How to feed the family on a budget: Cardiff Mum’s five family dinners for £25 meal plan

Five easy, delicious, budget-friendly recipes for meals to keep you and your family going all week long.

Food prices are creeping up everywhere, and it’s becoming harder than ever to feed our families without breaking the weekly budget. It’s a problem Ashleigh Mogford, known online as Cardiff Mum, knows well, and her new book Cardiff.Mum’s 5 Meals For £25 is the perfect antidote.

Packed with practical, easy recipe that focus on stretching out everyday ingredients to create satistying meals the whole family will enjoy, that don’t feel like a compromise. And rather than single recipes, the book is arranged by sets of five meal plans, with all of the recipes working together, sharing ingredients to make the most of every penny you spend. The total spend for each set of five meals-for-four is around £25.

What makes this collection stand out is how achievable it feels — these are recipes designed for real life, not just special occasions. With no fussy, hard-to-find ingredients, they are loads of slow-cooker or one-pot options, as well as instructions for air-fryers if you have one, and alternatives if you don’t.

We’ve got an entire five-day meal plan for you do discover and if you want to find more, it’s the ideal time to buy Ashleigh’s book. Normally £25, you can get hold of a copy right now for just £13.86 here: Cardiff.Mum’s 5 Meals For £25.

MEAL 1: Butter Chicken Naan Burgers

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Serves 4

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 2 large naan breads, sliced in half to make 4 smaller ones
• 2 chicken breasts, sliced horizontally through the middle to make 4 cutlets
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp garam masala or curry powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Sea salt
• 3 tbsp natural yoghurt
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 50g cherry tomatoes, chopped
• Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
• 6 tbsp mayonnaise
• Chilli flakes

1. Heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the cut naans. Fry on both sides for a few minutes until golden and crispy. Remove and slice horizontally through the middle to make 2 pieces.
2. Add the chicken to a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the garlic powder, ground ginger, garam masala or curry powder, smoked paprika, cumin, some salt and the yoghurt. Mix well to coat the chicken cutlets in the spice mix.
3. Heat up a little more oil in the pan, add the chicken pieces and fry for 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
4. While they’re cooking, add the chopped onion and tomatoes to a bowl with the coriander, a drizzle of oil and some salt and mix to combine.
5. Add the mayonnaise and the remaining tablespoon of garlic powder to a bowl and combine. Put a heaped spoonful of the garlic mayonnaise on to 4 of the naan halves, add the chicken on top with a spoonful of the onion and tomato mixture, scatter over the chilli flakes, to taste, then put the other naan halves on top.

MEAL 2: Creamy Chorizo Tortellini Soup

Serves 4

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 120g chorizo slices, chopped
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 250g packet of three-cheese tortellini
• 150ml double cream
• Handful of spinach, chopped
• 6 leaves of fresh basil, chopped
• Sea salt and black pepper

To serve:

• 50g grated Grana Padano cheese
• 100g cherry tomatoes, chopped
• Chilli flakes

1. In a large saucepan or stock pot over a medium heat, fry the chorizo for 4–5 minutes until crispy. You won’t need to add any oil as the chorizo will release its own. Use a spatula to remove the chorizo from the pan, leaving the oil in the pan, and set aside.
2. In the same pan, add the onion, celery, Italian seasoning and garlic and fry for 5 minutes until soft. Add the tin of chopped tomatoes and stock to the pan and combine. Bring to a simmer then add the tortellini. Cover the pan and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add the cream into the pan with the chorizo, spinach and basil and combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste then spoon into bowls and serve with the Grana Padano, the chopped cherry tomatoes and chilli flakes.

MEAL 3: Garlic Chicken Alfredo Lasagne

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
• 4–5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 500g chicken mince
• 150g ready-sliced frozen mushrooms
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 150ml double cream
• 50g grated Grana Padano cheese
• 250ml chicken stock
• Sea salt
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach, finely chopped
• 8 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
• 9 lasagne sheets
• 125g grated mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC fan. Heat up the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat then add the onion, celery, garlic and Italian seasoning and sauté for 5 minutes until soft.
2. Add your chicken mince and cook for 6–7 minutes, stirring regularly to break up the mince, until cooked through, then add the mushrooms and cook for a further 3 minutes until the mushrooms have softened.
3. Add the tablespoon of flour into the pan and mix everything together. Add your cream, most of the Grana Padano and the stock with a pinch of salt and combine. Turn off your heat then add the spinach and basil and combine again.
4. Scoop a ladleful of the mixture and spread it into the base of a pie dish. Layer 3 lasagne sheets side by side on top of the sauce. Evenly spread a third of the chicken mixture on top of the lasagne sheets. Top with a scattering of mozzarella then add another 3 lasagne sheets on top.
5. Repeat the steps again, ending with another 3 lasagne sheets. Pour the remaining sauce over the lasagne sheets then top with the rest of the mozzarella, cover with foil and pop into the oven for 25 minutes.
6. Remove the foil and pop the lasagne back into the oven for a further 10 minutes to crisp up. Serve with the rest of the Grana Padano.

