Mumsnet Talk

Chatting about pre-grated cheese got me thinking about "convenience" foods that are actually not that convenient. What foods have you seen in shops that are just as much effort as but twice the price of normal food?

Microwave omlettes! Surely far mOre effort to read instructions and microwave than beating an egg or two adding some cheese and just cooking lol and no doubt more expensive than using an egg out ur fridge lol

Baked jacket potatos for the microwave

No idea if its that much more expensive, but have never really got crustless bread.

breadcrumbs

I buy both frozen mash and frozen rice!!!! (Waitrose of course so not that rideculous!! )

Cake mixes. You still have to beat in an egg, measure out the oil and dirty a glass and water.

My one bowl chocolate cake takes about the same amount of effort and costs about 20p a batch.

Seen those too kazzy! Not sure putting a potato in an oven for two hours counts as effort so can't see y anyone would need a ready made one lol and again probably ire expensive and more fiddley and nowhere near as nice lol

recipe please MrsMicawber!

Batter mix! what mix milk, flour & egg???

I'll post it when I get home Mummyabroad

thanks, i buy cake mixes to use with DS and I KNOW its ludicrous but I dont know what the measurements are to make it from scratch.

I buy batter mix too

I buy batter mix and cake mix sometimes

I buy 1.5 kilos of grated cheese every week and use it in most meals. I used to be right sniffy about it til the price came down and it's now the same as non-grated cheese. And I used to think oh, it has more additives - and it doesn't.

It's fantastic never grating anything.

sausages

I agree laurie, grated cheese is the same price and it is brilliant to sprinkle in soup, on omlettes, on baked potatoes...

Well, I love jacket potatoes so would be interested in a quick microwave one as I get home at 7:30 and don't want to wait until 9 until I can eat!

While I might not choose to use all the examples you've all given, I can completely see how they might make things easier for some people - who don't have time or skills etc. I wouldn't use a cake mix personally, but I have all general cake ingredients, space to store them, and basic knowledge. When I first moved to London I had a kitchen cupboard the size of a small bedside table so probably would have loved a decent cake mix as I didn't keep things like flour and caster sugar around.

Microwave rice packets are my ultimate cheat. Ridiculously expensive, but having rice in 2 minutes makes them worth it for me and DH. Ditto, chopped frozen onion is a regular in our house!

Pre-diced stewing steak (or any other fresh meat) sold at a premium to the whole version. Do the people that buy it not own a knife or do they not like touching meat? Never really get that one.

Yorkshire puddings.

I like pre- diced meat, so much easier and no I don't like touching it. but do own a knife or 12

I buy pre-diced meat as well [lazy slob]

Cake mixes - 'just' add butter, egg... thats most of the work done and they cost a lot more (and don't taste as good) than making them from scratch.

Although I never thought that pre-bagged salads would take off!

I use bagged salad, pre diced meat, frozen veg including onion/carrots for cooking, pesto - anything that tastes good, healthy and not too expensive.

Not pancake mix or cake ,ix often