Budget Bacon Hot Pot and Chicken with Baked Rice

If you’re going to cook economically then it’s always best to fill your oven instead of just cooking one dish.This morning I made ‘Jackie’s mum’s bacon hotpot’ which fed 4 of us for lunch and cost less than £2 for the whole thing. It’s one of those delicious, more-ish meals that is almost too good to be true.

• 1 pack Cooking bacon
• 3 or 4 Large potatoes
• 2 Medium onions
• White pepper
• Butter or vegetable oil for greasing.

Pre heat the oven for 5 mins to Gas 4/180c.

Method

1. Grease a deep ovenproof dish; if it doesn’t have a lid you’ll need some foil to cover.
2. Slice potatoes and lay on bottom if dish. Sprinkle with white pepper but do NOT salt.
3. Lay on the bacon pieces (trimming if there’s way too much fat) and onions.
4. Continue layering and end with a potato layer. Dot with butter or dribble a little oil over.
5. Cover with ovenproof lid or foil and bake for an hour until soft when tested with a knife.
6. Uncover, turn up heat to 220C/ Gas 8 and bake for a further 10mins until top is browned. Or you can grill it.

For the chicken:

Ingredients

• 1 Medium chicken
• 3 Cups Basics rice
• 5 Cups water
• Salt
• Any spices you like

Method

1. Place the Chicken in a casserole or tin with enough room for the rice around the sides.
2. Sprinkle chicken and rice with salt and spices. I used garlic powder, paprika and celery salt.
3. Pop it in the oven with the bacon hotpot and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Check it’s ready by pulling the leg away from the body. It should come away easily and there should be no blood.
4. Fluff up the rice before serving. There should be some delicious crispy bits of rice around the edges.