Home cooking - Is it cheaper?

SandA

As I'm on Maternity Leave, and my little one is 4 months old and will be weaned in a few months, I want to get in the habit of home cooking.

However -

Every recipe i've looked at has a million herbs, which average out at about £1.50 a small jar in Tesco. Is it really cheaper?

The type of meals I want to make is:

Bolognese (Has anyone got a recipe? I read a few on a previous thread but some of the ingredients people were posting where silly and I couldn't work out whether they were serving 2 or 10.) I would want to make in bulk and store in the freezer. For now its me and the OH, but the little one will be eating our food when he's weaned. I also need tips on freezing bolognese sauce, if I was to freeze 4-5 portions worth in a tub, how would I seperate it when I want to make 1 portion of it? just smash it on the bench? lol.

Korma
Cottage pie / shephards pie (I do make this mostly from fresh, just use packet sauces which I'm not going to anymore)
Mince / corn beef and potato pie
Fajitas (i currently use ol el paso mix)
Burritos
Tacos
Other curry sauces.

Ive also looked at making my own stir fry sauces but I couldn't imagine it being cheaper to do so then buying a jar for £1.

Do you save any money??

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jumblejack

Don't be put off by the prices of herbs as they become a store cupboard item once bought and will last ages.

If you have an ethnic supermarket, try there for herbs and spices. You'll save a fortune!

kittycat204

My store cupboard did cost money to set up but now I have it I can create recipes very easily and cheaply.
Traditional bolognese shouldn't have any herbs in btw, http://www.antonio-carluccio.com/Tagliatelle_al_Ragu_Bolognese
From the look of things you want to make you just need a good stock of herbs and spices and a few chinese sauces. As suggested get to an asian and indian supermarket.
Christmas is also coming up so you could ask for some as a gift.

Eliza_2

The other great advantage of home cooking is that you know and can decide what to put in or leave out instead of all the junk they put into jars.

No you don't have to smash up a frozen block of bolognese, just freeze it in single portion sizes then bung the blocks in a pan with a bit of water and yum, dinner in no time.

I also think home cooking is convenience food as it's much easier than having to trek out to the supermarket etc when you need a meal.

bearcub

Re freezing portions, bashing away bits off a block isn't practical, and could be risky in all sorts of ways! Lol! However, if you have some plastic bowls or small tubs, you can line them with plastic bags, fill and freeze over night, The next morning, just remove the bags of mixture and fasten the tops securely, and the bowls/tubs are free to use again.

I'm a bit puzzled as to what you mean by "is home cooking cheaper?" Cheaper than what? Are you only talking about bought sauces? Ready made sauces are high in additives, so choose carefully if you want to add some for your little one eventually. You can do wonders with a drop of veg oil, a can of tomatoes (Lidl's are the cheapest we've found), a bit of onion, mushrooms and a pinch of herbs etc. It's wonderful to see youngsters gradually discover different tastes. I remember my dad saying that our girls (now 29 and 32) ate funny things - this came from someone who once said he'd never eaten a mushroom because he didn't like them! The older of the two girls is a very good inventive cook now.

THIRZAH

I do put a bay leaf in bolognaise but one jar lasts for ages and you use them in lots of things-same with most of the more common herbs and spices eg chilli can be used in chilli con carne, curry , stir fries etc.

Supermarket own brand herbs and spices are fine and you should be able to get most for less than £1.50.Aldi soy sauce is cheaper than the branded stuff and I can't tell the difference.

I make a large batch of tomato sauce using carrots, nions, celery, bay leaves, about six tins of tomatoes, tomato puree and a spoonful of sugar. It freezes well and saves a lot of time and washing up.

Rossy2692

I just dont think anything can beat homemade, knowing what you are eating is priceless for you and your families health

Butterfly_Brain

Much cheaper and healthier.
I always make enough for two meals then eat one and freeze one, this means that I have plenty of HM meals that can be reheated quickly. Always make sure that your oven is full when you put it on , this saves on fuel costs as well.
So if you are making a casserole which takes 3 to 4 hours depending on the meat that you use, by making 2 you are saving at least 2 -3 hours in fuel, because it only takes about 45 mins to heat through until piping hot, besides casseroles taste better after they have been kept for a while

Potatoes can be par boiled and roasted till just beginning to colour, open freeze overnight then put into bags for roast potatoes that take 15 minutes to heat through.
I always buy veg from either the super six at Aldi, depending on what is on offer or the market. I then peel and chop, dice or slice and put them in freezer bags and freeze, no need to blanch.
HM yorkshire puds can be frozen and reheated in minutes.

