Ideas for a dinner for 4 people under 10 euros

Fast and cheap recipes

A roundup of tasty recipes that can be made on a limited budget. When the family becomes large, it seems that for every big expense it is necessary to open a mortgage: but it is not so difficult to save without giving up on nutritious and tasty dishes. Here are some budget-saving recipes.

8 PHOTOS

Ideas for a cheap dinner

How to prepare a dinner on a budget and limited budget. The quick, simple and budget-saving recipes of Giallo Zafferano

Tips for smart shopping

Ligurian meatloaf

Yummy and super-cheap!

Ingredients

• Green beans 300 g
• Potatoes 700 g
• Grated Parmesan cheese 60 gr
• Marjoram 3 sprigs
• 2 medium eggs
• Sale grosso q.b
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Ground black pepper to taste
• Salt up to taste

Preparation

1. To prepare the Ligurian meatloaf, start with the vegetables.
2. Clean the green beans by sticking out the ends.
3. Rinse them thoroughly under running water.
4. Peel the potatoes with the help of a vegetable peeler or a small knife.
5. Divide the potatoes in half, then cut them into 1 cm cubes.
6. Pour the chopped potatoes and green beans into a pressure cooker.
7. Pour some water into the pot almost to cover the vegetables, then add the coarse salt and close with the lid of the pressure cooker.
8. Cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes (for cooking times and methods, you can follow the instructions given for your pressure cooker). Alternatively, you can boil the vegetables separately in two different pans (it will take about 10-15 minutes for each vegetable).
9. Drain the vegetables from the vegetable water and pass them through a vegetable mill, helping yourself with a fork to facilitate the operation.
10. Collect the rather homogeneous and compact pulp that you have obtained in a small bowl. Meanwhile, in another bowl, beat the eggs with a fork, then add salt and beat them for a few more seconds.
11. Add the beaten eggs to the vegetable puree and mix thoroughly. Then add the grated Parmesan to the mixture.
12. Stir for a few moments and add the finely chopped marjoram, salt and pepper to taste.
13. Stir again with a fork to mix all the ingredients.
14. Take a 20x20 pan, pour a drizzle of oil and carefully grease the base and edges. Line the pan with parchment paper.
15. Pour the mixture into the pan and level the surface with the back of a fork.
16. With the prongs of the fork, create lines by running diagonally through the dough before baking it at 180 ° in a preheated ventilated oven for 45 minutes (200 ° for 50 minutes in a static oven).
17. When the surface is slightly golden and toasted, take the Ligurian meatloaf out of the oven, let it cool down to room temperature and it will be ready to be enjoyed.

Read also: Recipes for children 

Pasta and ricotta

By changing the shape of the pasta and eliminating the pepper, it is also suitable for younger children.

Ingredients

• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Olive oil 3 tbsp
• Pasta type fusilli 400 gr
• Creamy cow ricotta 400 gr

Preparation

1. To prepare the pasta and ricotta, start by putting the pot full of water on the stove to cook the pasta, add salt to the water and wait for it to boil.
2. Meanwhile, start preparing the pasta sauce: put the fresh ricotta in a bowl and mash it with a fork until it becomes creamy, add the salt, oil, pepper and continue mixing to mix the ingredients.
3. Cook the fusilli and just before the end of cooking add a ladle of cooking water to the ricotta to make it softer.
4. Drain the pasta, taking care to keep the cooking water aside in case the pasta is a little dry, and add it to the ricotta.
5. Mix the fusilli with ricotta cream well and serve immediately on the table.

Chickpea porridge

Also perfect for birthday parties.

