Make a Meal of It: Food Clubs
Food Clubs are an amazing opportunity to access nutritious, affordable food. With the cost of living crisis ever increasing the amount at the end of your receipt, Food Clubs are offering a genuine alternative.
Most locations offer our free bread and pastries whilst stocks last, and allow all to enjoy complementary hot drinks and settle down in a warm environment whilst you wait for your chance to shop. Choose from a selection of tinned, fresh and frozen produce, with star buys including meat, gifts, large packages of nappies and more. A £3.50 shop will get you 10 items, including one star item, whilst a £5 shop allows you to get 15 including one star item. Either way, you’ll be leaving with a bag full of delicious food.
With an ever-changing selection of food on offer, Food Clubs do make the idea of meal planning feel unattainable, but here, we’re going to help you with a few of our team’s favorite Food Club meals. All of these recipes include produce that are regular features at all of our Food Clubs, or is otherwise affordable at your nearest shop.
Alternatively, you can search for replacements. Don’t have white wine vinegar in? Try lemon juice instead. If you’re not a fan of carrots, how about adding in broccoli? And remember premade versions of the likes of guacamole and sour cream can save you time and money. Use your recipe as a guide rather than a rule book.
One-pan sausage pasta by Justine Pattison
Prep Time: 30 Minutes/ Cook Time: 1 Hour/ Serves: 6-4/
One pack of sausages will easily feed up to six people if you squeeze the meat out of the skins and cook with pasta and a rich-tasting tomato sauce. You’ll need a large pan to cook everything as it all simmers together. Leftovers can be warmed up the next day or frozen for up to a month.
Ingredients
454g pack sausages (6–8 sausages), separated
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
350g/12oz dried penne pasta or any other pasta shapes
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
½ tsp dried mixed herbs or oregano
1 head broccoli (about 350g/12oz), cut into small florets
salt and ground black pepper
Method
Squeeze the sausagemeat out of the skins and drop small pieces straight into a large, deep, non-stick frying pan, large wide-based saucepan, or flame-proof casserole (it needs to be large enough to combine all the ingredients, including the pasta and water).
Add a tablespoon of the oil and cook the sausagemeat for 3 minutes over high heat, or until beginning to brown, stirring regularly. Add the remaining oil and onion and cook together for 3 minutes more, or until the onion is softened and the sausage pieces are lightly browned, stirring regularly. Add a little more oil if needed.
Add the tinned tomatoes, 700ml water, pasta, ketchup, and mixed herbs. Cover with a lid and bring to a simmer. Then, reduce the heat and simmer gently with the lid on for 15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the sauce is thick, stirring regularly. Stir more often towards the end of the cooking time so the pasta doesn’t stick to the pan. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Just before the pasta is ready, place the broccoli in a microwave-proof dish, add 3 tbsp water, cover, and cook on high in a microwave for 5–7 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes, or until tender. (Alternatively, boil in a saucepan of water on the hob.) Serve the broccoli alongside the pasta.
Creamy Pasta with Broccoli and Sweetcorn by Justine Pattison
Prep Time: 30 Minutes/ Cook Time: 15 Minutes/ Serves: 6-4/
The perfect midweek creamy pasta dish, from pan to plate in 15 minutes. You can use any pasta shapes you like. The lemon zest adds a little ‘zing’ but you can leave it out if you prefer.
Ingredients
300g/10½oz dried penne pasta, or other pasta shapes
1 head of broccoli (about 350g/12oz), cut into small florets
200g/7oz frozen sweetcorn
200g tub full-fat cream cheese (also known as soft cheese)
½ lemon, finely grated zest only
100g/7oz cheddar, grated
ground black pepper
Method
Half-fill a large saucepan with water, cover it with a lid, and bring it to a boil. Stir in the pasta and return to a boil. Cover loosely with the lid, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10–12 minutes, or until the pasta is tender but retains just a little ‘bite’. Stir occasionally as the pasta cooks, so it doesn’t stick.
Meanwhile, cut the broccoli florets in half or quarters depending on size. After the pasta has been cooking for 8–10 minutes, add the broccoli and sweetcorn to the saucepan, cover, and return to a boil. Cook for 2–3 minutes more, or until the broccoli is tender and the pasta is cooked. Reserve a couple of ladles of the water (around 150ml/¼ pint) and put to one side in a bowl. Drain the pasta and vegetables in a colander then return to the pan.
Pour the reserved water over the pasta, add the soft cheese and lemon zest, and stir well until the cheese melts and coats the pasta. Sprinkle with half the cheddar and season with freshly ground black pepper. Toss together over low heat until the cheddar melts into the sauce, adding a splash of water if needed. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese to serve.
