Too Good To Go series: Salt beef omelette

As part of our Too Good To Go series, where we share our meal ideas for using up random leftovers, we’ve made a salt beef omelette.

In a Too Good To Go bag from Nisa Local, we received five packets of precooked, sliced salt beef. Since we’re not regular salt beef eaters, coming up with uses required a bit of creativity. Three packets were used up making salt beef quesadillas, another in a salt beef chow mein, and the final packet added extra protein to a potato and onion omelette.

The first two salt beef dinners went down well with the family, so let’s hope for a full house.

Ingredients (with prices)

4 eggs ( left over from the egg fried rice) – £1.95 Tesco
1 small potato from my weekly potato bag – £1.80 Tesco
1 small onion – £0.12 Tesco
1 pack of salt beef – Too good to go bag
Salt and pepper – Store cupboard
Chilli flakes optional – store cupboard

Like scrambled eggs, omelettes are incredibly versatile. You can go for the popular cheese and ham, vegetable (anything you’ve got in the fridge), meat feast, spicy, Spanish, or just pack it with a bit of whatever.

Since eggs are high in protein and fat, as well as being full of nutrients and minerals, omelettes are capable of being a dinner, not just a light lunch or breakfast. If you’re looking for cheap foods to buy when you’re broke, eggs should be on your list; their calorie density means you won’t need to eat a lot of them to feel full.

When it comes to cooking an omelette there are many ways you can go about it. As you can see from our pictures, flipping an omelette probably isn’t the best way to cook both sides… It’s a tad messy. Some people choose to cook the top under a grill, some flip onto a plate then back into the pan, some neatly fold, some gently move the egg around the pan until the majority is cooked through before flipping (this method could potentially result in scrambled eggs, so you’ll have to be careful).

Method

You’ll need a frying pan, a glug of oil, a knife and chopping board to slice your veggies, cheese, and meats. You’ll also need a separate bowl and a fork (a whisk if you’re feeling fancy).

Step 1

Preheat your oiled frying pan on a medium temperature. Peel and chop the potato into small pieces then chuck into your frying pan. Cook for approximately 15 minutes until the potatoes start to soften, stir often to stop them burning.

Step 2

Dice your onion and add to the potatoes, cook for a further 5 minutes stirring regularly. Add an extra drizzle of oil if the veg begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. If you’re using any other vegetables, add them in as well.

Step 3

Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk until they are a pale yellow. Make sure you check the best before date before using. Out-of-date eggs can lead to salmonella poisoning.

Step 4

Dice the salt beef and add to the potato & onion. Fry for a few minutes.

Step 5

Add salt and pepper plus the chilli flakes (if using). At the step, add any other herbs and spices you plan on using.

Step 6

Pour in the egg mixture and fry until most of the egg has been cooked. If you’re brave you can try to flip your omelette like a pancake.

I never have much luck with flipping (as you can see from our pictures); putting the pan under the grill to cook the top of the omelette would be far easier and tidier. (Maybe next time.)