<p>With the festive calendar filling up and spending creeping up, midweek dinners need to stay simple and affordable. This month’s midweek meal plan is designed for two: five recipes, all under £3 per serving and on the table in 45 minutes or less, with most ready in just 30. That leaves a little more of the evening, and a little more of the budget, for everything else on your list.</p><p>These recipes have been carefully selected by our editors to keep dinner quick and cost-conscious without it feeling like an afterthought. Pomegranate molasses, anchovies, soy sauce, Thai red curry paste and Dijon mustard are your budget flavour shortcuts, building depth and punch in minutes rather than hours. Seasonal broccoli, mushrooms and mussels bring freshness to the table, a welcome balance to the richer food that’s on its way.</p><p>The week’s lineup includes a baked hasselback halloumi with pistachio dukkah, a smashed broccoli & anchovy pasta, soy-steamed sea bass with spring onion rice, a chicken & mushroom stroganoff-style one-pot with orzo, and Thai curry mussels with crusty bread. The stroganoff serves four, so enjoy half tonight and keep the rest for an easy lunch the next day.</p><p>Our recipes are designed to be adaptable. Where possible, we’ll flag simple swaps to keep your shop streamlined and your week on track.</p><p>To keep things simple, use the in-app shopping list to add ingredients from each recipe, then check the My Good Food tab for one clear, organised list before you shop.</p>
<img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2026/01/trymephone-squiggle-arrow-8039c70.jpg" width="4000" height="4000" alt="The Good Food app on a phone screen showing the shopping list function" title="Good Food app shopping list feature" />
