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MUM OF TWO CREATES FIVE HALF TERM MEALS FOR LESS THAN £1 USING ALDI INGREDIENTS 

• Parenting influencer @_myfirstmeals has shared five family-friendly recipes that cost less than £1 per serving for a family of four
• From Three Veggie Pasta Bake to Creamy Broccoli & Cheddar Soup, the delicious and hearty recipes show eating healthy over half term doesn’t need to break the bank
• The post has proven popular with budget-conscious families, with one follower sharing “Perfect timing! Was running out of ideas for this week”

Sunday Times best-selling author, recipe developer and mum influencer of two, Grace Mortimer (@_myfirstmeals), shares five healthy recipes that cost less than £1 per serving to keep kids happy and full this half term.

Created using ingredients from Aldi, parents can feed a family of four for less than £5 per meal* and approximately £1 per serving.

With a growing following of 638k, Grace is renowned for her homemade and delicious food content and money-saving tips. From Three Veggie Pasta Bake to Creamy Broccoli & Cheddar Soup, the affordable and great tasting lunches will keep the whole family happy for less.

The recipes have already proven popular with Grace’s followers, with the post receiving over 100k views to date. One follower commented: “Perfect timing! Was running out of ideas for this week” whilst another added: “Wow wow! Clever healthy delicious cooking at a great price 😍👏”.  

As a busy mum of two, Grace shares her tips for keeping lunch times during half term fun, affordable and tasty. She says: “Feeding kids can be costly during the school half term but thanks to Aldi’s low prices, you can create tasty meals that won’t break the bank. A few tips I live by include:

• Buy supermarket own brand! A tin of tomatoes is a tin of tomatoes
• You don’t need a million ingredients to make a nice meal
• Eat seasonally as much as you can — there are often good offers on seasonal fruit and veg such as Aldi’s Super Six
• Get the kids involved in the kitchen! If they helped make the meal, they’re more likely to eat it so there’s a good chance you’ll throw away less food and it helps keep them entertained during the half-term.”

Shoppers can recreate Grace’s recipes and make five meals for less than £1 per serving by following the below method:

Recipe: Three Veggie Pasta Bake (serves 4)

Ingredients:

500g of Everyday Essentials Penne Pasta

1 x jar of The Deli Grilled Peppers 

1 x tin of Everyday Essentials Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice

1 x tin of Four Seasons Sliced Carrots in Water 1 x ball of Everyday Essentials Mozzarella

Method:

• Turn the oven to 200 degrees C fan
• Boil the pasta according to packet instructions then drain and set aside
• In a food processor or blender, add the chopped tomatoes, sliced carrots, and grilled peppers, including a drizzle of oil. Blitz until creamy and smooth and season if you wish
• Combine the cooked pasta and sauce in an ovenproof dish and mix thoroughly
• Top with roughly torn chunks of mozzarella and bake for 20 minutes until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling
• Leave to stand for a moment before serving

Cost:

£3.57 (89p per serving)

Recipe: Creamy Broccoli & Cheddar Soup topped with rustic croutons topped with rustic croutons (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 x Nature’s Pick Broccoli

1 x Bramwells Vegetable Stock Cube

2 x handfuls of Emporium Grated Grana Padano Cheese

300ml of Cowbelle Fresh British Single Cream 2 x Village Bakery White Rolls

Method:

• Turn the oven to 200 degrees C fan
• Tear the bread into chunks and drizzle generously with oil, top with one handful of grated Parmesan and once the oven is up to temperature, bake for 15 minutes until golden and crispy. Once done, remove from oven and set aside
• Chop the broccoli and add to a large saucepan with a little oil and keep stirring until it starts to soften
• Add a stock cube and 500ml of boiling water and simmer for 10 minutes
• Finally, blend the remaining grated Parmesan with cream until smooth. Once happy, add to the saucepan and mix well
• Serve in a bowl topped with homemade crispy croutons

Cost:

£3.47 (87p per serving)

Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower Curry (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 x Nature’s Pick Cauliflower

1 x Ready, Set…Cook! Coconut Milk

2 x tbsp Ready, Set…Cook! Medium Curry Powder

3 x tbsp Cucina Tomato Purée 250g of Everyday Essentials Long Grain White Rice

Method:

• Turn the oven to 200 degrees C fan
• Chop the cauliflower (stalk and leaves as well) and drizzle with oil and 1 tbsp of curry powder
• Roast the cauliflower for half an hour or until golden brown and starting to crisp
• Meanwhile, cook the rice according to packet instructions and set aside
• When the cauliflower is done, add it to a large saucepan with the remaining tbsp of curry powder and tomato purée on a medium heat and mix thoroughly for a few minutes
• Then add the coconut milk and turn the heat down to low and stir until thickened
• Season to taste and serve

Cost:

£3.84 (96p per serving)

Recipe: Fish Finger Rolls with Chips & Salad (serves 4)

Ingredients:

12 x The Fishmonger Breaded Omega 3 Fish Fingers

1 x jar of Bramwells Tartare Sauce

1 x bag of Nature’s Pick Mixed Leaf Salad

2 x Nature’s Pick Baking Potatoes

4 x Village Bakery White Rolls

Method:

• Turn the oven to 200 degrees C fan
• Slice the potatoes into chips (no need to peel) and add them to a large baking tray along with a good drizzle of oil and season
• Bake for 40 minutes, stopping to turn them halfway through and add the fish fingers to the tray
• Once the chips and fish fingers are cooked, slice open the rolls and add a tbsp of tartar sauce to one side
• Top each roll with salad and three fish fingers and then scoop a handful of chips and salad onto each plate and serve

Cost:

£3.88 (97p per serving)

Recipe: Pizza Jacket Potatoes (serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 x Nature’s Pick Medium Baking Potatoes  

1 x tin of Everyday Essentials Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice

1 x pack of The Deli German Salami

1 x ball of Everyday Essentials Mozzarella

1 x Nature’s Pick Loose Red Pepper 1 x bag of Nature’s Pick Mixed Leaf Salad

Method:

• Turn the oven to 200 degrees C fan
• Pop the potatoes on a large baking tray and drizzle with a little oil
• Bake for 45 minutes or until crispy on the outside
• Remove from oven and slice open the potatoes. Add some salami, pepper and chopped tomatoes to the inside of each one
• Top with mozzarella and return to the oven for 20 minutes
• Once melted, plate up alongside the salad

Cost:

£4.02 (£1.01 per serving)

Total: £18.78

Full list of ingredients:

• Everyday Essentials Penne Pasta 41p
• The Deli Grilled Peppers £1.59
• Everyday Essentials Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice 39p x2
• Four Seasons Sliced Carrots in Water 49p
• Everyday Essentials Mozzarella 69p x2
• Nature’s Pick Medium Baking Potatoes 79p
• The Deli German Salami 99p
• Nature’s Pick Loose Red Pepper 59p
• Nature’s Pick Mixed Leaf Salad 57p x2
• Ready Set Cook Coconut Milk 79p
• Ready Set Cook Medium Curry Powder 75p
• Cucina Tomato Purée 59p
• Worldwide Long Grain White Rice 52p
• Nature’s Pick Cauliflower £1.19
• Emporium Grated Grana Padano Cheese £1.59
• Nature’s Pick Broccoli 79p
• Cowbelle Fresh British Single Cream £1.09
• The Fishmonger Breaded Omega 3 Fish Fingers £1.69
• Bramwells Tartare Sauce 65p
• Village Bakery White Rolls 49p
• Nature’s Pick Baking Potatoes 24p x2

Total: £18.78 (approx. 87p per serving for a family of four)

Store cupboard items:

• Bramwells Vegetable Stock Cubes
• Solesta Light Olive Oil

To shop Aldi’s full range of affordable groceries, shoppers can head to Aldi stores now or browse the Aldi website here.

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