savvy dinner

There’s something to be said for the joy that a simple chicken pie can bring to the table – it’s a dinner that taste.com.au members love to share with their families. This was one reimagined dish we knew we had to include as part of our Savvy Dinner Plan, and I have a hunch that my quick French onion chicken pie, with its creamy vegetable and chicken filling, will soon become a firm family favourite. 
This is no humble pie. It really ticks all the boxes: it’s cost-effective, uncomplicated, quick to make, and is filled with wholesome fare. Plus, its picture-perfect pastry top makes it look too good to eat. (Almost).
How to make my budget-friendly quick French onion chicken pie: key ingredient swaps
Like all good French-inspired recipes, this one is enhanced with buttery flavours. I used Coles Simply Unsalted Butter to pan-fry the vegetables – adding a touch of richness with just one savvy ingredient.
I also chose to buy separate frozen vegetables (rather than a mixed bag) to not only bulk up the filling, but also ensure there’d be plenty of vegies in the freezer you can use for future dinners (think speedy corn or pea fritters, for example). 
And putting the French flavour in this French onion pie is my go-to shortcut ingredient: French onion soup mix. This low-cost ingredient adds further depth of flavour and also allows the pie sauce to thicken and become silky smooth. 
What’s the Savvy Dinner Plan?
The taste.com.au food team has redesigned our most searched-for family dinner recipes to help you stretch your grocery budget further. By making savvy ingredient swaps and switching up how you plan and cook, the Savvy Dinner Plan can help shave dollars off your favourite dinners, without compromising on flavour.
The Savvy Dinner Plan offers you four weeks of budget-friendly recipes, plus use-it-up hacks and cost-saving tips. This recipe features in week 4.
Not a planner? You can still save. Check out all our Savvy Dinner Plan recipes and pick the perfect dish for you.
For instructions on how to prep ahead, see the notes below the recipe.


Quick French onion chicken pie recipe

puff

egg, lightly whisked

Simply Unsalted Butter

brown onion, coarsely chopped

carrot, peeled, finely chopped

mushrooms, quartered

(3/4 cup) frozen peas

(3/4 cup) frozen corn kernels

20.00 ml plain flour

pkt Simply French Onion Soup Mix

milliliters ctn thickened cream

185 milliliters (3/4 cup) milk

Step 1

Preheat oven to 220C/200C fan forced. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Cut pastry into 16 equal squares. Arrange on the prepared tray, corners slightly overlapping in a decorative pattern (see photo) large enough to cover top of a 2L (8 cup) square or rectangular pie dish. Brush with egg. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and puffed.

Step 2

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and carrot, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Add the mushroom, peas and corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until mushroom starts to soften.

Step 3

Add flour and stir to coat vegetables. Stir in soup mix. Stir in cream, then milk, until well combined. Stir in chicken and season with freshly ground black pepper. Simmer, stirring constantly, for 5-10 minutes or until mixture is thickened and chicken is heated through (if mixture is too thick, stir in a little extra milk or water).

Step 4

Transfer chicken mixture to the pie dish and top with decorative pastry, to serve.

Rissoles are one of taste.com.au’s most commonly searched dinner recipes - so I knew they had to play a starring role in our Savvy Dinner Plan. A staple at Australian barbecues and a favourite fuss-free weeknight dinner, rissoles are simple but mighty. I’ve reimagined the classic with this chicken cacciatore rissoles recipe that’s friendly on the budget and full of flavour. I serve these rissoles on spiral pasta, which mops up the sauce and stretches the meal even further.
Better yet, you can make these up to three months in advance so you have ready-made rissoles ready to, uh, roll when you’re short on time. 
How to make my budget-friendly chicken cacciatore rissoles: key ingredient swaps
To make this rissole recipe, I used Coles Simply Tomato &amp; Basil Pasta Sauce to add Mediterranean flavours using only one simple ingredient. And, I’ve also used herb-and-garlic-flavoured breadcrumbs to boost flavour (and bolster the rissoles) using fewer ingredients. Another trick? If you choose loose cup mushrooms, rather than purchasing pre-packaged mushrooms, they work out more affordable per kilogram. 
Save even more across the month with the Savvy Dinner Plan
The taste + Coles Savvy Dinner Plan is full of clever ways to use ingredients across multiple meals. You can use the breadcrumbs from this recipe in the beef and baked bean rissoles featured in week 4 of the plan, and use the pre-grated parmesan in the one-pan ratatouille risoni this week (week 2).
What’s the Savvy Dinner Plan?
The taste.com.au food team has redesigned our most searched-for family dinner recipes to help you stretch your grocery budget further. By making savvy ingredient swaps and switching up how you plan and cook, the Savvy Dinner Plan can help shave dollars off your favourite dinners, without compromising on flavour.
The Savvy Dinner Plan offers you four weeks of budget-friendly recipes, plus use-it-up hacks and cost-saving tips. This recipe features in week 2.
Not a planner? You can still save. Check out all our Savvy Dinner Plan recipes and pick the perfect dish for you.
For instructions on how to make these rissoles ahead and freeze for another day, see the notes below the recipe.


