cheap family recipes
feed a family of 4 for less than £200 a month
Onion Tart Tatin
This delicious onion tart tatin features in monthly meal plan two. It looks quite fancy, but is actually pretty easy to make
What You Need To Make an Onion Tart Tatin
- For the Pastry
- vegetable oil – any neutral oil
- self raising flour – the cheapest type of flour is fine
- a bit of instant oat cereal. If you are following the monthly plan, instant oats are included as they are fortified with iron. If you aren’t following the plan, you can replace with flour
- mustard powder – gives the pastry a nice flavour, but can be omitted
- For the Filling
- onions, cut into slices
- balsamic vinegar, gives a good fruity tang. Please don’t use malt vinegar, it is much too harsh for this
- a little oil and sugar to caramelise the onion slices
- some oregano for flavour
How To Make an Onion Tart Tatin
- First make the pastry: mix the flour, oil and mustard and a pinch of salt with enough cold water to bring the mix together into a wet dough which comes away cleanly from the sides of your mixing bowl. The dough should be easily manipulated and stretchy, but not stick to your fingers.
- Leave to rest for half an hour at room temperature.
- Meanwhile, prep the filling. Heat the oil and sugar on your hob in an oven and hob-proof dish. (Flan dish, large flat bottomed pyrex lasagne dish, etc)
- Meanwhile, slice the onions. Arrange beautiful slices on the base of your oven-proof dish and cook for around 10 minutes.
- Then add the balsamic and oregano.
- Put the oven on at GM 4 or 180C.
- Keep an eye on the pan and cook for another 10 mins, they should go a lovely brown colour but will burn easily. When they are reduced down, gently press down to form an even layer.
- Place your pastry crust on top (doesn’t matter if it doesn’t cover the whole thing or has holes in as the upside-down nature of it means it will still cook!)
- Bake for 35-40 mins, until golden brown
- Turn out onto a plate.
- This will give 4 generous portions.
- The balsamic adds a little extra tartness that is very tasty!
- serve with 320g peas and 800g carrots

Ingredients
For Filling
- 500 g onion (peeled weight), sliced
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp oregano
For pastry
- 110 ml vegetable oil
- 225 g self-raising flour
- 35 g oat instant oat cereal
- 2 tsp mustard powder
Instructions
Pastry
- First make the pastry: mix the flour, instant oat cereal, oil and mustard and a pinch of salt with enough cold water to bring the mix together into a wet dough which comes away cleanly from the sides of your mixing bowl. The dough should be easily manipulated and stretchy, but not stick to your fingers.110 ml vegetable oil, 225 g self-raising flour, 2 tsp mustard powder, 35 g oat
- Leave to rest for half an hour at room temperature.
Filling
- Meanwhile, prep the filling. Heat the oil and sugar on your hob in an oven and hob-proof dish. (Flan dish, large flat bottomed pyrex lasagne dish, etc)2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp sugar
- Slice the onions. Arrange beautiful slices on the base of your oven-proof dish and cook for around 10 minutes. Then add the balsamic and oregano. Put the oven on at Gas Mark 4 or 180C.500 g onion, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp oregano
- Keep an eye on the pan and cook for another 10 mins, they should go a lovely brown colour but will burn easily. When they are reduced down, gently press down to form an even layer.
- Place your pastry crust on top (doesn’t matter if it doesn’t cover the whole thing or has holes in as the upside-down nature of it means it will still cook!)
- Bake for 35-40 mins, until golden brown Turn out onto a plate. This will give 4 generous portions. The balsamic adds a little extra tartness that is very tasty!
- Serve with 320g peas and 800g carrots
Equipment Needed
Notes
Nutrition
Why Not Try....?
Bread and Ginger Loaf
cheap family recipes feed a family of 4 for (just over) £100 a month Bread and Ginger LoafThe ginger syrup loaf is SO good! The instant oat cereal is there for those following the monthly plan fully. The cereal has added calcium which is needed if this plan is all...
Bread and Carrot Loaf (and Calzone)
cheap family recipes feed a family of 4 for (just over) £100 a monthBread and Carrot Loaf (and calzone)This recipe makes 3 normal loaves, a spiced carrot and raisin loaf and 4 calzone If you don't want the carrot loaf, use the recipe for 4 loaves If you just want to...
Brazil Nut Butter, with Pumpkin Seeds
cheap family recipes feed a family of 4 for less than £200 a monthBrazil Nut and Pumpkin Seed SpreadI love a nut butter, and this Brazil nut and pumpkin seed butter is absolutely delicious. It can be used in all the different ways that the more common peanut butter...
Take care of your family and your budget
Before putting together our meal planners we surveyed over 600 people to ask when faced with a tighter budget, which things they would struggle to give up.