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 – Upside-down tomato tart, giant Yorkshire pud with garlic mushrooms, lentil chilli pie with sweet potato topping

From a vibrant upside-down tomato tart, to crispy baked courgettes and tasty beetroot fritters, enjoy five veggie midweek meals, all for less than £25*. We've done the hard work for you and prepared a shopping list, shown at the bottom of the page – you can either shop online, choose Click+Collect or screenshot the list before you head in-store.

  1. Monday: Upside-down tomato tart

    Upside-down tomato tart

    320g pack ready rolled reduced-fat puff pastry
    250g pack cherry tomatoes
    1 red onion, finely sliced
    1 garlic clove, crushed
    5g fresh thyme, leaves picked
    2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle (optional)
    1 head of broccoli, cut into florets and stalk thinly sliced
    ½ lemon, juiced

    1. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Unroll the pastry onto a chopping board, keeping it on its paper. Place a baking dish about 25 x 18cm upside down on top of the pastry and cut around the dish. Transfer the pastry and chopping board to the fridge.

    2. Meanwhile, tip the tomatoes, onion, garlic and most of the thyme into the baking dish and mix well. Drizzle over 1½ tbsp oil and season. Prick the tomatoes with the tip of a sharp knife to help release the juices during cooking, then roast for 15 mins until the tomatoes start to burst.

    3. Use the trimmed pastry sheet to top the veg in the dish; discard its paper. Then use a spoon to tuck the pastry down carefully around the edges, easing it gently around the tomatoes in the middle. Prick the top of the pastry a few times with a fork, then bake for 20 mins or until the pastry is golden and puffed up. Leave to rest for 5-10 mins.

    4. Meanwhile, cook the broccoli in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 mins until just tender; drain and steam dry for 1 min. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the broccoli until charred and cooked through. Season and tip into a bowl; toss in the lemon juice.

    5. When the tart has rested, loosen the sides of the pastry with a knife and quickly invert onto a board (flip confidently, using a tea towel to protect your hands, as the juices will be very hot). Scatter with the remaining thyme, crack over some black pepper and drizzle with a little extra olive oil, if you like. Serve with the broccoli.

  2. Tuesday: Crispy courgettes with creamy pesto beans

    Crispy courgettes with creamy pesto beans

    2 eggs, beaten
    50g plain flour
    400g white bloomer, ½ blitzed to crumbs, ½ thickly sliced
    2 courgettes, cut into batons
    3 tbsp olive oil
    1 red onion, chopped
    1 garlic clove, crushed
    5g fresh thyme, leaves picked, plus extra
    2 x 400g tins butter beans
    3 tbsp Free From green pesto
    150ml 50% less fat crème fraîche
    1 lemon, ½ zested and juiced, ½ in wedges

    1. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Put the beaten eggs, flour and half of the breadcrumbs in separate, shallow bowls. Dunk the courgettes into the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs until well coated, topping up the breadcrumb bowl as needed (to stop the breadcrumbs clumping). Transfer to 2 lined baking sheets, spacing them out evenly on the trays. Drizzle with 2 tbsp oil, season, then bake for 20 mins until golden brown and crisp.

    2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 8 mins. Stir in the garlic and thyme and fry for 1 min or until fragrant. Stir in the beans with their liquid, and the pesto. Season and bubble for 5-10 mins until thickened and creamy. Stir in the crème fraîche, return to a simmer and mash some of the beans into the sauce to create a thicker sauce.

    3. Stir in the lemon zest and most of the juice, then divide between warmed bowls. Top with the crispy courgettes and squeeze over the remaining lemon juice. Season with black pepper, scatter with the extra thyme leaves, then serve with crusty bread for dunking and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

  3. Wednesday: Giant Yorkshire pud with garlic mushrooms

    Giant Yorkshire pud with garlic mushrooms

    4 tbsp vegetable oil
    130g pack batter mix
    2 eggs
    500g baby potatoes, halved if large
    320g frozen peas
    2 red onions, finely sliced
    2 tbsp plain flour
    1 vegetable stock pot, made up to 400ml
    250g pack chestnut mushrooms
    2 garlic cloves, crushed
    5g fresh thyme, leaves picked
    1 tbsp Free From green pesto
    ½ lemon, zested and juiced

    1. Preheat the oven to gas 9, 240°C, fan 220°C. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a deep roasting tin about 25 x 20cm in the oven for 5-8 mins.

    2. Whisk the batter mix with the eggs and 225ml water. Quickly pour the batter into the hot oil; bake for 20-25 mins until risen and golden.

    3. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in boiling water for 15-20 mins until tender; add the peas for 3 mins.

