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Danish-style meatloaf wrapped in bacon.

Recipe collection

50 of the best budget-friendly midweek meals

50 affordable recipes to keep you eating well for less through autumn and beyond.

50 recipes
Budget-friendly and filling fried rice.
EASY

RecipeTin Eats’ beef mince fried rice

  • < 30 mins
  • Nagi Maehashi
This sausage sizzle stew is perfect children and their parents to make together.
EASY

Sausage sizzle stew

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Adam Liaw
Spice up your soup and sandwich combo with kimchi and gochujang.
EASY

Tomato and kimchi soup with chilli cheese toasties

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Jessica Brook
Garlicky sweet potato and chickpea soup served with spiced red onion and feta scones.
EASY

Garlic, sweet potato and chickpea soup

  • < 30 mins
  • Dan Lepard
Danish-style meatloaf wrapped in bacon.
EASY

Adam Liaw’s Danish meatloaf

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Adam Liaw
scambled_tofu_index
EASY

Scrambled curried tofu with spinach and peas

  • < 30 mins
  • Karen Martini
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Serve this curry with naan and rice.

Chicken in spinach and green pea curry

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Adam Liaw
Miso eggplant noodles with crunchy chilli oil.
EASY

Miso eggplant noodles

  • < 30 mins
  • Katrina Meynink
Creamy cauliflower cheese soup pictured with pieces of parmesan and thyme monkey bread (see recipe below).
EASY

Cauliflower and cheese soup

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Danielle Alvarez
One tray cheesy baked polenta with pancetta and sage.
EASY

One tray cheesy baked polenta with pancetta and sage

  • < 30 mins
  • Jessica Brook
Kylie Kwong's cheap and cheerful chicken wings.
EASY

Honey and ginger chicken wings

  • < 30 mins
  • Kylie Kwong
Budget-friendly and comforting carrot and lentil soup.
EASY

Spiced carrot and lentil soup

  • < 30 mins
  • Katrina Meynink
Fast four-ingredient pizza with sopressa and tomato.
EASY

Fast four-ingredient pizza with sopressa and tomato

  • < 30 mins
  • Jessica Brook
Whole roasted cauliflower with hummus and honey.

Roasted cauliflower with hummus and honey

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Adam Liaw
Dan Lepard's spinach and rosemary macaroni cheese.
EASY

Spinach and rosemary macaroni cheese

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Dan Lepard
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Adam Liaw’s roast chicken pho.
EASY

Cheat’s roast chicken pho

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Adam Liaw
Spicy butter beans with cool yoghurt.
EASY

Harissa-fried butter beans, yoghurt and herbs

  • < 30 mins
  • Katrina Meynink
A speedy tomatoey stew inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi.
EASY

Tomato risoni with silverbeet, feta, walnuts and honey

  • < 30 mins
  • Jill Dupleix
Use any soup mix in this Sri Lankan-spiced soup.
EASY

Sri Lankan-spiced lentil and bean soup

  • 2 hrs +
  • Katrina Meynink
Budget-friendly bruschetta topped with tuna and tomato.
EASY

Tuna and tomato toast

  • < 30 mins
  • Adam Liaw
Tomato risotto finished with stracciatella and parmigiano cheeses.

Tomato and basil risotto

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Danielle Alvarez
Helen Goh's roasted broccoli, chilli and ricotta cake.

Roasted broccoli, chilli and ricotta cake

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Helen Goh
These shawarma wraps swap in chickpeas for chicken.
EASY

RecipeTin Eats’ crispy chickpea shawarma wraps

  • < 30 mins
  • Nagi Maehashi
Chicken katsu tenders.
EASY

Chicken katsu tenderloins

  • < 30 mins
  • Adam Liaw
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Six-ish ingredient Greek lamb meatloaf.
EASY

Six-ingredient Greek lamb meatloaf

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Katrina Meynink
Adam Liaw’s baked chicken and tomato risotto.
EASY

Baked chicken and tomato risotto

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Adam Liaw
Briefly steaming the charred broccoli helps retain its green colour.
EASY

Charred broccoli pesto

  • < 30 mins
  • Katrina Meynink
Roast chicken fried rice.
EASY

Roast chicken fried rice

  • < 30 mins
  • Adam Liaw
Hearty ham, bean and red capsicum soup.
EASY

Ham, bean and capsicum soup

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Duncan Welgemoed
Budget-friendly beans on toast, pictured with pan-fried kale (optional).
EASY

Turmeric spiced butter beans

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Benjamin Cooper and executive chef at Chin Chin
Pantry spaghetti with 'poor man's cheese' (crispy breadcrumbs).

Julia Busuttil Nishimura's pantry spaghetti

  • < 30 mins
  • Julia Busuttil Nishimura
One-pot chicken, spinach and orzo stew.

Danielle Alvarez's lemony chicken and orzo stew

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Danielle Alvarez
Joe Jones' cacio e pepe gnocchi.

Cacio e pepe gnocchi

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Joe Jones
A humble bag of frozen peas adds freshness to this pantry braise.
EASY

Hetty McKinnon's spicy tomato and coconut braised peas

  • < 30 mins
  • Hetty McKinnon
Adam Liaw's arroz con pollo.
EASY

Arroz con pollo (chicken and rice)

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Adam Liaw
Cheesy one-pan eggplant bake with 'nduja.
EASY

Fast skillet eggplant and spicy salami bake

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Jessica Brook
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