Jamie's budget-friendly meal plan

Week 1

This week kicks off with a batch-cook of Jamie's 50/50 Bolognese — eaten once with spaghetti and again, later in the week, transformed into cottage pie. Then keep the final batch to defrost and enjoy in week 4!

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*Prices correct as of October 2022.

Just remember – if you’re batch cooking, let food cool thoroughly before freezing – break it down into portions so it cools quicker, and get it into the freezer within 2 hours. And make sure everything is well wrapped, and labelled for future reference so you’re not playing freezer roulette! Simply thaw in the fridge before use, and use within 48 hours. If you’ve frozen cooked food, don’t freeze it again after reheating it.

Day 1 – batch cook

50/50 Bolognese

Split this dish into three meals for 4. You can enjoy today's portion with spaghetti, then cool and freeze the remaining two lots separately for later in the week.

A large batch of Bolognese sauce in a pot

50/50 Bolognese

2 hrs 40 mins

Day 2

Quick fish cakes

Quick to cook and super-tasty, these versatile fishcakes are great at any time of day.

Quick fish cakes

25 mins

Day 3

50/50 Cottage pie

Scroll to the end of the 50/50 Bolognese recipe to find out how to transform your frozen leftovers into cottage pie. Remember to take one of your Bolognese batches out of the freezer and thaw in the fridge ahead of time.

50/50 Bolognese

2 hrs 40 mins

Day 4

Scruffy veg lasagne

Making the most of frozen veg, this lovely rustic lasagne is a joy to make and eat. Plus, you'll only need one pan.

One-pan veg lasagne with leek, broccoli & peas

Scruffy veg lasagne

45 mins

Day 5

Jools' easy chicken curry

Mild, healthy and budget-friendly, this chicken & lentil curry recipe is an all-round winner.

Shredded chicken and lentil curry on a bed of rice

Jools’ easy chicken curry

1 hr 30 mins

Bonus recipe

Frozen fruit & almond crumble

Use frozen berries and cherries for an extra special pud to top off the week.

Frozen fruit & almond crumble

45 mins

Week 2

Kick-start your week with a moreish batch-cook fish pie. Then enjoy a speedy stir-fry, a super-versatile veggie chilli and other good-value family meals!

If you’re a fan of banana bread (who isn’t?!), we’ve got you covered with a bake that's perfect for cooking with kids.

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*Prices correct as of October 2022.

Day 1 – batch cook

Sweet pea fish pie

This recipe serves 8, so you can eat half straight away and cool and freeze the remaining half to enjoy in week 4.

Sweet pea fish pie

1 hr 30 mins

Day 2

Veggie noodle stir-fry

This super-easy 15-minute meal is the answer to your midweek dinner dilemmas!

Vegetable noodle stir-fry

15 mins

Day 3

Versatile veggie chilli

A hearty and delicious vegetarian chilli con carne. Tweak the recipe depending on what you already have to hand.

Vegetarian chilli

1 hr

Day 4

Lentil & bacon soup

This recipe makes the most of store cupboard basics and is so easy to make.

Lentil soup

1 hr 10 mins

Day 5

Cheat's deep pan pizza

A three-ingredient pizza dough topped with all your family's favourites – you can't go wrong.

Cheat’s deep-pan pizza

40 mins

Bonus recipe

Banana bread

A classic bake that's naturally budget-friendly. Make this with the kids and enjoy a hot slice with a cup of tea – heaven!

Banana bread

1 hr 15 mins

Week 3

In this week of the plan, you're cooking up a batch of aubergine daal, freezer-raid risotto, a hearty store-cupboard pasta and fun-to-make spiced meatballs.

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*Prices correct as of October 2022.

Day 1 – batch cook

Smoky aubergine daal

Your last big batch-cook recipe of the plan is this Smoky aubergine daal, the recipe serves 8, so you can eat half straight away and freeze the rest to enjoy in week 4.

Smoky aubergine daal

1 hr 20 mins

Day 2

Cheat's pea soup

A super-speedy, healthy soup recipe that's easy on the wallet. You'll love this one during the week!

Cheat's pea soup

24 mins

Day 3

Freezer-raid springtime risotto

This recipe really makes the most of whatever veg you have in the freezer, so you might not even need to stock up.

Freezer-raid springtime risotto

45 mins

Day 4

Double whammy arrabbiata

Use fresh chillies in the sauce and dried chillies in the breadcrumb topping for a double hit of flavours and texture.

Double whammy arrabbiata

30 mins

Day 5

Giant Madras-spiced meatballs

This delicious one-pan recipe serves 6, so it's perfect if you’re having guests at the weekend – if not, simply cool and chill leftovers, and enjoy thoroughly reheated.

Meatballs, white rice, yogurt lentil and mango chutney and chillis in a white oven tray with foil covering one side

Giant Madras-spiced meatballs

1 hr 12 mins

Bonus recipe

Mango rice pudding

If you’re in the mood for a comforting dessert this week, don’t forget your bonus recipe – this mango rice pudding is super simple to make with just 5 ingredients!

Mango rice pudding

28 mins

Week 4

Congratulations! This week you get to take your foot off the cooking pedal and enjoy the fruits of your labour. We’ll show you how to defrost and transform those batch-cook beauties and we’ve also got a couple of £1 wonders in the mix.

Download your shopping list

*Prices correct as of October 2022.

Just remember – if you’re batch cooking, let food cool thoroughly before freezing – break it down into portions so it cools quicker, and get it into the freezer within 2 hours. And make sure everything is well wrapped, and labelled for future reference so you’re not playing freezer roulette! Simply thaw in the fridge before use, and use within 48 hours. If you’ve frozen cooked food, don’t freeze it again after reheating it.

Day 1 – defrost

50/50 Bolognese sloppy Joes

Get your Bolognese batch out of the freezer and thaw in the fridge. When thoroughly defrosted, gently reheat on the hob, stirring regularly until piping hot through.

50/50 Bolognese

2 hrs 40 mins

Day 2

Classic tomato spaghetti

After a busy day, this quick and easy classic family recipe is guaranteed to go down a storm.

Classic tomato spaghetti

30 mins

Day 3 – defrost

Sweet pea fish pie

Take your the fish pie out of the freezer and thaw in the fridge. When thoroughly defrosted, bake in a preheated oven (180ºC/350ºF/gas 4) for 30 to 40 minutes or until piping hot through.

Sweet pea fish pie

1 hr 30 mins

Day 4

Quick green pasta

This recipe serves 6, so you'll have a couple of portions left over for a tasty lunch the next day.

Penne pasta in a green veg and broccoli sauce

Quick green pasta

20 mins

Day 5 – defrost

Smoky aubergine daal

Get the daal out of the freezer and thaw in the fridge. When thoroughly defrosted, gently reheat on the hob, stirring regularly until piping hot through.

Smoky aubergine daal

1 hr 20 mins

Bonus recipe

Nan's peach clafoutis

Fancy celebrating your meal-plan success? Try making Jamie's Nan’s peach clafoutis – it’s a total treat!

Nan's peach clafoutis

40 mins

A one-pan veggie lasagne ready to be dished out into bowls

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Jamie's budget-friendly meal plan