5 easy family dinners for £25 - Bean burgers, egg-fried rice, turkey burrito...

Monday: Taco bean burgers

3 tbsp vegetable oil
½ onion, finely chopped 
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated on a box grater
1 garlic clove, crushed
395g tin taco mixed beans in spicy tomato sauce
15g fresh coriander, half finely chopped, half roughly chopped
50g plain flour
4 sweetcorn cobettes 
100g mature Cheddar, grated
4 burger buns

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the onion and ¼ of the grated carrot for 5 mins until soft and lightly golden. Stir in the garlic and fry for 1 min more. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

2. Drain the tomato sauce from the beans into a small pan. Tip the beans into a bowl and use a fork to mash to a thick paste. Mix in the cooled onion and carrot mixture, coriander and flour. Season well.

3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Divide the bean mixture into 4 balls and add to the pan. Flatten with a spatula to 2cm thick. Fry for 4-5 mins on each side until crisp and a golden crust forms on the outside. Once cooked on both sides, top the burgers with the grated cheese. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2-3 mins until the cheese has melted.

4. Meanwhile, put the cobettes in a single layer in a medium saucepan and cover with boiling water. Cover with a lid and steam for 8 mins. Heat the reserved tomato sauce in the small pan and simmer for 2 mins until thickened.

5. To serve, toast the buns, then top the bottom buns with the remaining grated carrot. Top with a burger patty and a spoonful of tomato sauce. Top with the coriander and sandwich with the burger lids. Serve with the sweetcorn cobettes.

Wednesday: Egg-fried rice

300g long-grain rice
1 broccoli head, cut into florets
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
600g frozen crunchy veg medley
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
4 eggs
3 tbsp Worcester sauce

1. Boil the rice in a large saucepan for 10 mins until tender, then tip into a sieve and rinse with cold water. Spread out on a large plate and leave to cool. Place the broccoli in a large pan of boiling water and cook for 5 mins.

2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, deep frying pan or wok over a medium high heat. Add the onion and fry for 10 mins until softened. Add another 1 tbsp oil and toss in the vegetable medley. Cook for 10 mins until the veg has defrosted and is starting to cook through. Drain the broccoli and add to the pan.

3. Add the cooked rice, ginger and garlic to the pan. Fry, mixing well with the veg, for 5 mins until the rice is piping hot and starting to crisp.

4. Beat the eggs in a jug; season with pepper. Move the rice and veg to the side of the pan. Add the remaining oil and pour in the egg to the empty side. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 mins until the eggs are cooked through, then mix with the veg and rice. Mix in the Worcester sauce and serve.

Friday: Carbonara pizza

150g cooking bacon, sliced
130g mushrooms, sliced 
2 garlic cloves, crushed 
100ml crème fraîche 
210g pack mozzarella 
2 sourdough pizza bases 
100g mature Cheddar, grated 
30g rocket 
1 tsp olive oil

1. Heat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Put a large flat baking sheet that will fit both pizza bases in the oven to heat up.

2. Fry the bacon over a medium heat for 5 mins until crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the mushrooms to the pan and fry for 5 mins until golden. Season with pepper and add half the garlic and fry for 1 min. Mix the crème fraiche with the remaining garlic and black pepper. Finely chop the mozzarella.

3. Place the pizza bases on the hot baking tray. Divide the crème fraiche mixture between the pizza bases and spread out evenly, leaving a 1cm border around the edges.

4. Top the pizzas with the bacon and mushrooms, then scatter over the mozzarella and the Cheddar. Cook for 9-10 mins until the cheese is bubbling and the bacon is golden and crisp. Serve with the rocket, drizzled with a little olive oil.