MEAL 4: Loaded Cheeseburger Bowls

Serves: 4

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large or 4 medium white potatoes
• Olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 500g beef mince
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 white onions
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 200g ready-sliced frozen mushrooms
• 1 iceberg lettuce
• 170g cherry tomatoes, chopped
• Gherkin slices or pickled jalapeños (optional)
• a handful of grated mozzarella cheese

For the burger sauce

• 4 tbsp natural yoghurt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1 tbsp chopped gherkins (optional)

1. Slice your potatoes into thin chips with the skin on, drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Put them in the air fryer and cook on 200°C for 20 minutes, or bake in a preheated oven on 200°C fan for 40 minutes, shaking halfway through.
2. Heat up a little oil in a frying pan and add the beef mince with the minced garlic and fry for 5 minutes until cooked through.
3. Add your onions to a frying pan with a teaspoon of sugar and the white wine vinegar and fry for 15–20 minutes over a low heat to caramelize.
4. Add your mushrooms to a separate frying pan with a little salt and fry for 5 minutes until soft.
5. Cut up your iceberg lettuce and divide across 4 bowls. Layer the beef mince on top then add the chips, caramelized onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and gherkins. Scatter the mozzarella over the top.
6. Make up the burger sauce by adding the ingredients to a jug and mixing. Drizzle the sauce over everything and serve!

MEAL 5: Sausage & Mash Pie

Serves: 4

Cook Time: 1 hour

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large or 4 medium white potatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 8 pork or vegetarian sausages
• 50g butter
• 2 white onions, finely sliced
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme or 3–4 sprigs of fresh, if you have it
• 150g ready-sliced frozen mushrooms
• 450ml gravy, made with beef or onion gravy granules
• 1 x 300g tin of garden peas, drained
• 100ml whole milk
• Handful of grated mozzarella cheese or Cheddar cheese
• Sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan. Peel your potatoes and cut them into small chunks around 3cm, then add them to a pan of salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes, or until soft.
2. Meanwhile, heat up the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and gently cook the sausages for 10–12 minutes until they’re crispy. Transfer the sausages to a plate.
3. Put half the butter into the pan then tip in the onions, celery, garlic and most of the thyme and fry for around 5 minutes until soft. Add the mushrooms and fry for another 5 minutes.
4. Pour the gravy into the pan. Chop up the sausages into 1cm slices and add them back into the frying pan, but keep 6 slices back for the topping. Simmer for a few minutes then stir the peas through.
5. Drain the potatoes when fully cooked. Add the milk and remaining butter with a pinch of salt and mash thoroughly.
6. Add the sausage mix to a large pie dish then spoon the mash over the top. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the mash over the sausage mixture. Top with the grated cheese then place the 6 sausage slices on top. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes. A few minutes before the end, remove the pie and sprinkle a little more thyme over the top then place back in the oven to finish cooking.

Recipes extracted from Cardiff.Mum’s 5 Meals For £25 by Ashleigh Mogford, published by Penguin Michael Joseph on 26^th February 2026 (£25.00). Photography © Ella Miller

The full shopping list:

Here’s everything you need to buy to make the full family meal plan

• 1 x 250g packet of grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 x 100g packet of grated Grana Padano cheese
• 1 x 500ml pot of natural yoghurt
• 1 x 300ml pot of double cream
• 1 x 120g packet of chorizo slices
• 8 pork sausages
• 1 x 500g packet of beef mince
• 1 x 500g packet of chicken mince
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 x 250g packet of three-cheese tortellini
• 320g cherry tomatoes
• 1 x small packet of fresh coriander
• 1 x small packet of fresh basil
• 1 iceberg lettuce
• 1 head of celery
• 1 x small packet of spinach
• 1 x bag of white onions (you’ll need 7)
• 1 x 4-bulb pack of garlic
• 4 large white potatoes, or 8 medium white potatoes
• 1 x 300g tin of garden peas
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 x 500g box of lasagne sheets
• 2 large naan breads
• 500 or 600g bag of frozen sliced mushrooms (bag size depends on the supermarket)

Store Cupboard Items

You will also need small amounts of the following store cupboard essentials:

• Milk
• Butter
• Tomato ketchup
• Mayonnaise
• Mustard (American or Dijon)
• Olive oil
• Smoked paprika
• Dried thyme
• Italian seasoning or dried oregano
• Garam masala or curry powder
• Ground cumin
• Chilli flakes
• Ground ginger
• Garlic powder
• Chicken stock cubes or pots
• Beef or onion gravy granules
• Gherkins or pickled jalapeños (optional)
• White wine vinegar
• Sugar
• Plain flour