Budget Dinner Party: 3-Course Meal for $5 Per Person

https://www.notquitenigella.com/2010/03/08/the-5-a-head-dinner-party/

French Onion Dip & Cheese Straws

Serves 6

  • 300g/ 10.6 oz. tub of light sour cream $1.29 from Aldi

  • 40g/1.4 oz. sachet of French Onion soup mix $0.95 from Coles

  • sprinkle of paprika from pantry

  • leftover puff pastry from pithivier

  • 1/2 cup grated cheese $1 from Aldi

Step 1 - Mix the French Onion mix with the light sour cream and place in a bowl and sprinkle paprika over the top.

Step 2 - Take the scraps from the puff pastry below. Preheat oven to 200C/400F and line a baking tray with parchment. Roll out the puff pastry and score the pastry into long strips. sprinkle cheese over and then cut out the pastry into long strips and roll into straws. Bake in oven until golden brown (about 20 minutes).

Total cost: $3.24

Teena's Broccoli Pasta with Garlic Bread

Serves 6

  • 500g/1 pound bag of dried spiral/penne pasta $1 Coles

  • 2 x cloves of garlic, diced $0.42c Coles

  • (2-3 anchovies - I did not add due to budget, but can be added to enhance flavour)

  • 2 x tablespoons olive oil from pantry

  • 2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets $2.64 Coles

  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs from pantry

  • Smart Buy Garlic bread for $1.95

  • Salt/Pepper to taste from pantry

  • Parmesan cheese (optional, to taste)

Step 1 - Bring water to boil and cook broccoli for approximately 3-4min. Drain, but retain boiled water for pasta.

Step 2 - Fry garlic in frypan on medium heat with olive oil until golden, add broccoli and cook for another 10 min, breaking up the broccoli with the back of a mixing spoon. In the meantime, re-boil water and add salt to cook pasta, drain when al dente. Once pasta is cooked, pour into frypan and mix in with broccoli, adding breadcrumbs to thicken texture.

Step 3 - Add salt, pepper, olive oil and parmesan cheese to taste. Heat up garlic bread according to directions and serve with pasta.

Total cost: $6.01

Lorraine's Chicken and Pea Pithiviers

Image removed for printing

Serves 6

  • 1 lot of home made puff pastry recipe for puff pastry here (or you can use 3 sheets of bought) $3.00

  • oil for frying from pantry

  • 1 onion, finely chopped $0.60c

  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped $0.20

  • 300grams/10.6 oz chicken breast or thigh fillet, chopped into small pieces $4.00

  • 75g cream cheese $1 from Aldi

  • 1/2 cup milk $0.13c from Aldi

  • 1 cup frozen peas from Coles $0.75

  • 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk $0.50c

  • Baby spinach $1.99 from Aldi

  • Olive oil and balsamic vinegarand salt and pepper to dress spinach from pantry

You will also need a rolling pin and 2 round cutters, one slightly larger than the other.

Step 1 - In a medium saucepan, heat oil and sweat off onion nad garlic. Add chicken and simmer until cooked. Add cream cheese and lightly fry it until it is melted and then add milk and stir until it becomes a creamy sauce. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes until the chicken is soft and then add peas and cook until done. Cool.

Step 2 - Line a baking tray with parchment. Roll out puff pastry and cut out 6 large circles and place them on the baking tray. Place a small mound of the cooled chicken and pea mix to the centre. Cut out 6 smaller circles and fit them to the top sealing the edges. Lightly score patterns on the top of the pastry. Place in fridge for 30 minutes. Take out of fridge and brush with egg yolk mixture. Preheat oven to 200C/400F and bake for about 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and serve with baby spinach leaves with dressing and the cannellini bean and celery salad below.

Total cost: $12.17

Teena's Cannellini Bean & Celery salad

Serves 6 as a side

  • 1 onion, finely chopped $0.40

  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped $0.20

  • 1 x can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed $1.37 Coles

  • 1/2 head of celery, washed and chopped into 0.5cm pieces $1.99 Coles

  • Lemon $0.74 Coles

Toss all ingredients together and add olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste

Total cost: $4.70

Gina's Banana Custard Pudding Recipe

Serves 6

  • 1 cup sugar $0.24c

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch from pantry

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt from pantry

  • 3 cups milk $0.81c from Aldi

  • 6 egg yolks, beaten from local green grocer $0.75c

  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract from pantry

  • 2 medium firm banana, sliced from local green grocer $0.33c

  • 300ml thickened cream from Franklins no name brand on sale $1.69

Directions

Step 1 - In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually add milk; cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.

Step 2 - Cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Stir a small amount into the egg yolks; return all to pan Cook and stir until thickened.

Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Chill for 1 hour. Just before serving, fold in banana. Garnish with mint if desired.

Total cost: $3.81

Did you make this?

© Lorraine Elliott