With the start of the new school term, now is the perfect time to make some time-saving changes to mealtimes. A fresh meat box delivery is one simple way to ensure you are preparing healthy, high-quality meals every day at the best possible value.

Remove the daily indecision of weekday meal times by creating a simple meal plan around the contents of your meat box, streamlining your shopping and food prep and making the most of precious family time.

The following is one example of a week’s meal plan using the Economy box by Meat & Co, based around a family of four. The box costs £37.99, saving 10% on the usual prices:

Manic Monday

Ease yourself into the week by prepping vegetables for a simple, hearty beef stew on Sunday evening. The lean diced beef from your meat box is prepared and ready to be cooked:

  1. The day before, cut carrot, onion and potato into large chunks and put them in the fridge.
  2. On the day, coat the diced steak with 2 tbsp of plain or cornflour and brown on the hob.
  3. Add the browned meat, carrot, onions and potato to the slow cooker or casserole dish, along with 2 tsp thyme, 2 tbsp tomato puree, 2 beef stock cubes and 2 bay leaves.
  4. Add 600ml hot water, stir and cook in the slow cooker on low for 8 hours, on high for 4 hours, or in a casserole dish in the oven for 3 hours (140C/gas mark 3). Season to taste.

Treat Tuesday

Tuesdays call for something a little more indulgent, and what could be better than BBQ chicken using the chicken breasts and bacon from your meat box?

  1. Wrap one chicken breast per person in a rasher of bacon, brush with BBQ sauce and place on an oiled baking tray.
  2. Put in the oven at 200C or gas mark 6 for 30 minutes.
  3. Serve with extra BBQ sauce, salad and potato wedges. You can swap to sweet potato wedges to increase the vitamin content or ditch the carbs altogether.

Wellbeing Wednesday

A stir fry is the perfect quick and healthy Wednesday night dinner. Frying the steaks in the pan whole and then thinly slicing once cooked ensures you get the most tender meat. Recipes like this mean your rump steak goes a long way, meaning the rest would make great steak ciabattas or stroganoff for another day.

  1. Season the rump steak with salt, pepper and five-spice and fry in a little oil until cooked to your liking. Thinly slice.
  2. Stir fry veggies in a pan on a high heat for a few minutes: sliced bell peppers, mangetout, sugar snap peas, spring onions, mushrooms, broccoli, carrot, bean sprouts and baby corn all work well.
  3. Add your favourite stir fry sauce and serve with rice or noodles.

Throwback Thursday

Certain dishes have stood the test of time, and bangers and mash is a classic. For a slight deviation, roast the sausages with red onion and apple wedges or make your own onion gravy. As above, you can swap the potato for other root vegetables, like sweet potatoes or celeriac, to make it healthier. Serve with leeks, green beans or cabbage.

Feelgood Friday

Chilli con Carne with cheesy tortilla chips or tacos makes a fun Friday night dinner that all the family will enjoy. This recipe will make a huge pot of chilli, so the leftovers can be saved and served with rice for an easy option the following Monday.

  1. Brown the lean beef mince from your meat box.
  2. Add 2 sliced bell peppers and 2 diced onions, cook until soft. Add 1 red chilli, 4 crushed garlic cloves, 2 tsp ground coriander and 2 tsp ground cumin.
  3. Add 2 tins tomatoes, 2 tins kidney beans, 2 tbsp tomato puree, 2 tsp oregano and 500ml beef stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. Season to taste. You can also add 2 chunks of dark chocolate and a bunch of fresh coriander for extra flavour.
  5. Serve with sour cream and extra chilli on the side.

The best part is that this plan leaves the pork loin to make a delicious roast on Sunday.

Meat & Co pride itself on delivering the finest quality meats from approved farmers at wholesale prices, ensuring the best for you and your family at the lowest possible price.