Tuna Sweetcorn Burgers by Good Food Team
Prep Time: 30 Minutes/ Cook Time: 15 Minutes/ Serves: 6-4/
Another option for a midweek treat. These burgers are perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal or a fun summer barbecue. Tuna sweetcorn burgers are a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional beef burgers. They're a great source of protein and can be customized to suit your taste.
Ingredients
85g white bread, torn into pieces
198g can sweetcorn, drained
2 x cans tuna in water, drained well
25g grated cheddar
3 spring onions, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp vegetable oil
wholegrain bread rolls, lettuce, and salsa, to serve
Method
Whizz the bread in a food processor to crumbs, tip into a bowl, then whizz half the sweetcorn until finely chopped. Add the chopped corn, remaining whole corn, tuna, cheese, spring onions and some seasoning into the bowl with the bread and mix well. Add the egg, bit by bit (you may not need it all), until the mixture is sticky enough to be shaped into four even-size burgers.
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, then cook the burgers for 5 mins on each side until golden and hot through the middle. Stuff into wholemeal buns with your favourite lettuce and a good dollop of salsa.
Bean and Rice Burrito by Rachel Allen
Prep Time: 30 Minutes/ Cook Time: 20 Minutes/ Serves: 6-4/
This budget vegetarian burrito uses tinned beans and frozen sweetcorn. You can even use a microwave to cook the whole recipe.
Ingredients
For the tomato relish
½ small onion, finely diced
200g/7oz tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 lime, zest only (juice used below)
salt and pepper
For the bean and rice burrito
400g Tin Mexican-style bean mix or mixed beans in mild chili sauce
200g/7oz frozen sweetcorn, defrosted
8 tortilla wraps
150g/5½oz long-grain rice, cooked according to the packet instructions or in a microwave (see tip)
1 lime, juice only
200g/7oz plain yoghurt
Method
To make the tomato relish, mix together all the ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
To make the burritos, heat a small frying pan over medium heat and warm the beans for 3-5 minutes, or cook for 1 minute in the microwave. Add the sweetcorn and mix well. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.
Warm the tortilla wraps for 10 seconds in a microwave or in a dry pan over medium heat until warm and softened.
To assemble, divide the cooked rice and beans between the eight tortilla wraps. Squeeze a little lime juice over each of them. Spoon over the tomato relish and the yogurt and roll up to enclose each burrito. Serve warm.
Masala Instant Noodles by Chetna Makan
Prep Time: 30 Minutes/ Cook Time: 30 Minutes/ Serves: 4
This riff on instant noodles is the easiest recipe you can imagine and absolutely perfect when you want warming, spicy comfort food!
Ingredients
2 tbsp sunflower oil or vegetable oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
4 packets of curry-flavored instant (super) noodles
Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onions, and fry gently for 5 minutes until softened. Add the tomatoes and cook over low heat for 5 minutes until very soft, stirring regularly. Next, add the chilli and mix well.
In a jug, measure out the amount of boiling water mentioned on the packets of noodles and pour it into the saucepan. Add the noodles with their curry spice mixture and cook as long as it says on the packet. It usually takes 4–5 minutes until the noodles have softened and absorbed the liquid. Don’t stir too much as the noodles will start to break up. Enjoy piping hot.
Chickpea and Carrot Tagine by Saskia Sidney
Prep Time: 30 Minutes/ Cook Time: 10 Minutes/ Serves: 2
While this quick-budget tagine can’t afford all the ingredients of a traditional Moroccan tagine, it is a delightfully hearty veggie stew with plump raisins and sweet tender carrots.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chilli flakes
350g/12oz carrots, cut into 3cm/1¼in chunks
400g tin chickpeas (not drained)
200g/7oz tinned tomatoes (half a tin of chopped tomatoes)
125g/4½oz long-grain rice
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
a small handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
a small handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
salt and ground black pepper
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, fry the onions for 5–6 minutes, or until starting to soften. Add the cumin and chilli flakes with a splash of water and cook until fragrant. Add the carrots and stir well to coat in the seasoning.
Pour in the chickpeas, along with the liquid from the tin, and the tinned tomatoes. Cook for 35–40 minutes on a low simmer, until the carrots are tender and the sauce is reduced.
In the meantime, run cold water over the rice in a large pan and then transfer it to a sieve and rinse under the cold tap until the water runs clear. Fill the pan with water until it reaches your first knuckle when the tip of your finger touches the rice. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes over high heat. Once the rice starts to boil, lower the heat, pop a lid on, and simmer for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat, and leave the rice to steam.
Season the tagine with a splash of vinegar and garnish with freshly chopped parsley and mint. Serve with the rice and enjoy.
Made too much? Worry not! Freezing your leftovers will save you on a lazy day. Pop it in the fridge and take it to work tomorrow. Or for those who are really well prepared, freeze individual elements and use them to create and entirely new dish in the future.