Budget supermarket swap recipes | BBC Good Food

Make your own homemade versions of your favourite supermarket staples, from fresh bread to a simple pasta sauce or family pizza. All you need is a packet of pasta from the cupboard or a selection of fresh veggies to create a nourishing dinner. Start with your storecupboard base, then try our easy sauces, toppings and sides to make the most of every meal.

Find more thrifty dinner inspiration and pocket-friendly meals from our budget recipe collection. Whip up a storecupboard-inspired pasta bake or a filling curry with just a handful of ingredients.

Sauces and seasonings

You’re never more than two or three steps away from a delicious dinner. Simply pair a portion of pasta, rice or fresh veggies with a basic sauce and a few clever additions. Mix up an Italian-inspired tomato & basil sauce, a creamy mushroom sauce or a classic pesto. Get even more inspiration from our pasta sauce collection and indulge in a rich wintry ragu or a summery tagliatelle.

Stir up some noodles with whatever veggies are languishing at the back of the fridge and one of our easy sauces. Infuse your stir-fry with nutty satay sauce flavours or use as a dipping sauce for skewers. Make a jar of sweet chilli sauce and add a fiery kick to your midweek menu. Keep it classic and try a simple hoisin sauce. It’s versatile and will keep in the fridge for up to three weeks.

No one would turn down a plate of spicy Tex-Mex fajitas, complete with all the trimmings. Roast up your choice of veggies, then pair with classic guacamole and our ultimate tomato salsa. Make more family-friendly Mexican-inspired suppers with our top fajita recipes.

Try our fast-fix egg fried rice, it takes just five ingredients and completely customisable. It’s sure to become a family favourite, try out all our favourite flavour combinations from our egg-fried rice recipe collection.

Whether you need a speedy sauce, a wholesome soup or a flavourful risotto, reach for one of our canned tomato recipes. Cans and tins are the champion of the storecupboard supper. From anchovies to humble corned beef, we love turning everyday ingredients in to mouth-watering dishes.

Try our 10 best canned foods and recipe ideas.

Bread, flatbreads and pizza

Can’t get hold of a fresh loaf? No problem. Our easy white bread recipe is delicious warm from the oven and slathered in butter. Bake our easy bread rolls for burger night and beyond, they’re great for sandwiches too. Missing an essential side? Make our easiest ever flatbreads, or our clever three-ingredient gluten-free easy flatbread recipe to enjoy with dips and snacks.

Grab a pile of tortillas, naan breads or pittas and try one of our alternative pizza base recipe ideas. Slather on a simple homemade sauce, your favourite toppings and a smattering of cheese. Or, create a basic dough and top our frying pan pizza with a homemade tomato sauce and veg galore. Whip up even more impressive plates with our top 10 easy cheat’s recipes with a few genius kitchen hacks.

Put a packet of ready-made puff pastry to good use and turn it into an elegant pie or a terrific tart with our puff pastry recipe ideas.

Dips and snacks

Falafels and hummus with pink pickle on a flatbread

Picked up a pack of pittas? Blitz up a tin of chickpeas and make a batch of homemade hummus, paired with crunchy crudités. For a quick lunch or a sharing-style starter, make our easy falafels with plenty of spice. Whip up a range of tasty snacks from a tin of like our avocado & cannellini bean dip or our five minute chickpea & red pepper dip.

Mix up stray bags of oats, nuts and dried fruit to create your own snack bars to keep you going ’til dinner. Pack a couple of our fruity breakfast bars in lunchboxes to keep hunger at bay, or keep it low-effort and try our five-ingredient tropical breakfast bars. Boost your energy levels and indulge in more oaty slices with our granola bar collection and our favourite flapjack recipes. Use frozen raspberries and oats to make our raspberry honey flapjack for something sweet come tea time.

Master the art of storecupboard baking and get stuck into our five-ingredient biscuit recipes, from traditional shortbread biscuits to peanut butter cookies.