Tastiest 'budget' meal ideas

I was tossing up whether to post this in the budgeting area or here, but I figured this was the best place (I hope I'm right!).

Due to having to purchase several presents for birthdays, new babies, baby showers ect this fortnight I've gone slightly over my budget. In an attempt to pay ourselves 'back' next fortnight I thought I'd try to be a bit more savvy with our meals. We never exactly go overboard, but I know we can save more.

Anyway, I'm looking for your tastiest budget meal ideas. I have a few we cook that are cheap, but new ideas are always welcome! Please remember I have two little girls, so whilst I can spend a bit of time on cooking, I don't have massive amounts of time to cook. Slow cooker ideas always welcome!

Two of my favourites:
Fried rice (only need a bit of ham or bacon, an egg and assorted cheap vegies and rice)
Vegetarian pasta (can of tomatoes, onion, garlic, mixed herbs, tomato paste cooked together, serve with pasta and grated cheese).

Oh and another one from my student days: roast vegetables with onion gravy (like a roast, without the expensive piece of meat!)

Good on you for saving a bit this fortnight! : )

Nothing wrong with a baked beans on toast night, or cheese toasties, or sometimes we will have scrambled eggs on toast if I can't be bothered with a huge amount of cooking, generally on a Sunday night! You'll save a fair bit if you incorporate one of those kind of nights in to your meal planning :)

cheesey macaroni

Tuna pasta/chicken pasta.

When you say 'budget' are you thinking $5 or $10 or more?

Something you can do out of pantry staples??

A few ideas are tuna patties, homemade sausage rolls, soups, frittata, lentil burgers, omelette, spaghetti bolognese, chilli con carne, risotto, baked potatoes with fillings.

Using cheaper cuts of meat helps bring down the cost of favourite meals too. We tend to use chicken thighs as they are cheaper than breast but also tastier IMO. Mince, chuck steak (has to be slow cooked) are all cheap. For a portion size of meat it is usually 100-150g of meat. If you are buying supermarket packs of chicken breast they are usually sold in 500g lots so for two people that is way too much meat

Thanks ladies! Some yummy ideas here already!

N2L - The meals don't necessarily have to be from pantry staples, just yummy things with fairly cheap ingredients.

Oh, and we tend to buy all our meat (and most of our fruit and veg) at the markets, so we just buy the amount of meat we need, rather than 500g increments.

Fried rice and sticky wings, koftftas w/ pilaf and salad, homemade pizza, pastitsio, fish pie topped with potato, risotto, kedgeree, moussaka, curries (made from cheap cuts), gravy beef casseroles, pulled beef or chicken (in tacos, on rolls with slaw, in crepes and baked, in tortillas and baked, on roast potatoes), roasted drumsticks with chorizo, onion, zucchini, capsicum and potato (all baked together for an hour) drizzle with lemon scatter fresh chopped parsley Noms, pumpkin soup, a corn and bacon chowder, potato and bacon soup, cheesy broccoli soup, minestrone, Nigellas squash and rice happiness soup, tuna/chicken mornay, stroganoff meatballs, Swedish meatballs.

Some tips to keep on budget, buy produce on special and have backup recipes so you can buy what you need to make certain dishes at the same time. I try not to buy fresh fruit & veg or meat at a large grocery store unless you know something is cheaper. I buy my meat from a large halal butcher and the quality is awesome and it's cheaper because of the high turn over. I get pork from Asian butchers for the same reason. Fruit and veg I also find cheaper from cold stores and outlet green grocer types. Again quality is awesome. And make sure you store them so they don't expire. Nothing worse than throwing out spring onions before you have got to use them or the fresh herbs that cost $2 each. Google food storage tips and you'll get some great ones.

Either cooked chicken breast or BBQ chook shredded up, add vegies of your choice (I pre cook them in the microwave), white + cheesy sauce and cover with grated cheese. Into the oven until cheese brown... So tasty and kids love it :)

Chicken drumsticks are cheap, you can do a lot with them too, and they'd be great in the slow cooker me thinks!