2mm slices
½ head loose broccoli

1. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a deep ovenproof frying pan or shallow casserole dish (about 30cm) over a medium-high heat. Fry the sausages and onions for 5 mins until golden, then add the carrot and most of the thyme; cook for 5 mins until the onion starts to caramelise.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic and flour and cook for 1-2 mins until fragrant. Add the stock, stirring until it’s a smooth, glossy sauce. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and layer over the potato slices in a fan. Brush with the remaining 1 tbsp oil, sprinkle over the remaining thyme and add a grind of black pepper; bake for 30-35 mins until the potato is golden and crisp.

3. Bring a pan of water to the boil and separate the broccoli into bite-size florets. Steam the broccoli for 4-5 mins until al dente. Serve with the hotpot.

Friday: Roasted squash and chickpea stew

500g pack frozen butternut squash chunks
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
6cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 vegetable stock pot, made up to 250ml
200g long-grain rice
400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
10g fresh coriander, finely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Toss the squash with 1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp cinnamon on a baking tray, spread out in a single layer, then roast for 25-30 mins, tossing halfway, until softened and lightly golden.

2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a lidded saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and pepper, cover and cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Stir through the garlic, ginger and remaining 1 tsp cinnamon and cook for 1-2 mins until fragrant. Mix in the chopped tomatoes and stock, re-cover and simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally.

3. Meanwhile, cook the rice to pack instructions.

4. Add the roasted squash to the stew. Remove a third of the mixture to a jug, blitz with a stick blender until smooth, then stir back into the pan. Add the chickpeas and half the coriander and simmer for 2 mins.

5. Divide the rice and stew among plates or bowls and scatter with the remaining coriander to serve.