to think that people who buy ready-grated and ready-sliced cheese from the supermarket are nuts?

[GetOrfMoiLand]

I mean why would you bother. (Normal exceptions apply - people with disabilities etc who can't grate cheese).

How hard is it to grate cheese? Plus that ready grated stuff must be as dry as a bone.

Plus ready sliced cheese. Why would you now just slice your own cheese? What use are those slices anyway, they are thicker than a pound coin, you would choke on sandwiches made of that.

So expensive as well.

Have used frozen microwaveable rice too - for quick fix teas it works perfectly well. Also have steam fresh frozen veg and other cheat items.

I actually love cooking , but I love it when I have time. After work, before Brownies, etc. time isn't when I want to cook in a rush, so I am happy to cut corners then.

Tonight I have time so I am cooking using fresh ingrediants on the whole - I am cheating with preflavoured cous cous though.

I buy ready grated cheese to eat for lunch at work sprinkled over salad with some nice dressing. Actually doesn't taste too dry and is healthier than a sandwich... The kitchen facilities at work are very sadly limited so I don't think I want to start bringing in a grater. Although I also use pre-bagged salads and occasionally pre-prepared veg when we don't have any in the garden.

Personally, when not pregnant, I love a bit of stilton on top of a burger...

Oh and another cheat item I have found is Ocado's ready prepared frozen grilled vegetables (peppers, courgettes, etc). Have tried both them and fresh ingrediants for in use in lasagne, etc - couldn't tell the difference.

I cook with the fresh stuff when I have time but on a bust after work night I am happy to use the frozen equivalent. I also use fresh if I want the veg chopped a bit more freely or in strips, etc such as for fajitas.

I buy sliced emmenthal but that's to make low-carb lasagne with (it doesn't melt the way normal cheese does so it makes a good pasta substitute for the layers).

Hsve been known to buy grated mozzarella when in a hurry, but not otherwise.

I never knew they'd grate it for you at the deli! I'm off to Sainsbo's once I've picked DD up from school, must investigate...

Possibly, but then it's none of your business what they spend their money on OP .

YABU. I buy it sometimes, ready sliced or grated mozzarella is great in pitta bread or toasted sandwich.

I've never bought grated cheese even though I hate doing it (I worked in a bakery as a teen and had to grate pounds of the stuff every week).

I will admit to getting excited about the no-drain tuna though! I absolutely HATE draining tuna. You end up with a fishy tin opener, a fishy sieve, and fish juice all over the work tops. Bleeurrghhhhh. I'd definitely pay extra for no-drain tuna

I buy all the lazy stuff; ready grated cheese, cheese slices, sliced fruit, prechopped onions. If I can find an easy alternative I'll definitely buy it and consider it worth the extra expense. I work crazy hours and value the extra time to sit on my arse and mumsnet....

Fruitbeard "(it doesn't melt the way normal cheese does so it makes a good pasta substitute for the layers)"

I did not know this! It is excellent news, you learn something new everyday.

Blame - I agree, & will buy as many shortcut items as I can! although of course I spend my extra time also sat on my arse doing worthy deeds etc

I don't buy grated cheese, but Dairylea plastic cheese is a must for burgers. The other day I actually thought if you could buy ready hard boiled eggs, I would. I was slightly ashamed at my laziness.

But not too much.

I buy Tescos diced swede and carrot for when i make cottage pies or casseroles simply because there is only my son and I and a) what the hell would i do with a whole swede and b) I would probably cut half my fingers off hacking through a whole swede after peeling it as well!!

I quite like grating cheese but don't do it that often so don't get bored of it.

I do like Leerdammer cheese slices, but we don't get them very often.

Can't imagine frozen rice, but we don't have a microwave so don't think there would be any point.

I did get some ready frozen icecubes when I had lots of people coming for a drunken evening, and couldn't be bothered to make lots.

I make my own bolognese sauce - really not too hard and doesn't take v long.

I buy bags of ready grated organic cheese, which is the same price as ungrated organic cheese.
I find it useful if the boys are having pasta and i can just grab and handful and sprinkle it over.
I do buy ungrated cheese to.
I can't see what the problem is with it. it really is no more expensive than any other cheese (except the basic-range cheeses).

It actually works out cheaper if I compare the price per gram. So I buy ready grated when I know I am going to make pizza or some other meal which requires reasonably great amounts of grated cheese.

Morloth - it's really gorge, can thoroughly recommend it. President brand is best

Message withdrawn

cocolepew...pickled eggs - available at most supermarkets and every chippy

Absolutely astounded that grated cheese is cheaper than unblocked - I made that sweeping assumption in my original OP without checking the facts (fatal MN error). I stand corrected .

I am very interested in the low carb emmental cheese lasagne idea - might try that one day.

Lottiejenkins - I have never tried ready diced swede, though I might try it one day. I tried to chop a swede up at the weekend, tried to chop it in half and got the knife stuck, and had to go shame faced to DP and ask him to pull it out like excalibur!

Can we talk about mini baby belles? I like them very much, especially the goats cheese flavour baby belles (don't taste a bot like goats cheese but are still nice all the same). Plus - marmite cheese, has anyone tried that?

Wtf is unblocked cheese? I meant a block of cheese.

I love that marmite cheddar!
Quite like the mini babybels, but only the originals, hate goats cheese urgh

I craved ready grated cheese when i was pregnant with dd1, god knows why but i couldn't get enough of the stuff and its vile, covered in potato starch.

I buy grated cheese too, its freezees well and I can just take out what I need for DS's meal - have to sneak it in where possible as he wont eat cheese if he can see it and doesnt have milk so I worry about his calcium intake.

Pre-chopped onions sound good