Skip to content

5 easy family dinners for £25 - Meatball bake, prawn pancakes, cauliflower bake...

From crispy beef stir-fry to arrabbiata meatball bake, enjoy five tasty dinners, all for less than £25*. We've done all the hard work for you and prepared a shopping list 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: Mushroom and leek spaghetti

    Monday: Mushroom and leek spaghetti

    2 tbsp olive oil
    350g frozen leeks
    380g mushrooms, sliced
    2 garlic cloves, crushed
    ½ tsp dried oregano
    50g (2 slices) crusty white bloomer, blitzed into breadcrumbs
    300g spaghetti
    ½ lemon, zested and juiced
    10g fresh basil, leaves picked and roughly chopped

    1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the leeks and fry for 5-6 mins until softened. Add the mushrooms, increase the heat to medium-high and fry for 8-10 mins untuk golden and tender and any water has evaporated. Stir in the garlic and oregano; season and fry for 1 min more until the garlic is fragrant.

    2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a separate frying pan and fry the breadcrumbs over a medium heat for 3-4 mins, stirring frequently, until crunchy and golden. Season, transfer to a plate and set aside.

    3. Cook the spaghetti to pack instructions; drain well. Stir into the mushrooms and leeks and toss well. Stir in the lemon zest and juice, then scatter with the basil and crispy breadcrumbs to serve.

  2. Tuesday - Arrabbiata meatball bake

    Tuesday - Arrabbiata meatball bake

    400g beef steak mince
    1 small onion, coarsely grated
    1½ tsp dried oregano
    2 garlic cloves, crushed
    1½ tbsp olive oil
    500g jar tomato and chilli sauce
    50g (2 slices) crusty white bloomer, cut into croutons
    65g Grana Padano, finely grated
    15g fresh basil, a few whole leaves reserved, the rest chopped
    1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
    440g green beans, trimmed, to serve

    1. Put the beef mince, onion, 1 tsp oregano and half the garlic in a bowl; season. Mix with clean hands to combine, then roll into 16 balls.

    2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the meatballs for 6-8 mins until golden brown all over. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C.

    3. Pour the sauce into the pan and stir to coat the meatballs. Cook for 3-4 mins until bubbling. Mix the remaining garlic, ½ tsp oregano, the bread and cheese in a bowl.

    4. Stir the chopped basil and chilli, if using, into the sauce, then transfer to a roasting dish. Scatter with the cheesy croutons and drizzle with ½ tbsp oil. Bake for 15-20 mins until the topping is golden and crisp and the meatballs are cooked through.

    5. Meanwhile, boil the green beans for 2-3 mins until tender. Drain and serve with the bake, scattered with the whole basil leaves.

  3. Wednesday: Prawn and leek pancakes with soy dipping sauce

    Wednesday: Prawn and leek pancakes with soy dipping sauce

    250g plain flour
    2 medium eggs, beaten
    200g frozen leeks, defrosted and drained
    200g frozen prawns, defrosted and drained
    2 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
    For the salad and dipping sauce
    1 carrot, peeled
    1 cucumber
    4 tbsp distilled vinegar
    2 tsp sugar
    1.5cm piece ginger (about 10g), peeled and finely chopped
    3 tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
    1 red chilli, finely chopped

    1. To make the salad, peel the carrot and cucumber into thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler, discarding the cucumber's seedy core. Put in a bowl and toss with 3 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp sugar and a pinch of salt; set aside.

    2. Whisk the flour, eggs and 250ml cold water with a pinch of salt to make a smooth batter. Fold in the leeks and prawns.

    3. Heat a little oil in a nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, ladle ¼ of batter to the pan, tilt to spread into a 20cm wide, 5mm thick pancake. Cook for 2-3 mins until the base is golden and there's only a little bit of runny batter left in the centre. Flip (use 2 spatulas to help) and cook for 1-2 mins until golden and firm. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat to make 4 pancakes.

    4. Meanwhile, mix 1 tbsp vinegar and 1 tsp sugar with the ginger, soy and chilli in a small bowl. Drain the vinegar from the salad, then serve with the pancakes.

