Skip to content
Open menu Close menu

Feed your appetite for cooking with Penguin’s expert authors

Feed your family with 5 meals for £25 from Cardiff Mum

by Rachel Deeley

published on 12 March 2026

Anyone who’s tasked with feeding a family knows how hard it can be to create a varied roster of dinners while sticking to a weekly budget.

Thankfully, here to help is Ashleigh Mogford, whose second cookbook Cardiff Mum’s 5 Meals for £25 is filled with brilliant flavour-packed recipes designed for a £25 weekly food shop. To give you a taste of what you’ll find inside, we’ve selected a free five-meal recipe plan and shopping list, so you can prep for a whole week of delicious family- and budget-friendly weeknight dinners.

Ready to prepare for your week of meals? Click here to see the full shopping list with the ingredients you’ll need for all five recipes. You can also find more cooking inspiration with our pick of recipes from Ashleigh’s first cookbook, Cardiff Mum’s Thrifty Feasts.

5 meals for £25

Cardiff Mum Thai Basil Beef

Thai Basil Beef (Pad Kra Pao)

by Ashleigh Mogford

Beef mince is a great staple ingredient – and this delicious Thai-inspired dish is a great alternative to endless spag bol and chilli con carne.

Cardiff Mum One Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Fried Rice

One-Pan Honey Garlic Chicken Fried Rice

by Ashleigh Mogford

Perfect for when you want to minimise cooking time and washing up, this sweet, spicy, and savoury all-in-one rice recipe takes just 25 minutes from start to finish.

Cardiff Mum Peppercorn Chicken Meatballs with Garlic Mash

Peppercorn Chicken Meatballs with Garlic Mash

by Ashleigh Mogford

These golden chicken and thyme meatballs, topped with a creamy mushroom and peppercorn sauce, are perfect served on a bed of fluffy garlic-infused mash.

Cardiff Mum Tuscan Mushroom Gnocchi

Tuscan Mushroom Gnocchi

by Ashleigh Mogford

Gnocchi is made crispy and golden in the air fryer (or frying pan), then tossed in a creamy sundried tomato sauce that’s packed with veg and flavour.

Cardiff Mum Chicken Parm Melt

Chicken Parm Melts

by Ashleigh Mogford

Perfect for Friday night comfort food, this treat of a dinner combines all the elements of a classic chicken parm – crispy breaded chicken breast, rich tomato sauce, and a generous topping of melted cheese – all between a burger bun.

The full shopping list

Share

You might also like


View all

Recipe Collections

10 recipes you’ll love from Jamie Oliver’s 20 Minute Meals

There’s no one we trust more than Jamie Oliver to provide us with speedy, simple, fresh, and delicious cooking inspiration, so it’s little wonder that his latest cookbook will help...

Recipe Collections

10 recipes you’ll love from Ottolenghi SIMPLE TOO

Discover free and preview recipes from Ottolenghi SIMPLE TOO, the 2026 cookbook chef and author from Yotam Ottolenghi.

How to

How to choose the best fuel for your BBQ: Top tips from Jim Moore

In this article Introduction Charcoal and wood are not just fuel sources, they are essential seasonings; they add their subtle flavours and colour to the food we cook. That is...

newsletter

Subscribe to The Happy Foodie email newsletter

Get our latest recipes, features, book news and ebook deals straight to your inbox every week