These recipes have been picked to provide homemade, delicious suppers for four people across a working week, making the most of lower cost ingredients and including ideas for using up leftovers.

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Looking for more budget-friendly recipes and cookery advice? See our main collections of budget recipes and leftover recipes, plus follow our guide to a week of budget-friendly meals. You can also find plenty more recipes and tips on our budget section.

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MONDAY

Beetroot & feta pasta

Two bowls of beetroot feta pasta, topped with mint leaves

Start the week with a burst of colour on your plate. This vibrant veggie pasta dish is packed with nutrients and delivers two of your 5-a-day, providing a healthy yet affordable lunch or supper option. The homemade beetroot and carrot sauce is a great way to hide veg for veg-dodgers, while creamy feta cheese provides a delicious tangy twist. This dish can also be easily made vegan by using a plant-based crème fraîche and vegan feta.

Beetroot & feta pasta

Use up any leftover beetroot and feta to make this luxurious beetroot risotto with feta or sprinkle it on other pasta or salads. Crème fraîche can be stirred into many dishes to add a creamy texture.

Also check out more budget pasta recipes.

TUESDAY

Lemon & herb chicken traybake with butter beans and potato wedges

Chicken thigh and butter bean traybake with lemon slices

This fuss-free, versatile chicken traybake makes the most of store cupboard ingredients such as chopped tomatoes and canned beans, while the chicken thighs are a lower cost cut of meat. Stuff the chicken with herbs to maximise flavour, before roasting and serving with potato wedges for a hearty family supper.

Lemon & herb chicken traybake with butter beans & potato wedges

Discover more simple traybake recipes.

WEDNESDAY

Sausage & fennel risotto

A pan of sausage and fennel risotto with wooden spoon

Adding sausage meat to dishes is an easy way to pack in plenty of flavour and make less meat go further. This creamy and comforting sausage risotto also has a wonderful herby fragrance thanks to the fennel, thyme and garlic. Replace the white wine with equal amounts of chicken stock for even better value.

Easy sausage & fennel risotto

Use up any leftover sausages to make our simple sausage ragu.

THURSDAY

Tomato & pasta soup

Two bowls of tomato and orzo soup topped with pesto

If you're looking for a bowl of comfort, stir up a batch of this hearty and nourishing tomato, pasta and chickpea soup in just 30 minutes. Finished with a swirl of basil pesto and served with crusty bread, it's full of flavour but low in fat and uses cheap ingredients.

Pasta and tomato soup

Warm up with more budget soup recipes. Used up any leftover pesto in this easy recipe for pesto, cannellini bean & tuna jackets.

FRIDAY

Roasted cauliflower with tomato & cashew sauce

Roasted cauliflower with tomato and cashew sauce on a plate

A fragrant and satisfying supper to round off the week, this simple veggie dish involves roasting cauliflower with spices, then cooking in a rich tomato and cashew sauce. If you can't find cashew nut butter, then peanut butter will also work really well. Serve with rice and naan breads to mop up the aromatic flavours.

Roast cauliflower with tomato & cashew sauce

Find more affordable meat-free meals with our collection of budget vegetarian recipes.

Get more inspiration for budget family recipes...

10 easy budget family meals
Top 10 healthy budget dinners
One week of budget-friendly dinners
Top 10 quick budget family meals

Cook Smart is a supportive campaign developed by Good Food to bring together knowledge and ideas on how to help everyone eat well on a budget. Read more about Cook Smart with Good Food.

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