Ingredients

• A sprinkle of pepper
• Water 900 ml
• 1/2 glass extra virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste
• 300 g chickpea flour for a 40 cm diameter pan
• 1/2 glass extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Mix all the ingredients well, paying attention to the lumps, until you obtain a liquid and homogeneous mixture, which you will leave to rest, stirring occasionally, from 4-5 hours, up to 10 hours, covered with a lid and out of the fridge.
2. After the necessary time has elapsed, it is likely that some foam will have formed on the surface: remove it with a slotted spoon.
3. Add the salt and half a glass of oil to the mixture; pour the remaining oil into a non-stick pan (tradition would include copper or aluminum), covering the entire bottom.
4. Pour the chickpea mixture into the pan which you will bake in a preheated oven at 220 ° for about half an hour until the farinata is a nice golden color; afterwards, turn off the oven and turn on the grill until the surface of the farinata is a nice hazelnut color (about 15 minutes).
5. When cooked, take the farinata out of the oven, sprinkle it with salt and ground pepper, cut it into squares and serve it still hot, perhaps with a nice accompaniment of vegetables or flavored with chopped rosemary and oil.

Stuffed omelette

To make it even cheaper (or vice versa richer) you can vary the filling, even just with cheese it is very good.

Ingredients for a 24 cm pan

• 8 medium eggs
• Emmentaler cheese 200 gr
• Sliced ​​cooked ham 120 gr
• Grated Grana Padano 50 gr
• Chives 10 sprigs
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt up to taste
• Pepper as needed

Preparation

1. To make the stuffed omelette, start by coarsely chopping the sprigs of chives and slice the Emmentaler cheese.
2. Break the eggs and collect them in a large bowl, then beat them with a fork and add the grated Grana, mix and add the sprigs of chives; salt and pepper to taste.
3. Mix all the ingredients then divide the dough into two bowls; in a pan of 24 cm in diameter, pour a drizzle of oil and heat it up well.
4. Then pour the contents of one of the two bowls and cover with the lid to cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes.
5. Turn the omelette with the help of the lid or a plate, turn it upside down and slide it back into the pan and let it cook on the other side for another 2 minutes without the lid.
6. Transfer the ready omelette onto a plate and set aside for a moment.
7. Grease another 24 cm diameter pan with a drizzle of oil, heat and repeat the same operations for the remaining eggs: pour the contents of the bowl into the pan and cook for about 2 minutes with the lid on; then turn it upside down with the help of the lid; cook the omelette on the other too.
8. Then distribute the slices of cheese on the surface of the omelette and those of ham. Place the omelette you prepared earlier with the part where the sprigs of chives are visible facing upwards.
9. Cover with the lid and cook for 1-2 more minutes, then gently unmold the omelette and place it on a tray or serving dish. You can slice the stuffed omelette and serve it in wedges!

Rustic pappardelle with sausage and leeks

Perfect for the first cold!

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized leeks
• Ground black pepper to taste
• White wine 1 glass
• Extra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp
• Pappardelle pasta 320 gr
• Pork sausage 300 gr

Preparation

1. Clean the leeks and arrange them on a cutting board, remove the green part and the toughest outer layers.
2. Then slice the white part into very fine slices, fry them in oil over low heat until they wilt.
3. Shell the sausage with your hands or with a fork so as not to have too large pieces, add the sausage to the leeks and as soon as the sausage has changed color and there will be no more liquid on the bottom of the pan, blend with the white wine, and leave dry for a few minutes.
4. As soon as the wine has evaporated, season with salt, pepper and mix everything for a few seconds without allowing the preparation to dry too much.
5. Boil the pappardelle al dente. Use the cooking water of the pasta to make the sauce less dry.
6. Drain the noodles and toss them in the pan with the sauce for a few moments.
7. Serve and serve immediately.

Poached sausage

For a slightly different and fun dinner

Ingredients

• Wurstel da hot dog 4
• Dough for bread leavened 200 gr

Preparation

1. To prepare the sausage in a shirt, start by dividing the leavened dough into 4 equal parts (50 g for each piece), then roll it out with a rolling pin to form a rectangle that can completely wrap the sausage, which you will better shape with a small knife.
2. Place the sausage in the center of the rectangle of dough and wrap it completely like a candy.
3. Remove the excess pasta from the sides and with a small knife with a sharp blade, make transversal cuts on the surface of the pasta. Proceed in this way for all 4 sausages.
4. Turn on the oven and bring it to a temperature of 200 ° C, then line a pan with parchment paper and place the 4 sausages in a shirt on it; put in the oven and cook for about 10 minutes, then serve still hot.

