A very common meal that you've never cooked yourself?

[teenysaladandsniffofarose]

It occurred to me today that as much as I love fish pie, I've never actually cooked one myself despite being a capable cook! I've always eaten it at restaurants/ had my mum make it for me when I was younger etc.

What's a common meal you like but have never cooked yourself?

There are probably lighter, more modern ways to make macaroni cheese, but the way I learned either from my Mum or in Domestic Science at school is pretty simple.

Cook some macaroni or other pasta till al dente, then drain.
Meanwhile, make a white sauce. I like to add Colman's mustard powder and a little cayenne as well for a bit of punch.
Grate a lot of good strong Cheddar.
When sauce has thickened, remove from heat and put most of the Cheddar into the sauce.
Put the pasta in a baking dish and pour the sauce over the top. Mix together. Put the rest of the grated cheese on top.
Heat through in oven or under grill until top is browned and all is bubbling.
Easily tweaked by adding any or all of broccoli, spinach, leeks, bacon, cauliflower, mushrooms, sliced tomatoes.

I use Delia Smith's recipe. I make the ragu in a large quantity, let it cool, take out what I need for the lasagne, and freeze the excess in small portions. That makes it much, much quicker. Then all I have to do is make the bechamel, grate a lot of Parmesan for the top, and layer up with uncooked lasagne sheets. Put it in the oven for 45 minutes or so.

Because if you add the right things, you can use cheat sauces and it's fab:

Chop mushrooms, onion. Fry with smoked pancetta or bacon lardons until onion soft and lardons crispy. Add garlic. Add mince and brown. Add smoked paprika. Tip in red sauce (have tried them all, Lidl is the best).

Put pasta sheets on baking tray and pour boiling water on them. Leave for 5 mins. While waiting, slice a ball of mozzarella and grate cheddar.

Layer in dish. I go Ragu, pasta, white sauce (also from Lidl, Waitrose bechemal is disgusting by the way) sliced mozzarella, sprinkling of cheddar. When you get to the top, final layer of mozzarella, cheddar and parmesan if I've got it kicking about.

Oven, 35mins, 180. Till cheese is bubbly and browning.

Better than anything you'll have in a restaurant or shop bought. Honest.

I've made a fish pie but I've never made a pie with pastry

I'm glad to see so many others who've never made a roast. I've reached the ripe old age of 40 and I find it a bit embarrassing to be honest..
But my husband does amazing roasts (he is a fab cook and trained chef) and I just can't be bothered now altho I feel I should learn! I rarely have roasts in a pub as they are generally nit as good as his ones.!
I do think my bolognese is usually better than his though :)
Also never made Shepherd's Pie or Cottage Pie.. like previous PP just loathe them! Not sure why bit they just seem so sloppy...

The crispy skin is the best bit!

The people using the jar ragu sauces ... I find them way too sweet, are there any that don't taste like pure ketchup? Would save me many hours stirring.

I've never made toad in the hole or jam tarts.

I use the Lidl "red" and "white" sauces.

I've tried all of them. And these are the best, and extra bonus, the cheapest. But then I add quite a few things to make it my own, (see above) and they are quite flavour full.

It's still super quick, and I'll often make one in the morning while I'm pottering about doing other things, because once the red sauce gets added to the pan, that just simmers on its own for twenty mins, and the layering takes no time, then it's into the oven.

I can't think of anything common I don't cook, as I'm not counting seafood which I don't eat. Possibly roast beef actually, as I'm scared I'll ruin a really expensive lump of meat (roast a beef once, it was chewy/tough and never tried again!) but I've recently discovered I can pressure cook it and then finish in the oven and it's melt in the mouth soft like brisket. But I don't think many people are eating roast beef at home regularly, are they? I actually prefer pork as it has crackling!

Regarding lasagne, it's one thing I refuse to order when I'm out (and ready made ones are vile) as mine is so good. Not at all 'proper' as I make a cheese sauce (because, cheese) rather than bechamel, but it's damn good. I make it maybe once a fortnight. I've never used jars as they seem expensive for sweet, watered down tomato and a pinch of herbs.

@SleepingStandingUp roux sauce is easy if you have a microwave. Big chunk of butter, several tblspns flour, pint or more milk in microwaveable jug / bowl. Blast until butter melted and milk getting warm, whisk thoroughly, keep giving it a couple of minutes at a time on high setting, whisking in between until sauce is thickened and flour lumps have disappeared. Add milk until it's at desired consistency.
Suspect more precise recipes are available but vague version works for me, key to no lumps is ensuring enough butter

Almost all of them! I never did much cooking and know almost nothing about it, and these days I get prepared meals, thank Bast!

A fair few posters have alluded to the cheese sauce in a lasagne. There is no cheese in the white sauce! It's butter, milk, and flour.

Ooh lasagne is another one!!

This has actually inspired me to make one for dinner one evening this week.

They scare me too
I was given one, used it once. Just too stressful so I gave it away to a good home

Proper deep fried chips, mind you I'm not a chip fan ( strange I know)

BBQ. Can't be bothered and too worried about food poisoning. I just do all the meat cooking under the grill!

Oh yes I've never made proper chips or used a deep fat frier.
In fact I've almost never even cooked oven chips (definitely fewer than 5 times). I just do wedges.

You inspired me so today for lunch I had spam with egg, soy sauce, and spring onions. It was nice!

that's not bechamel though

Omelette.

More than one egg at a time was decadent. Parents bought up in war with rationing.

Yorkshire pudding

Make the Mary Berry lasagne. It's so simple and delicious.

The only caveat is that although it isn't remotely intensive to make, you do need time. E.g. It needs 6 hours to stand on the countertop (or overnight in the fridge). Just add more cooking time if you're cooking from chilled.

I sometimes make one on a weekend morning and I love that we have a good dinner sorted and I just need to bung it in oven later. Always leftovers for next day too as it's massive.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/maryberrysslasagneall16923/amp

I've never made a pie of any sort - sweet or savoury! Which is ironic as it's the thing I invariably choose when at a restaurant.

I love making a moussaka even though it's not a quick dish.

My top roux tip is to mix soft butter with the flour into a buttery paste before you even turn on the heat. That way not a grain of flour has the chance to clump together with its mates to be a lump as it's already distributed through the fat. Much easier then to add in the milk with a swishy stir no need for frantic whisking. Whenever I melt the butter before adding the flour it seems such a faff to keep it from lumping.

Also, use leftover from roast lamb to mix with the mince for Mary Berry shepherds pie. Absolutely delicious.

Some of her recipes can be hit and miss, but when they are a hit, they are superb.

Roast dinner or steak