Chicken cacciatore rissoles recipe

pkt chicken mince

(1/2 cup) herb plus garlic breadcrumbs

(½ cup) Grated Parmesan Cheese

garlic clove, crushed

olive oil

small cup mushrooms, quarted

red capsicum, deseeded, coarsely chopped

brown onion, finely chopped

jar Simply Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce

(½ cup) Pitted Kalamata Olives

Simply Spirals Pasta

basil leaves, to serve (optional)

Place the chicken, breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic and egg in a bowl. Mix well to combine. Use damp hands to shape the mixture into 12 balls. Flatten slightly to form rissole shapes.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the rissoles, in batches, for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden and almost cooked through. Transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushroom, capsicum and onion. Cook, stirring, for 5-8 minutes or until a little golden around the edges. Add the pasta sauce and 250ml (1 cup) water. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low. Add the rissoles and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until cooked though and the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in the olives.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a saucepan of salted boiling water following packet directions or until al dente. Drain.

Step 5

Divide the pasta among serving bowls. Top with the rissoles and sauce. Sprinkle with basil leaves, if desired, to serve.

For busy budgeters like myself, the terms ‘pasta bake’ and ‘tuna’ are music to our ears. Not only is a pasta bake easy to make and grill on a weeknight, but budget-friendly tuna brings flavour and bonus protein to your dinner table. 
That’s why I’ve developed this creamy Florentine iteration as part of our Savvy Dinner Plan that’ll have you looking forward to dinner as soon as lunch is over. You can even cook your pasta in advance to make dinnertime simpler and faster.

Easy? Check. Tasty? Check. Dollar-saving? Check. On the table in half an hour or less? Check. 
How to make my budget-friendly creamy tuna Florentine pasta bake: key ingredient swaps
I used Coles Simply Tuna in Springwater because it flakes well and distributes perfectly through the creamy sauce - a savvy little saver ingredient that goes a long way in a dish like this.
To further slash the price of each serving of this pasta bake, I’ve grated a block of cheddar cheese, rather than buying pre-grated cheese.
Then, to shave off extra time getting dinner on the table, I grilled the pasta ‘bake’ rather than actually baking it. This saves time and also keeps the mixture saucier.  
Save even more across the month with the Savvy Dinner Plan
The taste + Coles Savvy Dinner plan is full of clever ways to use ingredients across multiple meals. The cheddar cheese block is also used in the quick spaghetti bolognese bake, the tuna and rice patties and the jumbo chilli con carne burritos. 
What’s the Savvy Dinner Plan?
The taste.com.au food team has redesigned our most searched-for family dinner recipes to help you stretch your grocery budget further. By making savvy ingredient swaps and switching up how you plan and cook, the Savvy Dinner Plan can help shave dollars off your favourite dinners, without compromising on flavour.
Not a planner? You can still save. Check out all our Savvy Dinner Plan recipes and pick the perfect dish for you.
For instructions on how to prep ahead, see the notes below the recipe.


Creamy tuna Florentine pasta bake recipe

Simply Penne Pasta

(1/3 cup) plain flour

milliliters (3 cups) milk

can Simply Tuna in Springwater, drained, flaked

pkt Baby Spinach

(1/3 cup) drained Sun-dried Tomato Strips

Simply Cheddar Cheese, coarsely grated

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water following packet directions or until al dente. Drain and return pasta to the pan.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until bubbling. Gradually stir in milk until smooth and well combined. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until mixture simmers and thickens.

Add sauce to the pasta with the tuna, spinach and sundried tomato. Season well. Toss to combine. Transfer mixture to a 22 x 29cm (base size) baking dish.

Preheat an oven grill on high. Sprinkle cheese over the pasta mixture. Grill for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden. Serve.

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The most viewed savvy dinner recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

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Top 3 savvy dinner recipes from across the web

The most viewed savvy dinner recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Quick French onion chicken pie reci...

Chicken cacciatore rissoles recipe

Creamy tuna Florentine pasta bake r...

The most viewed savvy dinner recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine