5 easy family dinners for £25 – Roast potato-topped fish, Thai red meatball curry, creamy greens, pesto and butter bean stew…

Monday: Roast potato-topped fish pie

400g frozen roast potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
300g frozen sliced leeks
3 tbsp plain flour
½ vegetable stock cube, made up to 200ml
200ml 50% fat crème fraîche
212g tin pink salmon, drained, skin and large bones removed
125g tin mackerel in brine, drained and broken into bite-sized pieces
1 lemon, zested
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets, stem cut into bite-sized pieces

1. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Put the roast potatoes on a baking tray and roast for 25-30 mins until golden and crisp, turning halfway through.

2. Meanwhile, make the fish pie filling. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the leeks for 6-8 mins until soft and most of the water has evaporated. Sprinkle over the flour, season, stir, then cook for 1 min. Add the stock a little at a time, stirring constantly, then stir in the crème fraîche. Simmer for 5 mins until thickened and saucy, then remove from the heat.

3. When the potatoes are cooked, reheat the sauce if needed, then gently fold in the salmon, mackerel and lemon zest, trying not to break up the fish too much. Spoon into a baking dish about 20 x 15cm.

4. Halve the roast potatoes through the widest part (use tongs to help as they will be hot) and press down lightly with a spatula to squash them slightly. Arrange, cut-side down, over the fish pie mix, overlapping them slightly so the pie is covered with the crisp edges. Return to the oven and bake for 10-15 mins until the filling is bubbling and the topping is crisp..

Wednesday: Creamy greens, pesto and butter bean stew

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200g frozen sliced leeks
250g fresh greens, washed and sliced, tough stalks removed
200ml 50% fat crème fraîche
1 reduced-salt vegetable stock cube, made up to 350ml
4 tbsp Free From green pesto
2 x 400g tins butter beans, drained
½ lemon, juiced
250g crusty white bloomer, sliced, to serve

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 5-6 mins until softened. Stir in the garlic, frozen leeks and greens, and fry for 5-6 mins until the leeks have defrosted and any water has evaporated.

2. Stir the crème fraîche, stock and pesto into the greens and bring to a simmer over a high heat. Stir in the butter beans and cook for 5-8 mins until reduced slightly and the greens are tender. Mash a few times with a potato masher to crush some of the butter beans and thicken the sauce. Season a little and stir in the lemon juice to taste. Spoon into bowls and serve with the crusty white bloomer for mopping up the sauce.

Friday: Ratatouille 'crumble' with pesto potatoes

400g frozen roast potatoes
400g frozen Mediterranean-style roasting vegetables
2½ tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g tin chopped tomatoes
½ tsp sugar (any kind)
150g crusty white bloomer, blitzed to coarse breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Free From green pesto
½ lemon, juiced

1. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Put the roast potatoes on a baking tray and roast at the top of the oven for 25-30 mins until crisp and golden. Tip the frozen veg into a baking dish about 25 x 20cm and cook under the potatoes for 25-30 mins until tender.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat and fry the onion for 6-8 mins until softened. Stir in the garlic and fry for 1 min. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, sugar, 100ml water and some seasoning. Simmer for 10-15 mins, uncovered, until thickened slightly.

3. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Tip back onto the baking tray and drizzle with ½ tbsp oil; season. Roast for a further 5-10 mins until golden and crunchy.

4. Pour the tomato sauce into the baking dish with the roasted veg and stir well. Toss the breadcrumbs with the remaining 1 tbsp oil; season, then scatter over the vegetable mixture. Bake for 10 mins or until the breadcrumbs are golden and crisp.

5. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl, toss through the pesto and lemon juice. Serve alongside the ratatouille ‘crumble’.