    4. Meanwhile, fry the onions in 1 tbsp oil over a medium heat for 10 mins until golden. Stir in the flour, then add the stock. Season and simmer for 5-10 mins until thickened. In a separate pan, fry the mushrooms over a medium-high heat for 6-8 mins, then stir in the garlic and thyme, cook for 2 mins.

    5. Drain the potatoes and peas and return to the pan. Stir in the pesto, lemon zest and juice. Spoon the garlic mushrooms into the Yorkshire pudding and serve with the potatoes, peas and gravy.

  4. Thursday: Lentil chilli pie with sweet potato topping

    Lentil chilli pie with sweet potato topping

    1 tbsp vegetable oil
    2 peppers, roughly chopped
    1 red onion, finely chopped
    2 garlic cloves, crushed
    2 x 395g tins taco mixed beans
    390g tin green lentils, drained and rinsed
    ½ vegetable stock pot, made up to 200ml
    650g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-3cm cubes
    15g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
    320g frozen peas

    1. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the peppers and onion for 6-8 mins until tender. Add the garlic and fry for 1 min or until fragrant. Stir in the beans, lentils and stock. Season, then simmer, stirring frequently, for 8-10 mins until thickened and the sauce coats the beans.

    2. Meanwhile, boil the sweet potatoes for 8-10 mins until very tender. Drain well, then mash until smooth. Season and stir in most of the chopped coriander.

    3. Tip the filling into a into a 22cm round pie or baking dish (or a 20cm square dish). Top with the sweet potato, then use a fork to smooth over the top.

    4. Bake for 15-20 minutes until piping hot and bubbling. Cook the peas in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 mins until heated through, drain and serve alongside the pie, scattered with the remaining coriander.

  5. Friday: Beetroot fritters

    Beetroot fritters

    500g new potatoes, halved if large
    220g pack green beans, trimmed
    2 eggs, beaten
    100g plain flour, plus 1 tbsp (if needed)
    200g cooked beetroot, coarsely grated
    100g frozen peas, defrosted
    1 lemon, zested, ½ juiced
    2 tbsp olive oil
    1 garlic clove, sliced​
    150ml 50% less fat crème fraîche
    10g fresh mint, finely chopped

    1. Cook the potatoes in a pan of simmering salted water for 15-20 mins until tender. Add the green beans for the final 3 mins; drain both well.

    2. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and flour with 50ml water and some seasoning to make a smooth batter. Squeeze the grated beetroot in a sieve to remove some of the liquid, pressing down with the back of a spoon, then add to the batter along with the peas and half the lemon zest. Add more flour to thicken the batter, if you need to: it should fall reluctantly off the spoon.

    3. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. Add serving spoonfuls of the batter and fry for 2-3 mins until golden underneath and the top has just set, then flip and cook for another 1-2 mins until golden. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and repeat with the remaining batter to make 8 fritters.

    4. Heat the remaining olive oil in a small pan over a medium heat and fry the sliced garlic for 1-2 mins until fragrant. Add the cooked green beans, lemon juice and some seasoning. Fry for 1 min until the beans are heated through.

    5. In a bowl, whisk the crème fraîche with the remaining lemon zest, most of the chopped mint and 1 tbsp water, if needed. Serve with the fritters and scatter over the remaining mint. Serve the potatoes and beans alongside.

  6. Shopping list

    4-pack Suntrail Farms lemons
    20g pack fresh thyme
    30g pack fresh mint
    30g pack fresh coriander
    1 large garlic bulb
    250g pack Nightingale Farms cherry tomatoes
    375g pack Nightingale Farms peppers
    500g pack cooked beetroot
    1 head of broccoli
    220g pack green beans
    250g chestnut mushrooms
    3-pack courgettes
    1kg pack Redmere Farms red onions
    1kg pack sweet potatoes
    1kg bag baby potatoes
    320g pack ready rolled reduced-fat puff pastry
    300ml pot 50% less fat crème fraîche
    6-pack medium free-range eggs
    400g crusty white bloomer
    130g pack batter mix
    190g jar Free From green pesto
    1.5kg bag Stockwell & Co. plain flour
    2 x 392g tins taco mixed beans
    390 tin green lentils in water
    2 x 400g tins butter beans
    900g pack Grower's Harvest frozen garden peas

    +From your storecupboard:

    olive oil, vegetable oil, vegetable stock pots

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

More recipe inspiration

5 easy family dinners for £25 – Roast potato-topped fish, Thai red meatball curry, creamy greens, pesto and butter bean stew…
5 easy family dinners for £25 – Beef and lentil cottage pie, squash and sage pasta, curried chickpea burgers…
5 easy family dinners for £25 - Spicy bean burritos, korma pork skewers, giant rainbow rosti...
5 easy family dinners for £25 - Crispy chorizo gnocchi, aubergine parmigiana subs, peperonata tarts...