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Original poster

Surprisingly good things in tins...

401 replies

BobbyBiscuits · 23/02/2025 00:14

Hey everyone,

Just thinking about how happy I was to discover tinned 'greek' gigantes beans.
They're delicious and go with loads of stuff, and don't need heating. From the corner shop too so v convenient.

I'd love to know anyone else's favourite foods in tins that require minimum prep. Preferably stuff that's a bit beyond baked beans, tuna, sweetcorn, soup... Ideally available in the UK!

Thank you and looking forward to some ideas x

OP posts:
PineappleSeahorse · 27/02/2025 11:09

Smoked mussels are very nice.(Assuming that you like mussels)

fridaleavethetweezers · 27/02/2025 12:24

No longer available but tiny tins of dressed crab, spread on toast. I really miss it.

idrinkandiknowthings · 27/02/2025 13:38

I know what WAS good in tins: Heinz chicken & mushroom Toast Toppers. God I miss Toast Toppers.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 27/02/2025 16:46

Deathraystare · 27/02/2025 10:37

I sometimes use tinned potatoes although they do have a 'tinny' taste.

Cover them in paprika and oregano and roast, fry or air fry to remove the taste of tin.

Rosscameasdoody · 27/02/2025 16:52

idrinkandiknowthings · 27/02/2025 13:38

I know what WAS good in tins: Heinz chicken & mushroom Toast Toppers. God I miss Toast Toppers.

Make your own. If you’re a cook, make a thick cheese sauce and let it cool. In the meantime chop some bacon or ham and fry until cooked through, then add a punnet of button mushrooms cut into halves. Toss around until cooked through. Plate up until cool and then add to the cheese sauce with some chopped cooked chicken and mix well, adding salt and ground black pepper to taste. Toast your bread and spread some of the mix on top. Grate a bit of cheddar over the top and grill until bubbling. If you can’t run to cheese sauce try adding the bacon and mushrooms to a can of Campbells condensed mushroom or chicken soup - undiluted.

sueelleker · 27/02/2025 17:06

KitchenDancefloor · 24/02/2025 22:32

This is a warm hug of a thread

It reminds me of my late mum who was never a great cook but handy with a tin opener.

We used to have

  • tinned chicken curry served in a ring of rice
  • ravioli on toast (was shocked to find out this was an actual pasta dish in later years)
  • sardines on toast
  • condensed mushroom soup as a sauce or thinned a little as soup with cheapo white bread
  • macaroni cheese on toast (as one pp said it always came out in a lump) which was only edible if you slathered it with ketchup.

I'm going to have to stray from my usual tins of sweetcorn, soup, custard, beans, etc and add some nostalgia shopping to my basket.

Also a can of tinned pineapple chunks mixed, juice and all, with sweet chilli sauce = quick sweet and sour sauce

My Mum used to use condensed mushroom soup as a vol-au-vent filling.

Rosscameasdoody · 27/02/2025 17:11

sueelleker · 27/02/2025 17:06

My Mum used to use condensed mushroom soup as a vol-au-vent filling.

Show quote history

I still do !! Campbells is the best as it’s condensed. Their chicken soup worked well too. You just add some sliced cooked mushroom or chicken and hey presto - a canapé !!

ErrolTheDragon · 27/02/2025 18:35

fridaleavethetweezers · 27/02/2025 12:24

No longer available but tiny tins of dressed crab, spread on toast. I really miss it.

Oh! I used to like the little tins of 'dark' crab mixed with one of white crab meat, it's the more flavoursome part. Is it not available now? Why?!

fridaleavethetweezers · 27/02/2025 18:55

Agreed Errol, the dark meat is the best bit. As to why it's not available? Because they want me to spend a million quid on a dressed crab? The dressed crab tin was something I could keep in the cupboard for a bit of a cheer up for a good price.

Isanyonereallyanonymous · 27/02/2025 22:14

lifeonmars100 · 23/02/2025 09:40

mandarins, Asda do these in their basic cheapo range and they are lovely. I put them on porridge, mix them in greek yoghurt for a quick pudding and use them in a lovely all in one mandarin sponge cake that I make which is topped with icing made from mixing the juice with icing sugar

Oooh, could you share the recipe for the mandarin cake please? It sounds yummy!

Itsaswelltime · 27/02/2025 22:17

If you can get the Cassegrain brand where you are (it’s French), then everything is great, ratatouille, cooked courgettes, aubergines, lentils.

