As the cost of living crisis continues to squeeze household budgets, families will be on the hunt for cheap meals that might help soften the blow on rising bills.
And it turns out corned beef hash is a strong contender.
The dish can feed a family of four for just £2.50, making the cost per head just 62p.
It only requires four ingredients to put together - most of which are cupboard staples.
Reporter Amy Fenton wrote for Lancaster Live : “When I was little my mum had a bank of 'go to meals' which she could serve up quickly and easily for tea after my sister and I got home from school.”
The meals included beef and barley, spaghetti, hotpot, broth and corned beef hash.
She added: “At the time I didn't quite appreciate how they provide all the nutrients and vitamins a growing kid will need.
“It was only when I became a mum myself that I realised these dishes are perfect for working mums to make for their youngsters.”
When Amy’s daughter, now seven, first began eating solid food, she had trouble looking for inspiration online.
Many of the recipes were too long winded, and serving her daughter mashed avocado or mini quiches wasn't an affordable enough option.
“And that's something which can become incredibly frustrating when most of it ends up on the floor or in a bib”, the mum said.
Then, Amy’s mum suggested a corned beef hash and it quickly became one of our favourites.
Amy said: “The soft texture, inclusion of veg and speed it can be made meant that it suited both myself and my toddler.
“And now, as parents look to contend with the cost of living crisis, we're all trying to find ways to get more food for our dwindling pennies, corned beef hash is something you can make, to serve four people, for around £2.50.”
Sharing her mum’s recipe, amy warned readers to be careful when opening the tin of corned beef.
She said: “For some reason no-one has developed a safer way of opening the square-shaped tins since steel was first used to preserve food.”
Ingredients and cost (if shopping at Lidl )
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Four potatoes 20p
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One brown onion 10p
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A tin of corned beef £1.79
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Three carrots 15p
Amy reassured readers that they don’t need to be too neat when chopping up the vegetables.
“For me, corned beef hash is a proper rustic dish so there should be no neatly-cubed potatoes or uniform carrots.
“The chunkier the better,” she added.
Amy’s recipe for corned beef hash, which she has described as “the perfect hearty, warming dish for those cold winter months”, is as follows:
Corned beef hash recipe
1. Peel and chop your potatoes into small chunks - any size will do, but the smaller they are the quicker they'll cook.
2. Boil the potatoes in salted water.
3. After around 15 minutes add three sliced carrots. The carrots should be sliced about an inch thick, and then cut into half moon-shaped pieces.
4. Five minutes later take the pan off the hob and drain most of the water. Leave around a cupful in the pan, and put the pan to one side.
5. Chop the onion and gently fry in a pan.
7. Cut the corned beef into small pieces and mix into the potatoes, carrots and onions along with about 50g of butter and plenty of salt and pepper.
8. Then, mash it all together - but don’t go overboard as you’ll want to retain some of the chunks.
9. Heat for around five minutes before serving.
Amy added: “PS.Corned beef hash tastes great when topped with plenty of salt and pepper and a knob of butter.”
