Which cheap and nasty food item do you choose over more expensive and better quality alternatives?

[AintNobodyHereButUsChickens]

For me it’s chicken kievs. I love the crispy outside and the mushy chicken inside. I know they’re not the best, I actually work in a chicken factory so I know exactly what goes into it! But it still doesn’t put me off 🤣 Clearly my standards are on the floor…

What’s your cheap and nasty favourite?

My friend is exactly the same!

i always think of this but wouldn’t think twice about boiling up a chicken carcass to make a stock. I was vegetarian for a long time and like the idea of using all the parts of an animal so less waste - or am I missing something?

The Aldi beans are nice, but the M&S ones are nicer

All my guilty pleasures, including Bernard Matthews’s Frozen Hamwiches, come from Iceland.

On the sausage debate, I do prefer Waitrose own basic ones over anything else. They’re about 50p more than Richmond’s but all Waitrose Pork is outdoor reared and they have that smooth texture too.

Obviously Hamwiches are not outdoor reared - and are turkey ham rather than pork - but I do what I can when I can and sometimes you just gotta have a bit of beige pleasure to make life worth living 😁

Salad cream instead of mayonnaise. Use mayonnaise in recipes but find it too heavy on its own. Salad cream is so good that a bottle lasts about a week! Don't buy it often because of this!

Plastic cheese squares on burgers. Nothing else matches.

I'd love to track down two items but I think that it's impossible in both cases:

The Lamb Choppy or Lamb Savoury. This was a kind of lamb rissole in breadcrumbs formed into a chop shape. Served for school dinners and maybe also seen at Farmfoods or Booker's cash and carry a very long time ago. Quite spicy and halfway between a sausage and a burger in texture.

I thought I had falsely remembered this but there's a thread on Reddit about them.

Some frozen spring rolls from Manchester China Town that were the same as from our local Chinese restaurant. I used to buy a big catering sack of them whenever I was up town, many years ago.

That is an absolutely cracking idea. Deffo gonna try that next time.

Was going to say I don’t do dirty food, but you just reminded me about petrol station bacon and cheese pastries. Food of the gods. Nuclear hot, with a million calories and a zillion upfs, but so, so good.

See also hash browns. Actually a hash brown butty with butter is amazing. As are cheese and crisp sandwiches on value bread. Maybe I’m not the food snob I thought I was.

It’s the combination of soft, salt and crunch - always my downfall- I think some people are chocolate and ‘sweet’ downfall era, for others it’s salt and crunch!! I’m def the latter - never have deserts if I go out etc, it would always be the salt and pepper squid starter etc

Those plastic cheese slices. Mostly to throw on the dog so they stick and she gets some exercise twirling about trying to get it off her back! (I've only done it once, but it was funny!) They're great in the breakfast muffin machine with an egg and sausage patty.

Also Brains Faggots with ready made mash and some peas.

My dog won't eat plastic cheese slices - but I sure do!

Really cheap chocolate
iced cups, white mice, jazzies type stuff

Thanks to the pp who suggested bread under the kiev -just did that /tasty - thanks !!!

Did it come out like garlicky toast or soggy bread? I'm intrigued!

My father in law used to do this under roast pheasant - yuk! And it came out like gamey tasting fried bread

A bit of both - soft on the inside but edges toast (did it on the air fryer).
Am going to experiment with timing and temos with the remaining three kievs in the pack 😂

Now you're talking !

This is the sort of scientific experiment I can get behind.

Frozen mashed potato. It's better than what I can make.

Came here to say this!
Butterscotch Angel Delight is my favourite pudding ever.

I loved the klix chicken soup from vending machines. The salty chicken sludge at the bottom was delicious.

Sweet and Sour Pot Noodle
Own brand crisps
Warburtons have brought out a Mega Thick Toastie loaf in a purple wrapper and not many slices to the loaf. 😍

Yes my Dh was telling me about that he used to work for Warbies so he s always interested in new products
If the slices are that thick though it will be a struggle to fit them into the average toaster
Which kind of defeats the purpose i would have thought ?

not in the cheap category but M and S canned corned beef (low salt, round tin) makes a lovely meatpaste in summer of you store it at room temp and spread it.