Yahoo Finance $2.30 per head: My bulk budget brekkie is cheap AND fun
Save money these school holidays with this staycation breakfast.
The high cost of living means my blended family of six are opting for a staycation this school holiday, and I’ve gone deep into staycation stinge-spiration.
We have done movie marathons on an island of mattresses, spring veggie-patch planting, full-scale bedroom reorganising, DIY mani-pedis and mini braids, and baking like time is ours to own.
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When it comes to the last on that list, there’s one stand-out success on both the fun and finance front – it’s really a holiday double-hack – that I’m compelled to share.
[Drum roll please…]
I give you my bulk budget brekkie. It’s essentially a huge hash brown – with a nest of I’m-a-good-parent goodness in each serve – that the children get to squish and mix with their (clean) hands. What could be better, healthier or cheaper?
My bulk brekkie is saving my budget
Cutting straight to the economising chase, this tantalising tray of crunchy, carby goodness with those surprise nutrition nests, costs just $13.70. For six of us, that’s just $2.30 per head.
Don’t be put off by the VPLs – visible protein lumps. If you have fussy little (or big) people, you can overcome any objection by scrambling each egg instead, and you can cleverly hide the spinach. Its super-low cost gives us a saving of around $15 each compared to if we were to eat out, and that doesn’t include expensive cafe drinks.
My bulk budget breakfast recipe has just six ingredients:
$4.00 - 6 big, unpeeled potatoes (around 750g)
$4.50 - 6 rashers of streaky bacon
$2.00 - baby spinach leaves
$2.80 - 6 eggs
$0.40 - 2tbs melted butter
from the pantry - 1tbs of self-raising flour
Total: $13.70
How to make my bulk budget brekkie
All you and your kids do is:
1. Grate your potatoes, then rinse well in a sieve under cold running water.
2. Squeeze out the excess water into the sink then place grated potatoes on a layer of paper towels, layer more paper towels on top, and push out any remaining water.
3. Place potatoes in a large bowl, add the flour and melted butter, and plenty of salt and pepper, then use your hands to combine and mix well. Kids LOVE this bit.
4. Spread flat in a large, greased baking dish and bake in a 220° oven for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and, with the back of a spoon, make an egg-sized well. Place a circle of bacon around the edges; line with a solid layer of spinach; and slide an egg into each nest. (Here’s where you scramble the egg to order first, if you or your children prefer.) To hide the spinach, just make sure it is all below egg height.
6. Repeat this six times, evenly spaced. If you have a really large tray, a thinner layer of potato works even better, and you could squeeze in two more egg nests.
7. Bake in the 220-degree oven again for 20 minutes or until the hash brown is, well, brown and the eggs are cooked to your liking.
This fun and finance-friendly holiday breakfast is served.
Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon is the author of How to Get Mortgage-Free Like Me, available at www.nicolessmartmoney.com. Follow Nicole on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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