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5 easy family dinners for £25: Week 15

From creamy pasta to cosy soup, we've got five days of delicious recipe inspiration to take the hassle out of dinner times. What's more, you can enjoy a whole week of meals that the family will love 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: Griddled polenta with lemon kale and mushrooms

    Monday: 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 Redmere Farms mushrooms, sliced
    500g pack Italfresco ready-made polenta, quartered
    ½ x 125g pack soft goat’s cheese
    1 Suntrail Farms 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.

  2. Tuesday: Pasta with butternut squash and crème fraîche

    Tuesday: Pasta with butternut squash and crème fraîche

    650g frozen butternut squash
    300ml reduced-salt vegetable stock
    300g Hearty Food Co. penne pasta
    200g Redmere Farms spinach
    100ml 50%-less fat crème fraîche
    50g grated vegetarian hard cheese (such as pecorino), plus extra to serve

    1. Put the frozen squash cubes in a large saucepan with the stock, bring to the boil and cover with a lid. Simmer for 15 mins, until the squash is tender and beginning to break down and the stock has reduced slightly.

    2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of salted, boiling water for 10 mins until nearly cooked, but with a little bite. Tip in the spinach, bring back to the boil, stir and cook a further 1-2 mins.

    3. Using a potato masher, crush the cooked squash roughly to form a loose purée. It doesn’t have to be smooth. Stir the crème fraîche and grated cheeses (if using) into the hot squash purée to make a smooth sauce.

    4. Pour the cooked pasta and spinach into a large colander and allow to drain well. Tip this into the pan with the squash. Stir well to coat the pasta evenly, season to taste and serve straight away with extra grated cheese, if you like.

  3. Wednesday: Parsnip and ginger soup with spiced roast chickpeas

    Wednesday: Parsnip and ginger soup with spiced roast chickpeas

    2 tbsp olive oil
    1 large onion, finely chopped
    2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    5cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
    1¼ tsp ground cumin
    500g Redmere Farms parsnips, peeled and diced into 1-2cm pieces
    1 reduced-salt vegetable stock cube, made up to 1ltr
    400g tin chickpeas, drained and patted dry with kitchen paper
    ½ tsp ground coriander
    lemon juice, to taste
    10g fresh coriander, finely chopped

    1. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C, and line a baking tray with nonstick baking paper. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 5 mins to soften. Stir through the garlic, ginger and 1 tsp cumin and cook for 1 min.

    2. Add the parsnips, season and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 25 mins until the parsnips are very tender.

    3. Meanwhile, toss the chickpeas with 1 tbsp oil, the ground coriander and remaining cumin. Arrange in a single layer on the lined tray and roast for 20-25 mins until golden and crisp.

    4. Use a food processor or hand blender to blend the soup until smooth. Reheat if necessary, then season to taste with black pepper and lemon juice and divide between 4 bowls. Toss the roasted chickpeas with the fresh coriander and scatter over the soup to serve.

  4. Thursday: 'Tiny tree' and sausage pasta

    Thursday: 'Tiny tree' and sausage pasta

    1 tbsp olive oil
    175g frozen pork cocktail sausages
    150g fusilli pasta
    250g broccoli, florets trimmed
    75g 50%-less fat garlic and herb soft cheese
    1½ tbsp lemon juice
    125g Nightingale Farms cherry tomatoes, halved

    1. Heat 2 tsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the sausages for 10-12 mins until cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon.

    2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta to pack instructions, adding the broccoli for the last 2 mins. Drain and return to the pan.

    3. Whisk the soft cheese with the lemon juice and 1 tsp oil to combine; stir through the pasta and broccoli. Gently toss through the sausages and cherry tomatoes.

  5. Friday: Green chicken tikka wraps

    Friday: Green chicken tikka wraps

    500g Willow Farms chicken thigh fillets, sliced into strips
    4 wraps (wholemeal or white)
    1 Nightingale Farms round lettuce, to serve
    handful cherry tomatoes, halved
    ¼ cucumber, sliced

    For the marinade:
    2 green chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped
    4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
    5cm piece ginger, roughly chopped
    handful fresh coriander leaves
    handful fresh mint leaves
    150g 0% fat natural yogurt

    1. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. In a food processor, blitz the marinade ingredients until combined. Season to taste, then transfer all but 4-5 tbsp into a bowl. Stir the chicken into the marinade in the bowl.

    2. Arrange the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 mins, or until cooked through and no pink meat is showing.

    3. Divide the salad and chicken between the wraps and drizzle with the reserved yogurt dressing. Roll up to serve.

  6. Shopping list

    4-pack Suntrail Farms lemons
    30g pack Tesco fresh coriander
    30g pack Tesco fresh mint
    1 Tesco garlic bulb
    10cm piece Tesco root ginger
    65g pack Tesco green chillies
    4 Tesco brown onions
    500g pack Redmere Farms parsnips
    250g pack Redmere Farms spinach
    1 Nightingale Farms round lettuce
    250g pack Nightingale Farms cherry tomatoes
    1 Tesco cucumber portion
    180g pack Tesco curly kale
    380g pack Redmere Farms mushrooms
    350g pack Tesco broccoli
    900g pack Willows Farms chicken thighs
    200g pot Tesco garlic and herb soft cheese
    200g pot Tesco 0% fat natural yogurt
    300ml pot Tesco 50% less fat crème fraîche
    125g pack soft goat’s cheese
    50g pack Tesco grated pecorino cheese
    8-pack Tesco plain tortilla wraps
    400g tin Tesco chickpeas in water
    500g pack Tesco fusilli pasta
    500g pack Hearty Food Co. penne pasta
    500g pack Italfresco ready-made polenta
    43g pot Tesco ground cumin
    36g pot Tesco ground coriander
    672g pack Tesco frozen pork cocktail sausages
    2 x 500g packs Tesco frozen butternut squash chunks

    +From your storecupboard:
    olive oil, reduced-salt vegetable stock cubes

    *Based on a family of four. Total cost based on online prices at time of publishing; subject to change. Optional ingredients are not included in total cost.