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Welcome to the Beyond Baked Beans student cooking site! Or welcome back if you've been a regular visitor over the past 6 years. As you see we've got masses of money-saving tips and cheap, easy recipes for any occasion. Although the original site was set up to help students eat more healthily we know there are loads of first-time cooks and others who are struggling to eat well on a budget so this is for all of you too. The site will be updated every few days so visit us regularly. See the most recently posted articles below:

"A great website. If you're stuck for ideas on what to cook on a budget this is the place to look." Annalisa Barbieri - The Guardian, August 2008

Recent articles

  The BBB Student Crash Cookery Course - more easy recipes with mince (in: Beginners' Basics)
Sep 2, 2010

The simple spag bol sauce I told you about yesterday can be turned into several other meals so it’s worth making more than you need just for topping spaghetti.
  The BBB Student Crash Cookery Course - a simple spag bol (in: Beginners' Basics)
Sep 1, 2010

Everyone has their own version of spaghetti bolognese which typically means they don’t like anyone else’s. Some won’t touch it if it has mushrooms, others regard carrots (a typical inclusion in Italian ragus) with suspicion, still others don’t like to see bits of onion anywhere near it . . .
  Summer vegetable stew (aka ratatouille) (in: Recipes for sharing)
Aug 31, 2010
This is one of the best times of year to buy really cheap veg - though you'd never know it from the prices some of the supermarkets are still charging. The other day I bought a massive haul from a market stall which included 4 kilos of tomatoes for £2, and 6 peppers and a kilo and a half of courgettes, both for £1.
  Becca's Five Bean Chilli (in: Food Bloggers for Students)
Aug 28, 2010
A versatile veggie chilli recipe from Becca Rothwell, author of the brilliantly titled blog How to Make a Mess
  The BBB Student Crash Cookery Course - an easy all-purpose pasta sauce (in: Beginners' Basics)
Aug 27, 2010

There’s absolutely no point in buying a jar of pasta sauce when you can make one yourself really easily for half the price - or less.
  The BBB Student Crash Cookery Course - How to cook pasta (in: Beginners' Basics)
Aug 26, 2010

Most people have tried their hand at cooking pasta. Not many do it well.
  The BBB Student Crash Cookery Course (in: Beginners' Basics)
Aug 25, 2010
For those of you who've just had their places confirmed and are off to uni this month we're re-running our student crash cookery course.
  How to read a recipe (in: Beginners' Basics)
Aug 23, 2010
A couple of things that I suspect put students - and other kitchen newbies - off cooking is the feeling that a recipe is too difficult or that they haven’t got all the necessary ingredients. But a recipe is only there as a guideline - there are lots of ways you can vary it depending on what you have in your storecupboard and fridge.
  Taiwanese Chilli Meatball Noodles (in: Quick meals for 1 or 2)
Aug 20, 2010
A fantastic recipe from Christopher Ashley of Manchester University. I suspect it was entered for the 'Not Pot Noodle' challenge we ran a couple of years ago - a contest it would have undoubtedly won if it had met the original deadline!
  Last of the summer veg (and fruit) (in: Healthy eating on a budget)
Aug 17, 2010
August and early September is the best - and cheapest - time to enjoy fresh fruit and veg so make the best of it!
  Burgers, three ways (in: Food Bloggers for Students)
Aug 12, 2010
Everyone loves burgers (well everyone who loves meat) and homemade ones are brilliant. Once you’ve tried them you’ll never want to buy ready made again says blogger Linda Williams of with knife and fork
  Win a term’s breakfast cereals from Rude Health! (in: News & Views)
Aug 9, 2010
Well, we say a term, but these cereals are so yummy we doubt if they’ll last more than a couple of weeks
  Koshari (in: Recipes for sharing)
Aug 6, 2010
An adaptation of Ahdaf Soueif's recipe for koshari first published in the Guardian. It's a delicious mixture of lentils, rice and pasta topped with a tangy tomato and lime sauce and fried onions. Cheap, filling and great for a crowd. Perfect for students. Perfect for veggies and vegans.
  Spaghetti marinara (in: Quick meals for 1 or 2)
Aug 2, 2010
With tomatoes in season, August is the perfect time to make your pasta sauces from fresh tomatoes rather than tinned ones. It gives an entirely different flavour - much fresher and lighter. It also combines well with seafood like prawns or those mixed bags of chilled or frozen seafood you can now find in most supermarkets. Result - the classic spaghetti marinara.
  Salmon with roasted peppers and basil (in: Treats & celebrations)
Jul 30, 2010
Salmon used to be a luxury and cod cheap as chips. Now it's almost the other way round so take advantage of the fact that both peppers and basil are at their best to make this simple dish.
 
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