Its almost payday but not quite. We don’t want to do a food shop until we’re paid…but inspiration is running low. Time to do a stocktake and plan some cheap and tasty end of the month dinners!
I find that listing everything you have is always a really useful exercise because you can see exactly whats in and it allows you to plan your meals accordingly. You’ll be surprised at what you can pull together out of not many ingredients! Or, surprised at just how much you actually have in! Without that list, you’ll be popping out for odd ingredient here and there, and the pennies soon add up. 
Today’s stock take has revealed:
Freezer
- Chicken drumsticks
- Chorizo style chipolatas x8
- Pork chops x 2
- Peas
- Soya beans
- Spinach
- Fish & leek pies x2
- Frozen chips (we all have them, even food bloggers!)
Fridge
- 2 carrots
- 1/2 broccoli
- 1 box of eggs
- Chunk of parmesan cheese
- 1 courgette
Cupboards:
- 2 cans tomatoes
- 1 can chickpeas
- Stuffing mix
- Puy lentils
- Rice
- Onions
- 2 large potatoes
My end of the month dinners:
Need some inspiration? Here’s what I came up with!
- Vegetable curry – everyone I know tends to have a jar of curry paste in the back of their fridge. I have several! Fry some onions with a spoon full of curry paste for a few minutes, chuck in broccoli florets and allow them to cook for a few mins before adding a tin of tomatoes. Veg curry is so versatile, you can really put anything you have in there, the more the merrier! I love chickpeas too so I’ll probably throw them in. Add a handful of frozen peas at the end too – always works well.
- Chorizo frittata – A good midweek meal – chop up half the pack of chorizo sausages and fry with an onion and a little garlic. Throw in some slices of courgette and let them colour. In a jug, lightly whisk 4 eggs and a dash of milk. Pour in and sprinkle with parmesan. Once it starts to set, stick it under the grill to colour the top. Sprinkle with grated parmesan and VOILA!
- Sweet chilli chicken – Again, this uses a few ingredients from your cupboards – Mix 1 tsp honey, 4 tsp sweet chilli sauce, 3 tsp soy sauce and pour onto your chicken, leave in a bowl to marinade for up to an hour. Grill the chicken, turning until cooked through and coloured all over. Serve with rice. To jazz the rice up, fry an onion and garlic, add some dried chilli flakes if you have them and the mix into the cooked rice with some frozen peas or soya beans. If you still have some veg left, that’d work well.
- Fish and leek pies – I made these pies a couple of weeks ago and they’ve been sat in the freezer waiting for a busy day. They make perfect end of month dinners! Serve with peas and maybe some oven chips if you’re feeling cheeky! You can see the recipe here.
- Pork chops with stuffing – Grill the pork chops for a couple of minutes, to get them started. Then top with stuffing (made up with water as per instructions but pre-cooked) and continue to grill. This is something my Nanna does and it’s really nice – keeps the meat moist and adds another dimension. Serve with mash and carrots.
- Sausage & puy lentil one pot – Brown the chorizo sausages in a casserole dish with some onions and stir frequently to stop sticking. After about 10 mins, add the lentils and vegetable stock. If you have it, a splash of red wine works well too. At this point, you could add something extra like some frozen spinach or soya beans. Add the lid, leave to cook on a low heat for 25-30 mins stirring very occasionally.
These end of the month dinners aren’t exciting and you won’t be leaping off the sofa in delight but they are a good way to use up those leftover ingredients and get you through to payday. Use your spices and sauces to jazz up plain meats and you’ll find that there’s always something you can rustle up before you end up at the beans on toast stage.
Need more inspo?
How about end of the month cheats beef curry? Or a leftover cheeseboard pie? To learn more about meal planning and cooking on a budget, take a look at this blog too. Good Luck!