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5 easy family dinners for £25 - Mascarpone linguine, lemon pilaf, beef penne...

From comforting pastas and zesty pilaf, to cosy soup and veggie burgers, it’s so easy to keep family meal times exciting with our collection of tasty dinner recipes, all for less than £25*. We’ve put together a shopping list for you, shown at the bottom of the page. Don’t forget to screenshot it before you head in store.

  1. Monday: Creamy beef, broccoli and lemon penne

    Monday: Creamy beef, broccoli and lemon penne

    300g Hearty Food Co. penne
    350g pack broccoli, florets quartered, stalk chopped
    1 tbsp olive oil
    500g pack lean beef, carrot and onion mince
    200g Greek-style yogurt
    1 lemon, zested and juiced
    5g fresh flat-leaf parsley or basil, roughly chopped (optional)

    1. Cook the pasta to pack instructions, adding the broccoli for the last 3 mins. Drain, reserving 150ml cooking water. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the mince and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 mins or until cooked through and starting to crisp.

    2. Stir the yogurt and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Set aside. Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the mince and reduce to a low heat. Stir the reserved pasta cooking water into the lemon yogurt, then add this to the pasta. Cook for 1-2 mins until piping hot. Serve garnished with the lemon zest, black pepper and the parsley or basil, if using.

  2. Tuesday: Italian white bean soup with polenta croutons

    Tuesday: Italian white bean soup with polenta croutons

    2 tbsp olive oil
    1 onion, sliced
    2 garlic cloves, crushed
    3 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
    1 vegetable stock cube, made up to 600ml
    handful fresh rosemary, chopped, plus extra to garnish
    ½ x 500g pack polenta, cubed
    vegetarian hard cheese or Parmesan shavings, to serve

    1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 mins, until softened. Add the garlic, cook for 1 min, then stir through the beans, stock and rosemary.

    2. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 mins. Remove half the mixture and whizz with a stick blender to a purée. Stir it back into the soup, then season to taste.

    3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan. Add the polenta cubes and fry for 2-3 mins, turning until golden and crisp on all sides. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with the polenta croutons, extra rosemary and cheese shavings.

  3. Wednesday: One-pot tomato and mascarpone linguine

    Wednesday: One-pot tomato and mascarpone linguine

    1 tbsp olive oil
    2 tsp dried oregano
    680g jar passata
    350g linguine
    150g Redmere Farms spinach
    125g mascarpone

    1. Heat the oil in a large, shallow casserole dish. Add the dried oregano and fry for 30 secs, pour in the passata, fill the empty bottle up with freshly boiled water. Shake to clean all the tomato from the jar and pour into the casserole dish. Bring to the boil.

    2. Add the linguine to the pan and use tongs to gently push the strands apart. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 mins, moving the pasta frequently until tender.

    3. Add the spinach to the pasta, using the tongs to fold the leaves into the sauce – the heat of the pasta will wilt the leaves. Then spoon dollops of mascarpone into the mix and stir in. Season with plenty of salt and pepper and serve immediately.

  4. Thursday: Courgette, pea and lemon pilaf

    Thursday: Courgette, pea and lemon pilaf

    1 tbsp olive oil
    2 large Redmere Farms courgettes, diced
    1 large onion, finely chopped
    3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    300g Grower’s Harvest long-grain rice
    1 lemon, zested and juiced
    1 vegetable stock cube, made up to 600ml
    150g frozen peas
    ¼ x 190g jar green pesto
    10g fresh mint, leaves only, finely chopped
    100g Redmere Farms spinach

    1. Heat the oil in a large, deep, lidded frying pan over a medium heat. Add the courgette and fry for 3-4 mins until just tender and starting to brown, then transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Return the pan to a low heat, add the onion, cover and cook gently for 6 mins. Stir in the garlic and cook, uncovered, for 2 mins. Add the rice and lemon zest and stir to coat.

    2. Pour in the stock, stir once and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 10 mins. Add the peas and reserved courgette, then cook, covered, for 5 mins more, or until the rice is completely tender and the stock has been absorbed.

    3. Use a fork to stir through the pesto, lemon juice and most of the mint; season well. Cover and set aside for 5 mins to let the rice fluff up. Stir in the spinach and scatter with the remaining mint to serve.

  5. Friday: Baked bean burgers

    Friday: Baked bean burgers

    1½ tbsp olive oil
    1 large red onion, finely chopped
    1½ tsp dried mixed herbs
    420g tin Stockwell & Co. baked beans, ½ mashed with a fork, ½ kept whole
    50g fresh breadcrumbs (made using 2 soft white rolls)
    300g cold mashed potato (made using 2 baking potatoes)
    15g fresh parsley, finely chopped
    60g mature Cheddar, cut into 4 slices
    4 soft white rolls, split and lightly toasted
    2 tbsp sandwich pickle
    1 Little Gem lettuce, leaves separated
    1 salad tomato, sliced
    chips or sweet potato wedges, to serve (optional)

    1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a low heat and fry the onion for 5 mins. Stir in the dried herbs and cook for 2 mins. Transfer to a bowl and add the beans, breadcrumbs, potato and parsley. Mix well, then lightly dampen your hands and shape the mixture into 4 equal patties. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and chill in the fridge for 10 mins.

    2. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C and line a baking sheet with nonstick baking paper. Transfer the burgers to the sheet, brush with the remaining oil and bake for 20 mins or until piping hot.

    3. Top each burger with cheese; return to the oven for 3 mins or until melted. Serve in the rolls with the pickle, lettuce and tomato, and chips alongside, if you like.

  6. Shopping list

    2 Tesco lemons
    20g pack Tesco fresh flat-leaf parsley
    20g pack Tesco fresh rosemary
    30g pack Tesco fresh mint
    1 Tesco garlic bulb
    2 Tesco brown onions
    1 Tesco red onion
    2 Tesco baking potatoes, for the mash
    2-pack Tesco Little Gem lettuces
    250g pack Redmere Farms spinach
    1 Tesco loose tomatoes on-the-vine
    350g pack Redmere Farms courgettes
    350g pack Tesco broccoli
    500g pack Tesco lean beef, carrot and onion mince
    200g pot Greek-style yogurt
    220g pack Tesco British mature Cheddar
    250g pot Tesco mascarpone
    100g pack Tesco Parmigiano Reggiano
    6-pack Tesco white batch rolls
    3 x 400g tins Tesco cannellini beans
    420g tin Stockwell & Co. baked beans
    680g jar Cook Italian passata
    190g jar Tesco classic green pesto
    300g jar Tesco sandwich pickle
    500g pack Hearty Food Co. penne pasta
    500g pack Tesco linguine pasta
    1kg pack Grower’s Harvest long-grain rice
    500g pack Italfresco ready-made polenta
    14g pot Tesco dried oregano
    18g pot Tesco mixed herbs
    1kg pack Tesco frozen petit pois
    1.5kg pack Hearty Food Co. straight-cut chips (optional)

    +From your storecupboard:
    olive oil, 2 vegetable stock cubes

    *Based on a family of four. Total cost based on online prices at time of publishing; subject to change.Optional ingredients are not included in total cost.