I saw the most ridiculous thing in Sainsburys today...

[clary]

A pot of gravy - the size of one of those plastic pots of posh soup - for £2.60! And this was a special offer - it's normally £3-something.

Gravy - that's some meat juices with flour and a bit of veg water, right? How the dickens is a portion for about three people worth three quid?

TournesoletLavande,

Crunchy, powdery bits.

I know the sort of gravy you're talking about OP and it's not something I'd buy. 3 quid does seem a lot. I've a jar of bisto onion gravy powder for sausage nights and it's pretty good for the price.

I've also bought ready mash but if I'm going to the trouble of making it has to be King Edwards!

I use those jars/pouches of gravy all the time. I can make my own gravy. With a trivot of veg and everything.

But I do everything else from scratch and the gravy is my cheat.

I would rather make hm yorkshire puds than hm gravy.

I think it's nice we have the choice. You want to make you're own gravy? Fine, make it. You don't? Then buy some ready made. I really don't see why people would judge others for not cooking from scratch every night. Why care how other people cook?

people who have no good reason to need to use this sort of thing all the time, rather than making their own have more money than sense.

I'm guessing your good reasons are things like less food waste if the exact amount can be prepared, lower energy usage in their preparation, not having to buy several ingredients/seasonings that wouldn't be used up...?

Missing the point of the thread, but I love your use of 'how the dickens' OP!

Toadinthehole and Haroldsocalledbluetits thank you for the recipes!

I'll give it a go, but no Bisto at all then?? Or is that the stock and you're adding to the stuff from the pan? Good to know about the flour, sometimes it looks like we're just pouring water on our food.

Thanks Ramblinrosie as well, it sounds lovely, I'll come back to it when I'm more advanced

I buy ready made mash, prepared veg etc. I don't give a shit what anyone else thinks. My money, my choice.

I loved tinned new potatoes. If you shake them in seasoned cornflour they make excellent quick roasties. If you do my Nan's Irish mince and gravy recipe they can go in there while it cooks and they soak up the gravy and are lovely all mushed down...and as someone else pointed out further up the thread^^ they make a superb frittata.
At 19p a large tin they're a great store-cupboard resource.

Wouldn't buy ready-made gravy though.

people who have no good reason to need to use this sort of thing all the time, rather than making their own have more money than sense

The prepared food can be the same cost or cheaper, so not only are you judgemental, you are WRONG at the same time.

Time is money.
I'd rather buy prepared veg and get food on the table at 6.30 than saving a few pence and not feeding my kids until 7.00.

I love frozen mash. I never bother making it myself now. Making good mash is a faff and I can’t be bothered. The frozen stuff is really nice and I can devote my attention to making other parts of the meal.

I don’t care if someone on MN thinks it’s ‘lazy’. I think it’s an efficient and sensible use of my time and resources.

I don’t buy ready made gravy though because I don’t think it’s very nice. If I’m doing sausages and mash then I’ll prioritise making a nice onion gravy and use frozen mash.

Mash is such a faff though. Peeling chopping boiling mashing takes pans, board, knife, peeler, colander, masher, possibly a whisk or potato ricer if you are making it properly. All covered with the starchy goo that potatoes give off and make them hard to wash. I cook nearly all my meals from scratch but if you are already making a roast and all is component parts (and I do make my own gravy!) mash adds so much washing up. And yes if you were home at 6pm to make a quick dinner a few minutes to heat mash rather than the good 45 mins it would take to make mash from scratch.

I’m all for people cooking with fresh ingredients but all this “oooh I don’t understand how people do this!” Stuff just shows a lack of attempting to think how people might live a different life and have different money priorities.

I'm rubbish at making gravy although DS doesn't know any better so thinks it's wonderful so I am just posting so I can find all the delicious gravy recipes later.

Blimey. When did Mumsnetters lose their sense of humour. Some people are taking this thread way too seriously. I’d hate to see how some of you would react to serious criticism. I doubt anyone on here doesn’t take shortcuts to make life easier and can be teased about being lazy, but we don’t get all bent out of shape over it.

Lalliella I have a DD with sensory issues around food. She won't eat potatoes in any form, apart from Sainsbury's ready made mash. The is for DD, by the way.

Since moving to a Germanic country I was surprised at the shamelessly Blase way they use instant mash powder, Bratensauce powder and paste, and many varieties of flavoured dust to season their food.

Thank heavens. I absolutely love the taste of instant mash and, as a single mum with one DS sometimes you just want a cupful of gravy with your Wurst, and not a big kerfuffle.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks I feel your pain. I’d gladly pour money into frozen, mashed, ‘lazy’ foods if I could get my oldest to eat it, but those fucking food issues leave him eating nothing but processed, salty, fat laden food. He’s 27 now and getting more obese by the month. Breaks my heart.

Still find tinned potatoes a sin, though. 🤢

Blimey. When did Mumsnetters lose their sense of humour

We have a sense of humour. There's just nothing funny about these threads, which pop up regular for people to sneer and be nasty about others for something as ridiculous as buying mash.

Hence why I have a tub of ASDA onion gravy granuals for 80p.

I'll get my coat.

That must be heartbreaking PositivelyPERF. Thank whoever, DD isn't anywhere near as bad. She gags at food that smells greasy, although she seems to be growing out of that. Just as well, as we live 2 doors down from a chip shop, and have to walk past it on the way to school. She copes okay on Fridays at school now, she'll even choose fish and chips most weeks! She'll maybe eat 3 chips.

There are plenty of parents with the same issues on here, maybe someone's got some ideas for you?

I buy ready made mash all the time. Sometimes even ready made meals too. And I use gravy granules. Send the gravy police round.

Many pre prepared foods are pretty good. Who cares who buys them or why?

I don't like gravy but those tubs are really good for Christmas.

Yeah I'm on unofficial crouton.
What's going on there? I think we need to know what this means.

Those tubs save me from Bisto powder.

Tried making gravy twice and it tastes like burnt water.

(probably nothing to do with what I just read on here about needing to add stock and that I've only ever added flour and water to the pan before...)