Five cheap autumn recipes which cost from just 62p per portion

THE leaves may be falling this autumn but prices are not.

Feeding the family well is essential as we move into colder weather, so we’ve teamed up with Lidl to bring you healthy, hearty dishes perfect for darker evenings, all at affordable prices.

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Plus we have two nutritious, delicious recipes to use up leftover pumpkin.

It’s packed with nutrients, including vitamins C and E, plus beta-carotene. An 80g portion also counts as one of your five a day.

Kicking vegetable curry

£1.34 per portion

THIS quick and easy dish is an economical way to use up leftover and frozen veg, keeping costs down.

TIME: 35 mins
SERVES: 4

YOU NEED:

• 2 red onions, finely sliced
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled & diced     into 1cm cubes
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 courgettes, 1cm half moons cut on the     diagonal
• 500ml chicken tikka masala curry sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 400g peeled plum tomatoes, from a tin
• 300 green beans, frozen
• 100g Greek-style yoghurt
• 15g coriander, roughly chopped
• 2 packs microwavable pilau rice
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced
• Oil, for frying

METHOD: In a large pan, fry the red onions and sweet potatoes in a dash of oil over a medium heat for five minutes until beginning to soften.

Stir in the cumin and add the courgette, frying for a further five minutes. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to packet instructions.

Pour the curry sauce into the large pan, refilling the jar with 150ml of water and shaking to get all the sauce, adding this to the pan too. Stir well, then add the crushed garlic and tomatoes, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of the spoon.

Cover with a lid and bring to a simmer then cook gently for 15 minutes.

After this time, stir in the green beans for bite and the Greek yoghurt for added creaminess. Mix through the coriander and simmer for a few minutes more.

Serve with the rice, topped with more coriander and the chilli for extra kick.

A LIDL EXTRA TIP: Want to make an even chunkier dish? Add tofu, prawns or chicken for a meatier mix.

Sausage and noodle casserole

£1.18 per portion

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INSPIRED by Eastern European cooking, this quick dish is the ultimate in economy cooking.

TIME: 45 mins
SERVES: 4

YOU NEED:

• 450g pork sausages
• 225g egg noodles, cooked
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 white cabbage, chopped
• 4 carrots, pre-steamed
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 60ml boiling water
• 400g plain yoghurt
• 50g breadcrumbs
• Pinch of salt and pepper

METHOD: Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas mark 5. Grease an ovenproof dish. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain, then set aside.

Add the sausages, chopped onion, cabbage and pre-steamed carrots to a large pan. Once the sausages are browned and the vegetables are tender, add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.

Move the mixture into a bowl and add the cooked noodles, boiling water and plain yoghurt, stirring to combine. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Spoon the mixture into your ovenproof dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Cook the mixture until it’s hot and bubbly. Then dig in!

A LIDL EXTRA TIP: Got leftover veggies to use up? Chop and chuck into this dish. The kids will never know, and it’s an easy way to get to five a day without any food waste.

Zingy lemon chicken traybake

£1.62 per portion

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TAKING just ten minutes to prepare, this delicious dinner is a winner for busy families and it uses cheaper chicken cuts too.

TIME: 55 mins

SERVES: 4

YOU NEED:

• 1½ lemons, zest and juice
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1kg chicken drumsticks
• 3 red onions, sliced into wedges
• 600g sweet potatoes, chopped      into 2cm chunks
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets,      stalks roughly diced

To serve:

• 300g green beans, frozen
• ½ basil plant, leaves shredded
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced

For yoghurt dressing:

• 150g Greek-style yoghurt
• 1 garlic clove
• ½ lemon, juice and zest

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 210C/190C fan/gas mark 7. For the bake, in a large bowl make a paste with the zest and juice of the 1½ lemons, plus the garlic, cumin and the oil.

Season well and loosen with 50ml of water, then add the chicken, red onion and sweet potatoes.

Toss well, then tip into a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, turn the vegetables and add broccoli for extra crunch.

Return to the oven for a further 15-20 minutes, then leave to rest for five minutes. Meanwhile, cook the green beans according to packet instructions.

Mix the ingredients to make the yoghurt dressing, seasoning to taste. Scatter the basil leaves over the traybake and serve from the dish, with the green beans, dressing and chopped chilli on the side.

A LIDL EXTRA TIP: Try other cheap meat cuts, spices and seasoning to create your own much-loved family recipe.

Warm pumpkin blondies

63p per piece

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PUMPKINS are perfect for sweet recipes too. Try this tasty spin on brownies, made with sweet white chocolate and pecan nuts.

TIME: 1hr 30 mins
MAKES: 9 pieces

YOU NEED:

• 275g pumpkin flesh, cubed
• 175g butter (softened, plus extra for greasing)
• 2cm ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 225g flour
• 125g white chocolate, roughly chopped
• 100g pecan nuts, roughly chopped

To serve:

• Vanilla ice cream
• White chocolate, finely chopped
• Pecan nuts, finely chopped

METHOD: Place the pumpkin flesh in a saucepan and cover with boiling water from the kettle.

Boil for 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain, return to the pan and mash, then set aside and allow to cool. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 5.

Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm square shallow cake tin. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, ginger, vanilla and sugar until creamy. Add the egg and beat well.

Stir through the mashed pumpkin. Sift over the flour and fold into the mixture using a wooden spoon.

Fold in the white chocolate and pecans. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until an inserted cocktail stick comes out clean. Cool in the tin for ten minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack for a further 15 minutes.

If using for dessert, cut into nine squares and decorate with the finely chopped white chocolate and pecans.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

A LIDL EXTRA TIP: Substitute the pumpkin for squash to make this recipe all year round.

Pumpkin potion soup

62p per portion

THIS easy recipe makes a great autumnal starter.

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TIME: 60 mins

SERVES: 4

YOU NEED:

• 1 medium pumpkin
• Olive oil
• Dash of salt and pepper
• 1 brown onion, roughly  chopped
• 1 bulb of garlic, sliced in half horizontally
• 1 red chilli, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 500ml boiled water
• 2 tortilla wraps
• 1 handful pumpkin seeds
• 10 pitted black olives

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan, gas mark 6. On a large chopping board, slice the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds.

Then cut the pumpkin into small chunks and spread them on to two baking trays.

Drizzle with the olive oil, salt and pepper and then roast for 30-35 minutes until cooked through and golden at the edges. Once roasted, the skin can easily be peeled by hand.

When the pumpkin has ten minutes to go, in your largest saucepan heat two tbsp olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and chilli and cook for ten minutes until soft. Add the cumin and coriander and cook off for two to three minutes.

Add the pumpkin when it’s cooked through. Use the stock cube and boiled water to make the vegetable stock and add this too. Simmer for ten ­minutes then blend to a smooth consistency. If it needs a little help, add some more warm water.

Cut out spooky shapes from the tortilla wraps then pop them on to a baking tray. Bake until golden, for around three minutes.

Serve your pumpkin potion in bowls with a drizzle of olive oil and some pumpkin seeds scattered across the top and the scary tortilla chips on the side. Slice olives to make fun googly eyes then arrange them over the soup for an extra fear factor.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk