Featuring classic recipes as well as new and interesting ideas, here you'll find plenty of inspiration on what you could make with your Meat Essentials Food Box. You'll also find a few versatile recipes that make great snacks and lighter lunches as well as those fit for a feast.
Our chefs Jon and Rich have been hard at work developing delicious recipes that you could create with these boxes. Among the collection, you'll find staples you'll love to make again and again, such as a tasty onion gravy, pulled chicken fajitas and a slaw you'll want to serve with every dish.
Tuck in and enjoy.
Meatballs with pasta and tomato sauce
A classic dish, tuck into this tasty recipe for meatballs in a tomato sauce served with pasta.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 Onion
500g Minced Beef
300g Savers Pasta
350g Tomato and Basil Sauce
Method - Finely chop the onion and mix it into the mince.
- Mix well and shape into 20 meatballs.
- Fry the meatballs evenly on all sides, then add the sauce and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Cook the pasta as per pack instructions and serve with the meatballs and sauce on top.
Spicy Meatball Stuffed Pittas
With crunchy homemade coleslaw and garlic mayo, this recipe for spicy meatball pittas is a real treat.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 Pitta Breads
200g Minced Beef
½ Onion
2 Carrots
¼ White Cabbage
1 Lemon
40ml Olive Oil
1 tsp Chilli Powder
50g Mayo
2 Cloves Garlic
Method - Firstly, make the garlic mayo by finely chopping the garlic and mixing it with the mayo. Set this aside for later.
- Next, make the coleslaw. Slice the onion and cabbage, grate the carrot and mix it all together with the olive oil and the juice of 1 lemon.
- To make the meatballs, mix the mince with the chilli powder and form into 12 meatballs.
- Fry them in a little oil over a moderate heat until thoroughly cooked through.
- Spoon into each pitta some coleslaw, 3 meatballs and top with garlic mayo.
Toad in the hole with onion gravy
A classic dish that’s a great way to enjoy sausages.
Ingredients
Pork Sausages x10 pack
140g Plain Flour
2x Eggs
175ml Milk
2x Onions
500ml Beef Stock
30g Flour (for the onion gravy)
Method - Preheat the oven.
- Add the oil to a pan and colour your sausages. Make sure you use a pan that you can later safely use in the oven.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and add the plain flour to make a batter.
- Pour the batter over the sausages and put the pan in a preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes.
- In a clean pan, add the onions and a drizzle of oil and slowly cook until they’re caramelised and soft.
- Make up the stock, then add a spoonful of flour to the onions and stir until well coated, then add the stock a little bit at a time
- Keep adding stock until the gravy is thick and glossy, you can add a little sugar or a touch of worcestershire sauce here if you like. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve the toad in the hole with lots of gravy and mash and peas.
Mexican pulled chicken
Created at home by our chef Jon, this versatile dish can be served with homemade flatbreads, rice salad or even potato wedges - de-lish!
Ingredients
2x Chicken breast (alternatively, you can use 2x frozen chicken fillets)
1x Red Pepper
1 ½ tsp Ground Cumin
2x tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1x Onion, sliced
1x Tin Chopped Tomatoes
2x tbsp Ketchup
1x tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
Method - Rub the chicken with the cumin and the smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
- Pre-heat the oven to 190c.
- Fry the chicken on both sides in a frying pan, browning both sides to get a crusty spiced outer layer to the chicken.
- Add the chopped onion, ketchup and chopped tomatoes to the pan, along with the vinegar.
- Cover the pan with foil and place in the oven or place all the contents into an oven proof casserole dish.
- Cook in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
- After this time, remove the dish from the oven and carefully remove the foil.
- Using two forks, shred the chicken into strands.
- Taste, add some salt and pepper if needed, and if the sauce is too thin add it back to the oven (without the chicken) to cook uncovered for 5 more minutes before mixing it altogether.
- Serve with wedges or rice salad or flatbreads.
Savoury Mince and Potatoes
A classic dish that’s sure to go down a treat, try this dish served with your favourite green veg.
Ingredients
500g Minced Beef
1 Onion
1 Carrot
3 Large Potatoes
500ml Beef Stock ( 1 cube)
10ml Worcester Sauce
Method - Cut the potatoes into 2cm cubes, toss them in oil and spread them out on a roasting tray and roast at 200 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden.
- Meanwhile, dice the onion and carrot.
- In a saucepan, brown the mince for 5 minutes before removing from the pan and setting aside.
- In the same pan that you cooked the mince in, cook the onion and carrot in a little oil over a moderate heat for 3 minutes.
- Add the mince back to the pan along with the stock and Worcester sauce.
- Season with salt and pepper and simmer until most of the liquid has cooked away.
- Serve with a green veg of your choice.
Hunters Chicken
A classic flavour combination, this recipe is sure to be a winner. Find out how to make Hunters Chicken at home below.