Good quality canned, cooked chickpeas (I move the ones with spinach in too).

idrinkandiknowthings · 27/02/2025 22:52

Rosscameasdoody · 27/02/2025 16:52

Make your own. If you’re a cook, make a thick cheese sauce and let it cool. In the meantime chop some bacon or ham and fry until cooked through, then add a punnet of button mushrooms cut into halves. Toss around until cooked through. Plate up until cool and then add to the cheese sauce with some chopped cooked chicken and mix well, adding salt and ground black pepper to taste. Toast your bread and spread some of the mix on top. Grate a bit of cheddar over the top and grill until bubbling. If you can’t run to cheese sauce try adding the bacon and mushrooms to a can of Campbells condensed mushroom or chicken soup - undiluted.

Edited
Show quote history

That actually sounds lush 😋

oldwhyno · 28/02/2025 09:13

Ilovecleaning · 26/02/2025 13:30

Can I ask - do you use the Stagg Beans and Beef or the Dynamite one? Thanks.

Show quote history

Stagg classic beef and beans or dynamite, they’re both good. I get mine from Sainsburys. I find it makes a home made chilli made in about an hour taste closer to one that’s been slow cooking for 3-4 hours.

ErrolTheDragon · 28/02/2025 10:25

That actually sounds lush

It does, but it obviously takes significantly longer and more washing up than scooping some gloop out of a jar.

Ilovecleaning · 28/02/2025 10:43

oldwhyno · 28/02/2025 09:13

Stagg classic beef and beans or dynamite, they’re both good. I get mine from Sainsburys. I find it makes a home made chilli made in about an hour taste closer to one that’s been slow cooking for 3-4 hours.

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Thank you so much for getting back to me 🥰

Deathraystare · 28/02/2025 11:12

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 27/02/2025 16:46

Cover them in paprika and oregano and roast, fry or air fry to remove the taste of tin.

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Thank you!

Ilovecleaning · 28/02/2025 16:34

idrinkandiknowthings · 27/02/2025 22:52

That actually sounds lush 😋

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It does but the thread is about recommending good tinned food 😜

Gingerkittykat · 01/03/2025 01:00

SuffolkUnicorn · 24/02/2025 18:40

M&S tinned curry is awesome quite pricey now though

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I bought the M and S tinned curry after people on here raved about it. I got the hotter one and it was exceptionally bland, and I definitely wouldn't buy it again.

Rosscameasdoody · 01/03/2025 08:58

Gingerkittykat · 01/03/2025 01:00

I bought the M and S tinned curry after people on here raved about it. I got the hotter one and it was exceptionally bland, and I definitely wouldn't buy it again.

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Agree. I think something like curry is a personal thing. I’ve tried a few tinned versions for a quick meal and to me they’re pretty much all bland - you have to add to them. I do think that some foods lend themselves better to the canning process, while others definitely don’t. One of the worst ones IME is Heinz macaroni cheese. It’s slimy and doesn’t really taste of anything. And yet spaghetti and ravioli are fine.

Deathraystare · 01/03/2025 12:21

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 27/02/2025 16:46

Cover them in paprika and oregano and roast, fry or air fry to remove the taste of tin.

Show quote history

Thanks!

Sunshineandrainbow · 01/03/2025 12:27

Such a good thread thankyou

Hayley1256 · 01/03/2025 12:32
  • ratatouille
  • chicken in white wine sauce (m&s / sainsburys)
  • peaches
  • cherry pie filling
  • rice pudding
  • stag chilli for hot dogs
  • pineapple
  • custard
  • the m&s steak is really good for stew but I tend to buy fresh now
Friendofdennis · 01/03/2025 12:37

Tinned mango pulp. £2.50 in the world food section of most supermarkets. For smoothies Wonderful dolloped on yoghourt. Mix with mascarpone for a lovely simple pudding. Also use to make cheesecake. Offset the sweetness with a few teaspoons of white vinegar to make mango chicken curry ( add coconut milk also in a tin )

Comtesse · 01/03/2025 12:51

I made pears Belle Helene last night thanks to this thread - tinned pears (in juice not syrup), vanilla ice cream, plus I made a chocolate sauce and toasted some flaked almonds. It was really really lovely. Added a splosh of pear vodka for the adults too.

@Friendofdennis is quite right about mango pulp. If you can get alphonso mango puree that is the best! Makes excellent mango sorbet if you happen to have an ice cream maker.

ScottBakula · 05/03/2025 12:44

fridaleavethetweezers · 27/02/2025 12:24

No longer available but tiny tins of dressed crab, spread on toast. I really miss it.

I know it's not dressed but could you do it yourself
( I am now imaging a crab dressed in a tux ! 😀)

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/302638538