You know how I’ve said before that you should tailor your meal plan to what you have in your cupboards and any bargains that you find when you go shopping? Well this week’s meal plan is the perfect example of that. I went shopping armed with my meal plan shopping list, found lots of bargains and ended up changing my plan completely.
I bought four packs of diced chicken, reduced from £3.89 to 78p each along with some cocktail sausages reduced from £1.00 to 25p and some naan breads reduced to 19p. I also managed to get a big pack of Basa fish fillets for £2.95 so I’ve had a quick rethink of our meal plan and as I’m away of Friday night, Mr Frugal is going to use the money we’ve saved on shopping to take the kids out for tea.
Sunday – Roast Chicken (from the bargain diced chicken rather than a whole chicken), Yorkshire puds, roasties and veg.
Monday – Toad in the Hole with mash and veggies.
Tuesday – Macaroni cheese (with normal pasta not macaroni).
Wednesday – Fish pie.
Thursday – Homemade naan bread pizzas and chicken egg fried rice.
Friday – I’m away so out for tea for everyone else.
This weeks Family friendly frugal meal is actually a pudding because I’ve not been well this week and I needed some comfort food to cheer me up – I decided to use my new crock pot to make some homemade rice pudding and I wasn’t disappointed – it was gorgeous. It’s so easy to make and very frugal as well if you make it with milk.
Slow Cooker Rice Pudding
100g pudding rice
50g sugar
1200ml milk (2 pints) – If you want to be posh you could substitute some of the milk for cream but I only ever use milk and it tastes lovely as it is. I’ve also read that you could use coconut milk instead which sounds gorgeous too.
Nutmeg to taste
Butter to grease the crockpot
This is the simplest recipe ever. Coat the inside of your pot with butter, add all of the ingredients and stir then up together. Cook on high until all the milk has soaked in to the rice – usually around 3 hours and then serve with anything you fancy.
Because I couldn’t be bothered much this week, I let everyone serve themselves out of the crockpot and put jam, nutella and golden syrup on the table for toppings but usually I make little faces out of jam for us all because that’s how my mam always used to serve mine – right up until I left home 
I’m on the look out for some more winter puds so if yu have any ideas (other than fruit cobbler as that’s next weeks recipe) then I’d love to hear them. Or even better, why don’t you post them and then let me know so I can come and have a nosey.
For more meal plans pop over to At Home with Mrs M (sorry, can’t do links as my mousepad is dead and Im not very techy)….
Disclosure – Just to let you know, I was sent my lovely new crock pot to review which I will be doing when I’ve had chance to use it for a few more recipes….
Thanks for the info
Cooking apples very cheap at the market at the moment and rhubarb in season so a crumble would be a good autumn warmer. We occasionally make microwave chocolate mug cake which saves on having the oven on too. Treacle tart is a great one for using up breadcrumbs which I always save.
Loving how easy this rice pud recipe is – everyone in my family loves and they'll be getting it a lot more often now! Good to know it works with soya milk too, Hannah, as I'm trying to cut down on dairy.
We're going to be having it much more often too lol
Sounds weird but I have alpro soya chocolate yogurt on mine! It so nice! I love rice pudding and I am dairy free, it tastes just as good with soya milk and coconut milk isnt my favourite, but it certainetly gives it twist!
Good to know it works with Soya Milk – Thanks very much x
This looks like a great recipe. I would never of thought of using nutella as a topping, I go for jam on the rice pudding every time but might have to give it a go sometime!
Its so delicious with Nutella on it x