Ready made sauces?

doelani

I always buy ready made sauces. At the minute I have

Lasagne jar
Bolognese Jar x 3
White sauce for lasagne x2

Packets:

Pepper sauce x3
Sausage casserole
Cottage pie x2
Cheese Sauce

and a few more including chicken curry which I am going to use tonight.

Some nights I am making dinner for 6 or 7 and it can be very expensive if making lasagne or cottage pie.

Do others take the " easy " way with jars or packets or make from scratch ?

Penelope_Penguin

doelani wrote: »

Do others take the " easy " way with jars or packets or make from scratch ?

Always from scratch - this is Old Style, after all

Penny. x

doelani

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

Always from scratch - this is Old Style, after all

Penny. x

I know I should Penny but just cannot seem to get started. It looks expensive to buy all you need for one dish although I know I will ahve it again next time.

Will be reading through the old posts for menu's lol

helyg

I sometimes buy gravy sachets if I know I am going to be in a hurry, and I often use stock cubes rather than real stock. But I don't see the point in a lot of the jars/packets as they take just as long as making from scratch and cost three times as much!

NualaBuala

I used to use jars all the time but didn't have to feed as many so it wasn't very dear. Now I don't use them although I still have some in the cupboard that I could use in an emergency. I think homemade is nicer, cheaper and better for you.

helyg

doelani wrote: »

I know I should Penny but just cannot seem to get started. It looks expensive to buy all you need for one dish although I know I will ahve it again next time.

Will be reading through the old posts for menu's lol

White sauce is a good place to start as it is a doddle. I use the "all in one" method, which is 40g butter, 20g plain flour and 15 floz cold milk. Put them in a pan, and bring to the boil whisking continuously. Simmer for a minute or two until it thickens. Ta-da... white sauce! No harder to make than a packet mix.

GettingHitched

The only "bought" sauces I use are Pesto ( Aldi or Lidl tho ) and Carbonara ( Co Op )

everything else is made from scratch...Dolmio (for eg) is pretty much just a tomato sauce ( Onion, Garlic, Tinned (or Sieved pasata if you prefer...i do) a little sugar for the toms, and a selection of herbs ) voila...bet if you do a huge pot of it, and freeze, you wouldnt look at Dolmio again!

Trinny

Hello

Just a thought -if you take HelyG's basic white sauce and add grated cheese - you have cheese sauce and if you grate nutmeg into a plain white sauce you have bechemel sauce - used for lasagne, and if you add onions it becomes onion sauce.

I know its stating the obvious but if you tweak a white sauce you can make all the packet versions - its cheap and very little extra hassle.

Thanks Hely and HTH someone

Trin

zippychick

Over time I have slowly become more from scratch - now I don't own sauces or jars - although i really should have an emergency one (but i always have made up pasta sauce in the freezer anyway ). I used to genuinely think you made lasagne by buying jars of stuff. I had no idea people cooked white sauce and lasagne flavour from scratch!

This is what puts a lot of people off - seemingly the cost of "all the ingredients". The reality is start off with say two dishes - Bol & Cottage pie , then build up your portfolio. Once you start there will be no stopping you. Perhaps you could have a batch cooking day, where you make a massive lasagne, spag bol and cottage pie?

If you do this every couple of weeks and build up a freezer supply, soon it will be a matter of lifting dinner out of the freezer the night before, to defrost for dinner.

Daunting but i genuinley recommend you give it a go.

I treated myself to a Jar of Marks and sparks pasta sauce when i had a leg injury this year and couldnt cook. To be honest, i was NOT impressed! Eugh!

Also, i freeze white and cheese sauce in ice cube portions - so it does freeze and cook from frozen well

rachbc

I buy the occassion jar form B&M for a super quick can't be bother supper - on the basis that its cheaper than a takeaway which I might be tempted by, instead I can whip up a no effort dinner. I was horrified to see the Seeds of Change suavces I get for 49p are £2 plus in the 'proper shop'

doelani

Thanks for the replies.

I did try a few months ago to "make" lasagne instead of the dolmio, did not tell anyone and hubby asked was it different as was not as tasty as normal lol

I will try harder, I will try harder..............