Pumpkin risotto

A great autumn classic, an idea for Halloween night.

Ingredients

• Rice 400 g
• Onions 1
• Vegetable broth 1 liter
• Parmesan cheese 100 g
• Pumpkin 300 g
• 1/2 glass white wine
• Butter 50 g

Preparation

1. First, to prepare the pumpkin risotto, clean the pumpkin: remove the seeds, cut it into slices, peel it and cut it into cubes.
2. Meanwhile, brown the finely chopped onion in the oil in a fairly large pan.
3. When the onion is golden brown, add the pumpkin cubes and rice (make sure the pumpkin cubes have softened well before adding the rice!).
4. Mix everything for a few minutes to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan and let it cook for at least 10 minutes. If you wish, towards the middle of cooking, to give more flavor to the risotto, you can add a sprig of well-tied rosemary to ensure that it does not lose the needles.
5. At this point add the wine and gradually also the broth, leaving it to cook for at least 20 minutes.
6. When there are 2 minutes left to cook, add the butter and Parmesan, mixing everything well.
7. Let the rice rest for two minutes and serve hot on the table!

Corn soup

Versatile and classy

Ingredients

• Steam pre-cooked corn on the cob 2 kg
• Carrots 120 g
• Pepper as needed
• Salt to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Vegetable broth 1,5 l
• Leeks 140 gr cleaned

For the croutons

• 4 slices durum wheat loaf bread
• Spicy paprika 5 gr
• Salt to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Preparation

1. To prepare the corn soup, start by shelling the steamed pre-cooked cobs: place them on a cutting board and slice them lengthwise with a knife, otherwise you can also shell them with your hands.
2. Continue by cleaning and cutting the vegetables that will make up the sauté: peel the carrots with a potato peeler, then cut them into thin sticks and finally into cubes.
3. Then place the leek on a cutting board and remove both ends (4-5), then cut into slices.
4. Transfer the diced carrots and the sliced ​​leek to a large pot with high sides, sprinkle with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sauté over medium heat for a few minutes.
5. When the sautéed vegetables are golden brown, add the corn kernels and cook for 5-6 minutes over low heat. Then add salt and pepper to taste, add the vegetable broth to cover the mixture and cook for about 35 minutes. 
6. Stir occasionally and when the mixture has softened and has absorbed part of the broth, introduce the immersion mixer into the pot and blend until the mixture is thick and homogeneous, adding broth if needed. Let it cook for about 5 minutes and then turn off the heat.
7. Meanwhile, prepare the croutons to accompany the corn soup: cut 4 slices of durum wheat bread and arrange them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, then pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on each slice.
8. Then add salt to taste and sprinkle each slice with the spicy paprika powder.
9. Once the slices of bread have been seasoned, bake in a preheated static oven at 250 ° for 5 minutes in grill mode, until they are slightly toasted and crunchy. If you use the convection oven, cook at 240 ° for 2 and a half minutes in grill mode.
10. After this time, take everything out of the oven and let the slices of bread cool on a wire rack, then arrange them on a cutting board and divide them in half lengthwise, forming sticks or cubes.
11. Serve the corn soup and accompany it with the croutons.
12. Sprinkle everything with a pinch of pepper and finish by pouring a drizzle of oil: you just have to serve and enjoy the hot corn soup with croutons!

Carrots and Philadelphia dumplings

From the blog Mamme in Cucina, a blogger friend of ours, we tried this delicious recipe, easy to prepare and cheap. 

Ingredients

• 50 g of potato gnocchi
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 philadelphia or ricotta
• extra virgin olive oil
• parmesan if you prefer

Preparation

1. Boil the carrot then place it in a container with the philadelphia
2. Add a little oil and blend with the minipiner
3. Cook the gnocchi, drain them as soon as they rise to the surface
4. Dress them with the cream
5. Add the Parmesan if you prefer

Credits | Yellow Saffron and Mums in the kitchen