Ingredients
2x Chicken Fillets
Grated cheddar
2x Slices of bacon
For the Barbecue Sauce:
60g Tomato Puree
50g Light Brown Sugar
3g Smoked Paprika
50g Vinegar
Method - Add a little oil to a pan.
- Add the sugar and melt until dissolved and beginning to caramelise, then add the vinegar and cook out for 2-3 minutes before adding the tomato puree and continuing to cook.
- Add the smoked paprika and any other spices you want to use (ground cumin works well along with chilli powder), if you have any add a couple of teaspoons of worcestershire sauce as this works really well.
- Add a little water if you prefer a thinner sauce, and a pinch of salt and cook to a sticky sauce.
- Grate a little cheese, and place on top of the chicken breast, then wrap the chicken breast in a slice of bacon and place on a tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes get the chicken out of the oven and cover with the BBQ sauce and grated cheese and place back in the oven for 5 more minutes.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, serve it with salad and slaw, corn on the cob and even some chips as a treat.
Sausage and Bean Casserole
Warming and delicious, tuck into a tasty casserole.
Serves 4
Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
Ingredients
1x6 pack Pork Sausages
1 400g tin Baked Beans
2x Carrots (180g)
2x Onions (190g)
2-3x potatoes 120g
2 tsps Smoked Paprika
50g Tomato Puree (If you don’t have any tomato puree you can use 2-3 tablespoons of tomato pasta sauce)
400ml Stock
2x slices Streaky Bacon, chopped (Optional)
Method - Finely chop the onions and carrots, add a little oil to a pan and add the sausages and cook until they’re browned on all sides.
- Remove the sausages and cut in half and place back in the pan. Add the vegetables and cook till softened (add the bacon now if you are using).
- Add the tomato puree and the smoked paprika (or any spice mix like chili powder).
- Add the stock (any that you have will work, failing that just add 400ml of water) and bring to the boil and leave to simmer for about 30-35 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
- For quick and easy potatoes, pop the potatoes in the microwave and cook for 5-6 minutes on full power.
- Preheat the oven to 190oc, once the potatoes have been in the microwave cut into chunks and brush with a little oil and season with salt and pepper, then place on a baking tray and roast for 20 minutes.
- Serve the casserole topped with the crispy potatoes.
Burgers and Slaw
Enjoy this classic dish with homemade coleslaw.
Serves 4
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
Ingredients
4x Beef Burgers
190g Cabbage (Shredded as finely as possible)
1x Carrot, grated (about 90g)
1x Apple, grated (about 80g)
1x Onion (about 80g)
150g Mayonnaise/Yoghurt
Salad (shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced cucumber, gherkins)
2x Bacon rashers (Optional)
Cheese slices (Optional)
Method - Finely slice the cabbage and onion, then grate the apple and the carrots and mix with the mayonnaise (or natural yoghurt).
- For a bit extra pep, add a tablespoon of vinegar and/or a teaspoon of mustard.
- Cook the burgers to packet instructions.
- If you want to serve with chips, microwave 2-3 potatoes for 6-7 minutes and cut into chips, spray or brush on a little oil and season with a little salt.
- Bake the chips in the oven for 20 minutes till golden brown and crispy.
Pitta Pizzas
Ideal as a light lunch or simply an afternoon snack, tuck into pitta pizzas with our chef’s recipe.
Serves 4
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
4x Pitta Breads
80g Tomato Pasta Sauce
60g Grated Cheddar Cheese
Any Extras you may have for toppings, eg:
Sweetcorn
Peppers
Fresh tomatoes
Onions
Method - Preheat the oven to 190oc.
- Bake or toast the pittas - cook both sides.
- Place a tablespoon of sauce on each pitta and spread out.
- Top with grated cheese, then sprinkle over garnish, such as peppers, chopped fresh tomatoes, sliced onions or anything you fancy, add leftover bacon or sausage for a meat feast or just cheese and tomato will work just as well
- Bake in the oven at 190oc for 10-15 minutes till bubbling and golden brown.
- Serve with salad for a light lunch or it is a great snack!
Cheese and Ham Pasta Bake
Warming and delicious, you could use up leftover ham in this tasty recipe for a pasta bake.
Serves 6
Ingredients
450g Cooked Pasta
30g Unsalted Butter
30g Plain Flour
600g Semi-Skimmed Milk
150g Grated Cheese
150g Ham, diced
Method - Firsty, make the sauce for the dish, to do this, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Stir together for 2 minutes.
- Gradually add the milk, bringing the sauce to a smooth consistency with each addition.
- When all the milk is added, simmer the sauce for 2 minutes .
- Add the ham and cheese to the sauce and stir until the sauce is smooth.
- Put the cooked pasta into a mixing bowl and pour in the sauce.
- Combine well and transfer to an ovenproof dish.
- Bake at 175 degrees until bubbling and golden brown.