  4. Thursday: Cauliflower cheese and bean bake with crispy bacon crumbs

    Thursday: Cauliflower cheese and bean bake with crispy bacon crumbs

    400g frozen cauliflower
    1 onion, finely sliced
    50g frozen leeks
    1½ tbsp olive oil
    1 garlic clove, crushed
    3 tbsp plain flour
    1 reduced-salt vegetable stock cube, made up to 500ml
    1 tbsp miso paste
    100g Grana Padano, finely grated
    2 x 400g tins butter beans, rinsed and drained
    75g (3 slices) crusty white bloomer, blitzed into breadcrumbs
    100g smoked back bacon, finely chopped

    1. Heat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Tip the cauliflower, onion and leeks into a large roasting dish. Add the oil and garlic and toss well to coat. Roast for 20 mins until the onion and cauliflower are tender.

    2. Meanwhile, whisk the flour and 4 tbsp cold water in a small bowl to make a smooth paste. Heat the stock in a pan over a medium heat and whisk in the miso and the flour paste. Heat, whisking continuously, for 6-8 mins until thickened. Stir in the cheese and cook for 3-4 mins mor for a thick, smooth sauce. Season.

    3. Drain any water from the cauliflower dish, then stir in the beans and the cheese sauce to coat.

    4. Mix the breadcrumbs and bacon, then scatter over the dish. Bake for 20 mins until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling. Leave to stand for 5 mins before serving.

  5. Friday: Crispy beef and broccoli stir-fry

    Friday: Crispy beef and broccoli stir-fry

    2 tbsp vegetable oil
    350g beef steak mince
    250g pack dried egg noodles
    1 head of broccoli, cut into small florets, stem trimmed and finely diced
    1 onion, finely sliced
    3 tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
    2 tbsp distilled vinegar
    2 tsp miso paste
    3 garlic cloves, crushed
    1.5cm piece ginger (about 10g), peeled and finely grated
    1 red chilli, finely sliced

    1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Add the beef mince and stir-fry for 6-8 mins, stirring constantly to break up the mince, until dark and crisp. Meanwhile, put the noodles in a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over to cover. Leave to soak for 6-7 mins, then drain, reserving 5 tbsp of the water.

    2. Transfer the crispy beef to a bowl. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the wok, add the broccoli and onion and fry for 5-6 mins until the broccoli is bright green and starting to turn tender. Mix the soy, vinegar, miso and reserved noodle water in a small bowl.

    3. Add the garlic, ginger and most of the chilli to the wok and fry for 1 min until fragrant. Tip the noodles into the wok along with the sauce; cook for 30 secs more until the sauce is bubbling and thickened. Divide between 4 bowls and scatter with the remaining chilli to serve.

  6. Shopping list

    1 Tesco lemon
    30g pack Tesco fresh basil
    1 Tesco garlic bulb
    60g pack Tesco red chillis
    3 Tesco onions
    1 Tesco cucumber
    1 Tesco carrot
    1 Tesco head of broccoli
    2 x 220g packs Redmere Farms green beans
    380g pack Redmere Farms mushrooms
    175g pack Creamfields Grana Padano
    6 Tesco medium free-range eggs
    750g pack Tesco lean beef steak mince
    300g pack Woodside Farms smoked back bacon
    500g Hearty Food company spaghetti
    250g pack Tesco medium egg noodles
    100g jar Tesco miso paste
    14g jar Tesco dried oregano
    150ml bottle Tesco reduced-salt soy sauce
    568ml bottle Tesco distilled vinegar
    1.5kg bag Stockwell plain flour
    500g jar Tesco tomato and chilli pasta sauce
    2 x 400g tins Tesco butter beans
    400g Tesco crusty bloomer
    700g pack Tesco frozen sliced leeks
    900g pack Tesco frozen cauliflower florets
    250g pack frozen Bay Fishmongers prawns

    +From your storecupboard:
    Olive oil, sugar, vegetable oil, reduced-salt vegetable stock cube

    *Based on a family of four. Total cost is based on online prices at the time of publishing and is subject to change. Dependent on product availability, total basket price online may change due to substitutions.