Five money-saving tips for making a delicious but affordable pie for family dinner
KEEP your eyes on the pies this week and make use of your leftover food.
It’s National Pie Week which is a great excuse to make a tasty family dinner without wastage. Here’s what you need to do . . .
CRUST THE JOB: Make a simple shortcrust pastry using 250g plain flour, 125g butter and a few tablespoons of milk or water for the pie crust.
If you’re short on time, pick up Jus-Rol Shortcrust Pastry Ready Rolled Sheet, for £1.25, usually £1.75, with a Tesco Clubcard.
You could also use leftover mashed potato to whip up a shepherd’s pie, while old crackers, crisps and breadcrumbs sprinkled on top can add extra texture.
MEAT MARKET: Save any leftovers from your Sunday roast to use as a filling for your pie. If you’re having meat on the bone, strip the carcass (save it and boil to create a meat stock you can turn into gravy).
And if it’s a joint, add remaining bits of fat and cooking juice to the pie.
You can also add leftover vegetables like peas, broccoli and carrots. One cheap trick for chicken pies is to add a tin of canned chicken or vegetable soup to the mixture to keep it moist.
VEGGIE GOOD: If someone didn’t eat their greens at dinner, save them for a delicious veggie pie.
Root veg like squash and sweet potato are great additions while broccoli, cauliflower or aubergine can help bulk it out.
And don’t overlook tinned or frozen veg. Peas will add extra protein and tinned sweetcorn is a cheap way to really pack in some more vitamins.
SWEET TREAT: If your fruit bowl has been neglected lately, you can make use of over-ripe stone fruits such as peaches and plums.
Chop and cook on a low heat in a saucepan with a little sugar. Once these have softened, they make excellent pie filling.
SLICE OF THE ACTION: If you can’t face cooking, order a ready-made version at pieminister.com and use the code PIEWEEK at the checkout to get a free carton of gravy with your order.
- All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
Deal of the day
KEEP kids safe in a BeSafe iZi Turn car seat, usually £439 now £349 until the end of March.
You can buy one at Naturalbabyshower.co.uk.
SAVE: £90
Cheap treat
PREPARE a delicious lunch using a pack of New York Bakery Co plain bagels, reduced from £1.80 to £1.30 at Sainsbury’s.
SAVE: 50p
What's new?
UPDATE your garden now and get 20 per cent off a range of garden furniture, hot tubs, outdoor heating and BBQ products at Aldi.co.uk using the code GARDEN20 until Thursday.
Top swap
CREATE a chic vibe at home with a bubble candle for £9.18, at amazon.co.uk, or pick up the very similar Primark one for just £1.50.
SAVE: £7.68
Leah's little helper
STOCK up on multipacks of 24 Pepsi Max original or Pepsi Max No Sugar Cherry cans at Iceland. They are usually £9 each but you can buy three for £21.
That’s a £6 saving.
PLAY NOW TO WIN £200
JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle.
Every month we’re giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers – whether you’re saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered.
Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket.
The more codes you enter, the more tickets you’ll earn and the more chance you will have of winning!