Discover our affordable lunch ideas, from hearty soups and savoury bakes, to fresh salads and lunchbox ideas. Explore our budget meals, budget recipes for family, healthy meals on a budget, budget dinner ideas and air-fryer recipes for lots more thrifty inspo.
This isn’t your average cheese and tomatoes on toast. Sourdough toast is topped with lemony cream cheese followed by lightly charred, garlicky buttery tomatoes. Finished with a grating of Parmesan, it makes a lovely lunch.
A nut roast is a fantastic alternative to a meat main course or traditional Christmas dinner. This delicious recipe is full of hearty veg – butternut squash, aubergine, red pepper – as well as nuts, herbs and green olives.
With a sweet apple and honey glaze and rich black pudding stuffing, this succulent roast turkey crown ensures a flavour-packed Christmas roast.
This warming and brothy Japanese soup makes for a filling meal, thanks to a combination of beef meatballs, spinach, shitake mushrooms and ramen noodles all spiced with Asian flavours
The key to making a good ramen at home is to spend time getting the flavours of the broth right. Here, star anise, ginger and miso paste in simmering water provide a fragrant base for the mushrooms and greens. It is poured into bowls after with cooked noodles, sliced steak, coriander and a chilli mixture.
Packed with the Asian flavours of soy sauce, five-spice and ginger, this warming ramen is brimming with succulent chicken and seasonal mushrooms, making for a delicious autumnal dish. What's more, it's ready in under 30 minutes!
The last decade has been about less waste and more taste. This ramen recipe – where the whole butternut squash is used (skin and seeds included) – is a clever way to be more sustainable and add a little extra goodness.
Try our vegetarian version of this classic Japanese dish with our easy mushroom ramen recipe that's ready in just 30 minutes.
Try something new with your leftover lamb with this super easy ramen recipe. Give packet noodles extra flavour with miso and ginger, then load on your leftover meat and whatever toppings you fancy. We recommend pak choi, carrots and jammy eggs.
These vegan summer rolls look impressive but they're super-easy to make and quick too, making them ideal for a summery lunch or light evening meal. Fry tofu until nice and crisp and roll into rice wraps with crunchy veggies, fruit and fresh herbs. It's a flavour and texture experience you'll want to recreate again and again!
Whizz up this salmon salad in just 10 minutes for a delicious and satisfying lunch or light dinner. We've used hot smoked salmon and mixed grains for ease and speed, alongside lots of lovely citrus flavours and fresh, fragrant herbs. You couldn't wish for a better lunch!
Crisp, buttery pastry with a fluffy, rich filling – what could be better than quiche for lunch? Our twist on quiche Lorraine is inspired by the flavours of a classic carbonara – a cheesy filling with crispy pancetta. Some make quiche Lorraine with puff pastry, but we’ve opted for ready-made shortcrust here, both for ease and for its rich, crumbly texture. Give it a go!
Inspired by the French classic tuna Niçoise, this bold and bright salad features smoked mackerel, which adds a lovely rich, aromatic quality. We've still included most of the ingredients of the much-loved Niçoise salad, including a quick and delicious dressing. Throw together in 25 minutes for a super-fresh springtime meal!
If you love tomato soup, give this beautifully vibrant tomato soup recipe a go that provides 2 of your 5-a-day as well as protein. Smash through a crisp cheese topper into a sweet and fragrant soup that's laced with aromatic herbs. Remarkably, it's all ready in just 30 minutes.
Soba noodles include some buckwheat flour, which has a distinctive nutty quality. It pairs beautifully with zesty, fragrant flavours – here we've added fresh coriander, spring onion, lime and green chilli for a big hit of flavour. This is lovely noodle salad for lunch or a light dinner for two.
This flavoursome pasta salad makes a great lunch on the go or simple spring dinner. Ready in 15 minutes, it uses leftover marinated courgettes (see tip, below) and budget-friendly tinned salmon, so it's a super-easy solution when hunger strikes!
This pretty galette is a feast for the eyes as well as being totally delicious! Brimming with fresh spring flavours, it's simple to make using readymade pastry and the herby, lemony courgettes and soya beans pair beautifully with the creamy ricotta. What's more, you'll have leftover marinated courgette mix for our pasta salad – see recipe, below.
Bring brightness to your table with this delicious herb-crusted roast leg of lamb, accompanied by a vibrant salsa verde that's brimming with fresh and fragrant herbs. Serving 4, this recipe is ideal for a springtime Sunday roast, with herby potatoes and your favourite seasonal veg. Perfect for pairing with a sophisticated sip - Courvoisier VS Cognac is fruity and luxurious.
Make this courgette orzo traybake recipe for a simple meat-free Monday dinner. Grating the courgettes into the orzo is an easy way to get your veg, along with plenty of chilli, garlic and spring onions for maximum flavour, all topped off with crunchy crout
These TikTok viral salmon bites are certainly worth the hype. We've given ours a firecracker twist by marinading the fish with sweet chilli sauce. Cook your salmon in the air-fryer for extra crispy skin.
A tapas classic, pan-fried prawns are quick, easy and bursting with flavours of the Mediterranean
These tasty little pastries are so quick and easy to make in an air-fryer, with crisp puff pastry and a oozy ham and cheese filling. The addition of courgette adds moisture and a bit of hidden veg for kids. Perfect for lunch, picnics or snacking.
Liven up traditional roast turkey this Christmas with an easy lemon, garlic and sage twist, and serve with wild mushroom and pork stuffing for an extra special treat.
Prepare this stunning centrepiece to impress your vegan guests on Christmas day. Roasting a whole butternut squash, scooping out the sweet flesh and then filling with layers of chargrilled peppers, mushroom, chestnuts and spinach is really easy to do
Cheesecake, but not as you know it. This savoury twist on the classic has a gluten-free breadcrumb base, fragrant cream cheese filling and is topped with a vibrant medley of beets and shallots for a gorgeous free-from main.
With a gooey, oozy centre, this veggie main is absolutely perfect for any celebratory occasion. And you can make it ahead and freeze until the big day.
With all the flavours of classic nut roast, this vegan nut and mushroom roast tart with homemade pesto drizzle is the ideal easy vegan Christmas dinner.
You can't beat a comforting sausage casserole for a hearty dinner – it's a real classic. This easy recipe is cooked in just one pot with minimal effort, but you end up with a warming sausage and tomato casserole flavoured with honey and mustard
This nutty-based and gluten-free vegan vegetable tart recipe, with a fragrant pesto, is sure to be a Sunday lunch crowd pleaser.
Ready in just 30 minutes, this flavourful fish curry recipe is an easy leftover salmon idea. The flaky fish joins spinach in a creamy coconut sauce spiced with curry powder, turmeric and chilli. Serve with basmati rice, a scattering of coriander and lime wedges to squeeze over.
This roast beef with chorizo makes an impressive centrepiece to the Christmas table if you fancy a change from the usual turkey
Serve this dairy and gluten-free recipe with a simple green salad for a winning weekend dish
Get ready for the most indulgent way to prepare your turkey centrepiece – preparing confit drumsticks ensures juicy and tender meat