advice for meals please

ashley0611

Hi I am trying to be really good this week in reducing ready meals so have gone and bulk bought at butchers. I am cooking for 4 people. We are all quite fussy except one of us!!!

I have bought - 2 seperate 1lb of steak mince, 4 chicken fillets, 4 beef olives, 1lb stewing steak, chicken for stir frying, and beef for stir frying. I have all the usual in my stock cupboard, but am looking to cook meals that are minimal fuss and cooking time. Any advice would be much appreciated - I have never been a 'natural' cook unfortunately!

Also to add not bolognase as we had that last night.

helen81_2

Hi,

lasagne, sweet and sour chicken, different flavour pies, cottage pie?

erm...there must be alot more just having a mental block

ashley0611

Thanks!! Think I will go with cottage pie tonight. I know its a nightmare, I hate when it comes to mealtimes and I just stand and stare at everything not knowing what to do with it!

aimeelister

I would go with the suggestions as above they are my usuals. I know its not completely OS but i do love doing chicken fajitas (using a packed mix from sm) and beef in blackbean stirfry (again using a packet) as you just fry off an onion add the meat and then the packet and your done. Then theres chicken/beef curry which you dont always need a jar of sauce from the sm.

I must say i often pull some mince out the freezer as my standby dish (adding some soya to bulk it out of course!), cook with any veg i have from my green box in a big pan then either add a tin of tomatos or gravy grans and then serve with either mash potatos, rice or pasta. They get what they are given and they eat it or go hungry. Its called suprise mince but it always tastes good and no-one every complains, and often whats left over from the night before i cook again with the other of the tinned toms or gravy and serve it with something different (sometimes it doesnt even make it out of the pan from the night before - the whole pan gets put in the fridge for the next day! how lazy am i!!!)

hattie_pea

save some of the mince for a chilli for another night! Pop it in the freezer to save you some time when you don;t feel like it... I've had a really nice beef stirfry with the usual veg, stock, soy sauce and a little chinese five spice added - its quite pungent so you only need a bit - everso tasty! also chicken covered in yoghurt, crushed garlic, herds, s & p and wrapped in foil - cook for about 30 mins in oven and serve with salad and potatoes! Yummm...am really hungry!

ashley0611

Well toight I have made meatballs (mince, tomato sauce, egg and breadcrumbs) and am serving it with pasta - they can like it or lump it!!! Only seems to look as though there is enough for tonights tea though :-(

lynzpower

OOh if youve got mince, make some chunky home made burgers.

Just chop half an onion finely, in a bowl dash of pepper, maybe chilli powder if you like it, and munch and scrunch the mince in till it looks like goo. Shape into burger shapes, bang in a griddle pan or fry then grill, serve with chips, jacket wedges, whatever. 15-25 mins should do it. Medium heat.

Also Ive done "al-bodingas" mexican meat balls, same, but tinier, in the griddle pan, with a sauce made of passata and loads of chilli, or you can do it with passata and one of those mexican seasoning spice packets, sliced peppers, mushrooms & onions all done in the sauce. Served with rice. Not 100% authentic, but yum

Chicken
Chicken & mushroom lasagne ( if you are feeling lazy you can use campbells condensed soup for the sauce)
Chicken pie ( again you can use soup, veg, courgettes, mushrooms, peppers whatever) in a pastry shell made from packet puff pastry ( or oyu could use gravy granules for the sauce too I guess, bet that would be nice like a roast dinner in a pie, with carrots, parsnips, oooh yes, Ill make that! )
Pasta with chicken in a cream sauce, or white sauce & veg.
Chicken supreme & rice

God Im starving!!!