Currently in my freezer the HM meals that I have are:
Spag bol
Lasagne
Beef casserole
Chicken casserole
Sausage casserole
Shepherds pie
Savoury mince that I can turn into pasties or a pie in minutes.
Mediterranean pork stew
Chilli
HM quiche
HM pizza
Mushroom Sauce that can be turned into a Risotto or added to chicken pieces.
Mushroom soup, Parsnip and apple soup, butternut squash soup and celery soup
Chicken and Ham pie
Meatballs in Tomato sauce
Meatloaf
Sausage bread and butter pudding
Morrocan lamb stew
Roast potatoes an Yorkshire puds (enough for 4 meals)
Plenty of vegetables
Plus bread, tortillas and cakes
Plenty for two weeks meals.
Not to mention that I have all the Christmas food in there, but I still have to do a gateau, a chestnut and chocolate torte and mince pies :eek: So in the week leading up to Christmas I know that I can make a tasty home made meal in less than an hour, which leaves me time to wrap presents and start enjoying Christmas early.
All the Christmas dinner is prepped all I have to do is Roast the Turkey and reheat the vegetables etc
Yes I have a large chest freezer

DevilsAdvocate1

I personally think its loads cheaper to make your own. Yes, recipes often include herbs, but you're not going to put a whole jar in one meal. One teaspoon of any herb is probably enough, so the jar of herbs will last ages.

I also have a couple of very, very cheap recipes that I use when money is tight. These include garlic risotto and my version of carbonara. I've just started making stews and find these are very filling. The last one I managed to get 2 evening meals for a family of 5 plus 3 of us had an extra portion for supper because it smelt so good we couldn't wait until teatime the following day!

And that's the other advantage of home cooking - it makes your house smell wonderful :T

tessie_bear

hi...i dont think home made is always cheaper but it is nearly always nicer and better for you....have you had a look at the grocery challenge as it has a load of recipes in the first couple of posts

with regards to recipes having a list of ingredients as long as your arm you can sometimes leave things out or substitute them for other things...needs to be done on a recipe by recipe basis though

i would choose one recipe and research how to make it and then move onto another one...u will build up your knowledge and your store cupboard as you go

good luck

krlyr

If you don't want to get lots of different herbs, I can recommend the "italian seasoning" jar (I have Tesco own brand, cheaper than Schwartz and just as good), it's a few different herbs in (Oregano, Basil, Red Pepper Flakes, Marjoram, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, Parsley to pinch the ingredients off the Tesco website). At 75p a jar, it lasts a while and doesn't break the bank. I tend to do ~800g mince with 2 jars of tomatoes or passatta (depending what I've got - one of each if I have them, I buy whatever is on offer because we're not too fussed about having tomato pieces in it), a pinch of garlic powder (or a couple of cloves of fresh garlic), generous squirt of tomato puree, enough sugar to sweeten to prefered taste (tend to use about a level dessert spoon), touch of salt and pepper, maybe a small amount of Worcestshire sauce if I have it. Hard to price up some small quantities but I would say no more than 80-90p and that'll do 800-900g of sauce. Dolmio 750g jar at standard price £3 - or even on a half price deal at £1.49 is more expensive. Plus I personally find the flavour much nicer now on our homemade bolognese/chilli.

Once you get learning more recipes you'll get to know what different herbs and spices to use for certain flavours and may find you want to grow your collection. As others have said, its not like you use a whole jar per meal, a little goes a long way. Plus once you have the jars you can buy the cheaper bag refills to top them up. Look at alternative brands as well - Schwartz may be the most popular stocked range for example but I find supermarket own brands just as good, or sometimes you find a cheaper range in with the 'food of the world' type section.