Please talk me out of going back to ready meals

Fusspot

Hi all, OK so I made an effort the other day. I made a macaroni cheese, ate some of it, froze the rest, it didn't come out of the freezer very well.

Another day I put some chicken in the slow cooker with mixed herbs, onion and stock, did some steamed veg and potatoes with it, didn't enjoy it at all, the veg was rubbery, the chicken seemed to take forever to eat.

One success - made a butternut squash soup in the slow cooker, came out really well. Only thing is it only made two portions (in a 3.5 litre slow cooker) because it was that thick.

And then there's the washing up of the slow cooker and other stuff which I can't be bothered with after a full day at work.

I am so tempted to go back to convenience foods and ready meals./

monnagran

There's a lot to be said for a convenience meal when you are short of time. Also the effort involved is just too much sometimes. Often if I've cooked a meal just for me I'm tired of it before I get to eat it.
I think you have to pick and choose what you freeze. I find that I cook things like roast potatoes, mashed potatoes in scoops, sausages, Yorkshire puddings, open freeze them and then in bags and they are great as a base for a quick meal. Mince cooked in the slow cooker and frozen in portions ar the base for spag bol, lasagne, cottage pie etc.

I think it is good for the soul to eat food that you know is nutritious and doesn't contain all manner of additives that we are told are bad for us. However, realistically, it's not always possible and I don't think it is that naughty to have something easy and convenient occasionally.
Don't beat yourself up about it.

x

kacie

I think some things can be made batch cooked, and then cook veg or some carbs alongside. So maybe cook a curry and freeze portions then on the day you want it just cook up a bit of rice, or a lasagna and cook up some veg to go with. Soups can be easily made thinner by adding more stock or milk or cream

*Margaret*

It sounds like you've had a bad run of cooking luck, no wonder you're feeling disheartened. Do you have any tried and tested recipes to fall back on for a bit, that you at least know will turn out okay? If so I'd try making a batch of that, even leaving some in the freezer for when you don't have the energy or when a new dish doesn't quite go to plan.

Another option might be to make a basic pasta sauce and freeze it, all that would need is heated through and stirred into some pasta if you're happy to have something very simple. Stir fry is another option and you can sometimes buy things ready chopped - it won't be the cheapest option but still healthier than a ready meal and cheaper than a takeaway. Sometimes life is tiring and we can only do our best, it doesn't have to be home cooked vs ready meals, it could be home cooked and ready meals sometimes!

Linda32

Fusspot wrote: »

I am so tempted to go back to convenience foods and ready meals./

Why not do so then They are there for convenience, that's the idea. Put it this way, someone is paying you to work, right? so you pay someone to make your dinner :T

At the moment you are wasting time and money on stuff you don't like and with this being a money saving site that's the wrong route to follow.

Edited to add, what about tinned soup or other things. A lot of soup are 1 or 2 of your 5 a day now.
Macaroni Cheese in a tin. No waste one portion etc.
Chile (sp?) in a tin, again no waste one portion.

Prinzessilein

Fusspot...don't worry!

Mac and cheese CAN be a problem to freeze...did the sauce split when you thawed and reheated?...I would rather freeze tomato based sauces like a bolognaise, they freeze much better.

With the chicken in the slowcooker...just keep on trying and keep a notebook handy to jot down recipes that worked for you.....Maybe you could try adding the veg to the cooker with the chicken?

Well done on the soup! I love butternut soup...you can always thin your soup out with extra liquid if it is overly thick.

I totally understand the lack of cooking /washing enthusiasm after a full day at work....

Do you have a wok? One pot cooking at its quickest and easiest! Just a few minutes will have you a tasty dinner, with a lot of the prep done ahead of time (and you can buy bags of veg and beansprouts and noodles all wok-ready for you...)...and the wok all but wipes clean.

A favourite of mine was the paper bag meal...piece of chicken or fish...you could use thin strips of beef....on a piece of baking parchment...add thin sliced veggies...a drizzle of liquid...some spices....fold the paper up like a bag and scrunch round the edge to seal....pop on a baking tray and cook for 20 min or so whilst you take a shower, change and pour yourself a glass of wine.....the paper can be chucked away...no pan to wash!

Have a 'healthy' pizza....buy a base and add your own sauce and toppings...go easy on processed meat and cheese...heat in the oven and serve with a big salad (Or if you have an airfryer why not make your own healthy chips!)...again minimal wash-up

And once a week or so it is no crime to enjoy a takeaway or a ready meal!

bellaboo86

My easy teas are eggs (either fried, scrambled or poached on toast), fresh pasta that takes about 5 mins and gnocci and pesto which again takes 5 mins. I sometimes make a lasagne on Sunday to cook on Monday. I can have a bath or do some marking while it is cooking. Lasagne also freezes quite well but I do think you need to add a bit of extra cheese to the top.

Gers

My freezer has both ready meals and home cooked ones in it. Both are OK, so, as someone else said - no need to beat yourself up about it.

The ready meals are for CBA evenings when I can use the microwave. Home cooked ones, in winter, are kept for when there is a power cut and can go on the woodburner to heat up.

Sometimes a ping / ding meal is perfect. I can't make mac and cheese any better than my recent find of Charlie Bingham. Or even a less recent find of Sainsbug's offering. Me doing it is not worth the stress so please chill about it.

In my experience chicken always comes out rubbery in a slow cooker, others do better, I don't.

Soup... thin it with stock, water or cream. I make loads of pea and mint soup which starts off thick and ends up perfect!

maisie_cat

additives, salt, sugar and really poor quality ingredients. that should do it

GreenFairy

I freeze pasta sauces, but not the pasta itself - I really don't like the texture out of the freezer.
I like making quick assembly meals for when I'm tired. Cooked, shredded roast chicken in portions in the freezer for quesadillas, or wraps, or curry. Bags of bolognaise sauce, stew, soup frozen in portions. Packs of fresh pasta in the fridge. Easy to add veg, like peppers, corn and spinach that need minimal work to make edible and can be chucked into loads of things.

And a frozen pizza for when I'm just completely not bothered doing anything other than heating the oven up

pelirocco

Chicken doesn't always Cone out well in a slow cooker,chicken breasts can be cooked very quickly from scratch. If the soup was too thick add liquid ,stock,cream even milk. I guess it depends how quick you like to eat after coming home,but there are countless meals you can do in less then 30 minutes.