to think frozen mash is a work of genius?

[BriechonCheese]

I had resisted for ages but bought some on a whim earlier this year and found it incredibly handy for those nights when I'm picking up and ferrying DC to various activities. It doesn't beat the real thing but it comes pretty damn close.

Does anyone else have any genius home or food products that they expected to be crap but now use to happily to survive family life?

Must look out for this, not something I would have thought to look for. With only 2 adults and a child, I find potatoes have often sprouted and gone a bit unpleasant by the time I get round to cooking them all. But having potato readily on hand in a useable form sounds great!

For those who don't like frozen ready made Yorkshire puddings, I freeze homemade ones in bags. 4 minutes in a hot oven and they're perfect.

I just can't.

Pre-made frozen Yorkshire are dire. I cringe every time. Make a big batch and freeze them yourself.

Same for mash. Frozen mash does have that processed aftertaste.

Thank you all so much for adding your tips!
Anything to make life easier without eating utter crap.

Yes!
I shared this view at work and people looked at me like I had 3 heads.

Fuck em. Life's too short to make mash.

I have a bag of frozen Yorkshire puddings in the freezer. It's much easier than trying to store all of the ingredients in very limited space.

My top tip is to toast bread straight from the freezer. It cooks perfectly and there's no worries about the rest of the loaf going stale before it can be used up.

I'm also a frozen mash fan, it's incredibly quick and I'm sure there's less waste (I tend to be heavy handed peeling potatoes). Frozen roasts do vary, don't like Aunt Bessies but Tesco and Waitrose do decent ones. Iceland do duck fat ones closer to Christmas and they are the best I have come across.

Just had s quick look on the Iceland website as a result of this thread... frozen cauliflower rice and frozen quinoa.. wooo hooo... I'm going to need a bigger freezer 😎😎😎

L9ve this i always thought it would taste rubbish but wow. Thank you everyone this will help a lot xx

Not tried frozen mash yet but think I will give it a go for quick fish / cottage pie.

I'm a recent convert to Iceland, I must admit, after years of dismissing it as the home of processed beige crap. I stocked up yesterday and bought: frozen spinach, frozen green beans (tried last night, not bad. Not quite the same texture as fresh but good enough when fresh not in season), frozen cauli rice (I do mself a pouch of this when the rest of the family has rice), frozen peas, variety of frozen berries, 3 packs frozen fish (depending what I'm cooking, I usually thaw and cook as fresh but sometimes stick white fish straight in the oven from frozen), frozen king prawns, frozen croissants, big tub of Longley farm double cream & big tub full fat greek yoghurt. (And some frozen Greggs steak & cheese rolls for DS as pre-swimming fuel 😄)

I also always keep frozen breadcrumbs (homemde -blitz any leftover bread), frozen chopped chilli & coriander, frozen sweetcorn, M&S frozen edamame, broad bean & pea mix (love this in salads - just cover with boiling water to thaw while prepping salad leaves, spring onion & chilli & crumble over some feta). I use garlic & ginger paste in a jar from local oriental shop but will look out for those cubes!

Not keen on frozen carrots or broccoli but tried the Iceland (I think?) frozen cauliflower & broccoli cheese with our Sunday lunch and will definitely buy again as a quick and easy side.

freeze ur herbs in ice cubes trays in oil or butter
stick in your ginger because who ever uses a whole noggin of ginger before it goes off.
go to your local indian shop.they do big bags of frozen minced garlic for such good prices in little cubes.genious.
freeze lemon and lime slices so they are read for your coughs recipes...GIN!

Kate Our local Tesco sells lemon and lime slices in the freezer section - I always have a bag in the freezer, so bloody handy.

Midweek fish pie here tonight with frozen mash, frozen fish pie mix (salmon, cod and smoked haddock), frozen prawns and a quick homemade white sauce. Poach the fish, make the sauce, layer on the mash, bit of cheese grated on top and 25 minutes in the oven.

Frozen mash rocks!

Iceland frozen sweet potato mash is absolutely genius. Half a dozen cubes of that in the microwave is a staple dinner for our fussy toddler; plus it's absolutely gorgeous as a topping on cottage pie/fish pie/keema pie.

I also keep (whispers) powdered (or is it flakes) in a sachet in the cupboard (Asda own brand 'Smash') for adding to leftover veggies to make bubble and squeak...dead handy and I guarantee you'd never know the difference by the time it's all mixed in!!

I can make mash in 20 minutes. Spuds are peeled and fine diced by the time a full kettle boils, 15 minutes boiling and 3 mins to put through the ricer.

It takes less time than my children setting the table, putting toys away, getting water from the fridge etc. Certainly not much more time than grilling fish fillets or similar.

I'm usually a frozen veg hater if it's not going into a sauce/stew but was forced to buy green beens at weekend as supermarket had run out - they are brilliant and taste just like fresh

I love the frozen carrot and swede mash too. And thosw frozen baked potatoes are fab for lunches etc. I was a bit of a snob about them (as I was about getting a kindle) but they are great.

Easiest mash is microwave baked potato mash. I microwave washed big baking potatoes in the morning until soft. Pop them in the fridge. When ready to do dinner warm milk and butter on the stove and half the potatoes, pop them in the ricer cut side down and press. Skin stays in the ricer, flesh of the potato comes out. Stir into the milk and butter and warm through. Takes five minutes.

Yes Gcal already suggested and tried on this thread. It's fab!

Pre grated cheese!

Aunt Bessie stuff is full of fat, no ta.

Tesco root mash in the chilled section or orange mash as my son calls it is the way forward. Tastes nicer than mine sadly-had to be Tesco he doesn't like other brands of mash.... I go in just for the mash although rarely come out with just the mash.....

Do you have to nuke it before putting on shepherd's pie? Don't have/like microwaves.

I’ve used it for 7 years n never looked back