Cheaper ways of cooking for one

Citygirl1

Any ideas on a cheaper way of cooking when you are living alone? I like something quick and easy, am very fond of ready meals which means quick meals and less washing up but am trying to reduce them due to the cost and trying to have them just once a week. I work full time so don't have time to do a lot of preparation and cooking from scratch.

theoretica

I cook in large batches and stack up lots of pots in the freezer - some complete meals and some which need pasta or salad or something.

Spendless

Slow cooker worked for me when single, though I once forgot to put the lid on, remembered when I got to my car, went back and too late my cats had scoffed the lot!! :mad:

I also used to do stir frys quite a bit and sometimes a fry up (all day breakfast) or gammon steak as they don't take long to cook.

As I then worked somewhere with a (subsidised) canteen, I'd often switch to having my main meal mid-day too.

good_advice

I think think the most expensive way is to use the oven.
My adult DD likes stir fry and fresh salmon, all in the same frying pan. Quick to cook.

Root veg and a tomato based sauce in the slow cooker when you are at home. Then you can freeze portions. Serve with pasta or rice.

Kim_kim

Stir frys are good, quick & simple.
Or meat/poultry/fish & salad/veg.
Or cook something for 2 or 4, & portion it out & eat till its gone or freeze.

Anne_Marie_2

If you have a halogen oven, or a combo microwave, use either rather than your cooker oven, much cheaper to run.

Citygirl1

Thanks for your replies. I do have a combi microwave but am not too keen on the oven part, food doesn't taste the time somehow. I do fish in the microwave and I have a slow cooker but sometimes don't feel food tastes the same in that either. Ready meals I always do in the microwave.

pm2326

What type of ready meals do you like, maybe we could come up with some quick versions that are healthier for you and more cost effective?

I live on my own and never eat shop bought ready meals, I tend to make extras and freeze, take them out of freezer in the morning and ping them in microwave when I get home

I also make a frittata at least once a week, use up anything in fridge, have it for tea and lunch next day.

Linda32

Although there are two of us here, we have our own dinner at night. I have tinned soup and bread, mackerel, tomatoes and oatcakes. Tesco veg and mixed rice microwaveable with hot dog sausages (buy a jar and freeze the rest) eggs on toast, bacon sandwich, packet pasta, cheese on toast, ravioli on toast.

All take minutes, no waste as they are all packets and tinned, apart from the eggs and bread.

PasturesNew

I live alone and it's not worth turning the oven on for one person's portion, so I migrated to 90% microwave over 20 years ago... it's quick, easy, hardly any washing up and, with practice, you can really pull some pretty passable food out of it in under 4 minutes.

Most other dishes I used to just use the hob top - e.g. making a chilli, just simmer in the saucepan, no need to stick it in the oven.

Those mini ovens, about £30, are brilliant too - they fit a whole pizza

In the last couple of months I've bought a slow cooker, 3.5 litres oval's best size I figured out - and now I've made some "lob it in, all raw, let it sort itself out" meals and they've been soooo tasty none's got near to the freezer.

I lobbed in some mince, tomatoes, kidney beans, onion and a squirt of chilli yesterday - and that's 5 meals - cheaper than the supermarket chilled meals for one would be and a lot tastier. So, worth a look at getting one of those on the go once a week too.

Overall, it is a pain in the butt shopping/cooking for one and you need to end up making adjustments to what you cook and how so that your repertoire's easy and you're not a slave to the boring kitchen.

For instant CBA food I've always got in the cupboard: instant noodles, small tins of pineapple, instant custard. They're my "grab it and eat it in 1-2 minutes" meals.

Cooking's not hard, it's easy ..... but I find no joy in it whatsoever, so I avoid it.

NICHOLAS_2

Micro meals are mingin and bad for you so i never eat them

When i want to cook quick, which is every time i make a meal, it's usually salad and meat.

Sometimes i eat pre cooked chicken or fry some pork in the pan or maybe steak.

To be honest, i don't think there is much cheaper than micro meals at a pound each

My meal tonight was salad and chicken, probably worked out to about 4 quid.

And then i had some fruit which was pre cut so cost 2 quid.

I want to get a mini oven thing and start cooking meat in the oven, it tastes much nicer but again, isn't all that cheap compared to micro food.

I'm 27 and have never used an oven. I've got one but it is old so i may change it or just buy a mini oven.

I bought a steamer but after a week of fish, salmon and cod, and veg, i got tired of it. It was hard to clean too.

You should get off the micro meals though, i haven't had one in 15 years since i realised how full of gunk they were.

Health is more important than price.