Best Larder Buys

Keep these 10 low-cost ingredients handy and you can enjoy quick and easy meals all through the week.

1. Streaky bacon


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Cheaper than back bacon, streaky bacon can add flavour to almost any savoury dish. It's a cheaper alternative to pancetta and although it's fattier than back bacon, when cooked the fat will render down and can be drained away.

Grill bacon rashers until crisp, break into shards and scatter over salads, jacket potatoes, pizzas and in sandwiches. Streaky bacon also adds flavour to casseroles, pasta sauces and burgers.

2. Beans & pulses


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A healthy budget-food, beans and lentils are cheap to buy tinned, but work out even cheaper if you buy them dried — they'll just need soaking and cooking before you can use them. For nutrition and speed, add tinned beans and lentils to casseroles, soups and salads; and experiment with different types. Cannellini beans are great heated and mashed with chopped garlic; and served with roasted or grilled meats.

3. Dried pasta


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A steadfast favourite, but also hugely versatile.

Try different pasta shapes — smaller shapes work better in soups and casseroles and larger, chunkier shapes will hold thicker pasta sauces. For a cheap and simple meal, fry some chopped garlic cloves and sliced mushrooms in olive oil until soft and toss into cooked pasta. Spoon into bowls and scatter liberally with grated Parmesan.

4. Rice


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If you have a bag of rice in the cupboard, you're never far from a filling meal.

Serve rice with stews, chilli con carne and curry — or you can stir-fry some cooked rice with beaten egg, vegetables, some garlic and Chinese 5-spice for quick Chinese-fried rice. Rice can also add bulk to salads and soups.

5. Sausages


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Sausages are very versatile.

Wrap in puff pastry to make home-made sausage rolls, or squeeze the meat from the skins to make instant meatballs. You can also fry sausage meat in a little olive oil until crisp and use in a pasta sauce. Cook sausages with vegetables, lentils, or in batter to make Toad in the Hole. Try adding them to cassoulet and hotpot dishes, too.

6. Frozen peas


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Peas are healthy, cheap and literally take just minutes to cook.

Try whizzing some in a blender with garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and Parmesan to make pea pesto or tip into vegetable soups, stir-fries, curries and risottos. Larger garden peas are cheaper, but look out for petit pois, which are smaller, sweeter and although slightly more expensive, but still great value for money.

7. Mince


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Minced meat is quick and easy to cook and is an essential ingredient in traditional Shepherd's or Cottage pies. Mince is most often used to make Spaghetti Bolognese, Chilli con Carne and curries.

Add an egg and some breadcrumbs to raw mince and shape into home made burgers or make meatballs. Vegetarian mince is also available, taking less time to cook than meat and can be used straight from the freezer.

8. Eggs


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Eggs are probably one of the most versatile ingredients you can buy and they're cheap and rich in nutrients too.

Use them to make home-made mayonnaise, omelettes and frittatas, or cook as they are — scrambled, fried, baked, boiled or poached. Stir beaten eggs into stir-fried rice and noodle dishes or boil and eat with salads. And they're quick: A boiled egg takes only about 4 minutes to cook — all you have to do is get your soldiers ready.

9. Tinned tomatoes


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With a long shelf life, tinned tomatoes are a staple ingredient in many kitchens.

Blend them into soups, and use to make quick pasta sauces, hotpots or casseroles. If you find the taste of tinned tomatoes a little too acidic, stir in a tablespoon of sugar while cooking.

10. Tinned fish


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Tinned sardines, mackerel and salmon are all high in protein and those important omega-3 oils, and can be used to create a quick, tasty meal.

Flake tinned sardines and toss through a tomato pasta sauce to make a quick Puttanesca-style dish, or break up tinned salmon and mix with leftover mashed potatoes to make fishcakes. Tuna is great with beans and rice in a salad or flaked into toasted sandwiches with cheese. Tinned fish can also be used in sandwich fillings, jacket potato toppings and pasta bakes.