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*Prices correct at time of last page review
Being cash strapped and trying to come up with a meal plan that isn’t your usual handful of recipes, is hard. At Simple & Homely, we do the hard work for you, and this time, we show you how to make sausage goulash on a budget.
While bangers and mash might be one of your household regulars, adding a handful of extra ingredients can turn it into something completely different… for less than £10. If you’ve already got a stocked up spice cupboard, you can make this recipe for less than £5.
Sausage goulash ingredients (with prices)
- 8 pork sausages – £1.79, from Tesco
- 1 onion – £0.21, from Tesco
- 500g tomato passata – £0.55, from Tesco
- 1 beef stock cube – £1, from Tesco
- 1 teaspoon of paprika – £1, from Tesco
- ½ teaspoon of Very Lazy Garlic – £1.95, from Tesco
- A pinch of salt and two pinches of pepper
- Oil
On the side
- Potatoes – £1.35, from Tesco
- Vegetables
Total cost: £7.76
Serves: Four
As we said above, if you’ve got a stocked up spice and seasoning cupboard, you’ll already have the garlic (you can swap the lazy garlic for granules or fresh cloves), paprika, and beef stock cube.
By using what you’ve already got, the total cost of this sausage goulash drops to £3.18. Feeding four people a hearty dinner for less than £5 is an impressive feat.
In this we used sausages leftover from our summer BBQ; we had potatoes leftover from our article on how to make mashed potatoes; and we served broccoli on the side because that’s all we had in the fridge.
If you’re not using up leftover sausages and are using a full pack for this, you’ll end up with leftovers. Perhaps make some breaded sausage balls (great for getting the kids involved with cooking), meaty pasta (ideal for batch cooking), or homemade sausage rolls.
As you’ll see from the ingredients picture, we used turkey sausages rather than pork; this is due to a dietary requirement. However, it does show if you want to use turkey, chicken, beef, or vegetarian sausages in the place of pork, then you can.
If you’ve got the budget or you’ve got the vegetables in your fridge, then you can bulk up the sauce by adding peppers, mushrooms, peas, carrots, celery, and so on.
Regular readers will know our portion sizes are catered to four or five adults with big appetites. Where we get four servings from the quantities used in this recipe, you’ll probably have enough leftover for lunch.
Method
If you’re serving mashed potatoes, rice, or anything other kind of carb on the side, make sure it’s prepared and start cooking it after step two.
Step 1
Place a frying pan over a medium heat and drizzle with oil. While the pan is heating, cut your sausages into chunks around an inch thick and then add them to the pan. If you’re adding sense vegetables like carrots or celery, chop them finely and add them now.
Step 2
While the sausages are sizzling, dice the onion. Once the sausages have started to brown, add the onion. (If you’re also using peppers, add them here.)
If your sausages and onions start to catch, turn the heat down slightly and add a drizzle more oil.
Fry until the sausages are cooked through and the onions are soft.
Step 3
Add the seasoning, garlic, black pepper, and paprika to the frying pan and stir to coat all the sausages and vegetables. If you’re adding soft vegetables like mushrooms and peas, add them at this stage.
Step 4
Add the entire carton of passata, then crumble a stock cube into the pan. Stir everything together and turn the heat down to low. Make sure you stir the goulash occasionally to prevent it sticking.
Step 5
Once the potatoes are cooked, drain, and mash with butter and milk. Aim for a lump-free, creamy texture. Strain your vegetables at the point as well, if using.
Step 6
Dish up your potatoes, vegetables, and sausage goulash. Then, plonk yourself down in front of the TV, turn on the latest episode of The Chase and enjoy your cheap dinner.
