Home made ready meals

terra_ferma

babyshoes wrote: »

Our version of a quick and easy meal is chops (or sausages) plus potato and veg. We grill or griddle the chops, microwave a potato (or even frozen mash) and microwave some fresh veg (frozen is fine if you don't mind the odd texture that some of them get.) Serve with some appropriate sauce - jar sauce is fine if you don't go nuts! Easy, simple and tasty meal, in only slightly more minutes than it takes to nuke an instant meal.

Agree with most of what you said
Using the microwave for me was the first step for moving away from ready meals. It's a good compromise, and in time I found that steamed veggies taste better and moved on to different cooking methods.
I also forgot to mention that I use electric cookers, I don't cook on the hob. The advantage of the machine I use is that you can put everything in, set the timer and forget about it, when it's ready it beeps (and it will switch itself off before it burns). It's like a rice/slow cooker but you can also fry, boil and cook stews.
Unfortunately they've stopped making it, but there are other options like the Remoska, or this one http://www.jmldirect.com/uk/cooking+baking/gochef/invt/g0bgs20100000001

sixtiesgal_2

Thanks again for your helpful replies. I am going to give the slow cooker another try and someone at work said you should use cold water and not boiling like I did, though the instructions for my slow cooker says to use boiling water.

I have been having fresh fish or chicken baked in the oven with those steamed veg packets that you put in the microwave for five minutes, thats quite a quick meal, just need to wait for the fish/meat to bake in the oven. My boyfriend said anything packed like frozen or steamed veg is still bad for you, he says even the prepacked fresh ready prepared veg has additives, I beg to differ on this as I can't see anything untoward on the packing ingredients and one thing I refuse to do when I get in from work is peel a load of veg. I don't mind doing an onion and some mushrooms but thats about it.

I do have the M&S ready meals which are of better quality as someone has mentioned on here, I've just been in M&S now and there are people with their ready meals piled up in their trollies and I got tempted but I resisted and bought some mince and veg instead to try the slow cooker again.

The batch freezing is another good idea, I don't have a very big freezer but for what I eat it should be OK.

terra_ferma

sixtiesgal wrote: »

Thanks again for your helpful replies. I am going to give the slow cooker another try and someone at work said you should use cold water and not boiling like I did, though the instructions for my slow cooker says to use boiling water.

I have been having fresh fish or chicken baked in the oven with those steamed veg packets that you put in the microwave for five minutes, thats quite a quick meal, just need to wait for the fish/meat to bake in the oven. My boyfriend said anything packed like frozen or steamed veg is still bad for you, he says even the prepacked fresh ready prepared veg has additives, I beg to differ on this as I can't see anything untoward on the packing ingredients and one thing I refuse to do when I get in from work is peel a load of veg. I don't mind doing an onion and some mushrooms but thats about it.

I do have the M&S ready meals which are of better quality as someone has mentioned on here, I've just been in M&S now and there are people with their ready meals piled up in their trollies and I got tempted but I resisted and bought some mince and veg instead to try the slow cooker again.

The batch freezing is another good idea, I don't have a very big freezer but for what I eat it should be OK.

Not all frozen food has addictives, particularly simple, plain veggies, always worth checking the ingredients. Tinned stuff is Ok too, just watch out for too much sugar or salt (like peas and sweetcorn, you can buy versions with just water and no sugar/salt added).
The same with ready meals, the longer the list of ingredients, with E numbers or things with unfamiliar names, the more likely they are to contain lots of addictives (E numbers are another tell tale).

lindadykes

"Tray bakes" are often my most used shortcut when I get home after a long day. Meat in the form of pork or lamb chops or chicken thighs, some washed, and if large, quartered potatoes (not peeled), quartered peeled onions and any other "roastable" veg -i.e carrots, squash, courgettes, peppers, chucked in a roasting tin. Sprinkle with herbs - rosemary from the garden or failing that dried mixed herbs and a sliced clove of garlic, a smidgeon of olive oil (about a teaspoon) - toss everything in that then roast for about half an hour while I have a cuppa and check emails. In the oven five minutes after I get in the door and then looks after itself.

Another is pasta - no fancy sauce - whilst the pasta is boiling take a small frying pan add 1 tsp olive oil an inch or two of sliced chorizio, a sliced clove of garlic and a small chopped onion - stir fry together for 3 or four minutes.Add a pinch of dry chilli flakes - if you start this once the pasta has just come to the boil it should end up ready around the same time. Drain the pasta and toss with the other ingredients. Add grated cheese if you are so inclined. I use various versions of this on a weekly basis - sometimes at it's most basic it is just the garlic and chilli, but I do have a soft spot for chorizio so that is quite a regular. Also love it with seafood - scallop or prawns in place (or as well as the chorizio) work well.

By the way I do very occasionally use the M&S fuller for longer ready meals - when you read the label they have no crap in them and are far better than a takeaway (my other option ). They are however quite pricey for what you get.

rosieben

Greytcatlady wrote: »

...There was an excellent thread on here a while back about 'building blocks for the freezer', started by Thriftlady I think. If she didn't start it she at least contributed hugely to it. Maybe someone could add a link, I've no idea how to......:o

Here it is Meal building blocks for the freezer

Its a great thread, loads of useful ideas - I subscribed to it so I don't lose it

meg72

rosieben wrote: »

Here it is Meal building blocks for the freezer

Its a great thread, loads of useful ideas - I subscribed to it so I don't lose it

Link dosent appear to be working.

rosieben

thanks for the heads up; I'm not sure why that's happening - I've just edited the link to take you to the first post in the thread - can't get the link to work in the normal way now, weird!

zippychick

ive merged this with an older thread on homemade ready meals.


this thread may also help
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4850265


here are a couple of older threads discussing ready meals and their "merits


https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/387666

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4437683

Zip

nomon£y

Hi

I need to cut back on my food costs. I already take a packed lunch to work most days. I'm not keen on sandwiches, but tend to make extra pasta and things so i can reheat at work.

I want to make sure I take my lunch in everyday, but some dinner leftovers aren't really suitable for packed lunch - either don't reheat well or not very mse to buy inextra. I'd like a little supply in the freezer I can use when I don't have leftovers.

Would like to know what others do x

Butterfly_Brain

HM soups with crusty rolls

Stews, mince dishes always taste better the longer that they are kept

Both can be kept in flasks

Take a baking potato, 10 mins in the microwave with some baked beans, a little butter and cheese or left over chilli, spag bol on top and you have a good filling meal.

Make some pasties, sausage rolls etc and put into the freezer