What to have instead of weekly takeaway?

[TwinklyGoldReader]

I don't drink... I don't smoke.. but I'm an absolute sucker for a takeaway. Myself and DH have decided to go takeaway free for as long as possible, although we will still occasionally go out for meals.

Please inspire me for alternative options?! We take it in turns to cook each night, but the reason we love a takeaway so much is we can both play with DS and there's no tidying up! Does a home cooked meal like this exist, that still fulfils my brains need for utter junk?!

Slow cooker, bung a nice stew or chilli or something on in the morning, there's very little to be done to finish it off or tidy it up in the evening.

I also usually cook at least double so we've got a zero effort meal in the fridge for a couple of nights later.

We also really enjoy shop bought burgers with home made wedges and all the pickles/condiments/cheese etc - it's like a pub meal and very low effort.

I'd go for a top quality ingredients Cooke's simply. The ingredient does the hard work not the chef! I'm thinking a piece of steak, tuna steak, fresh crab.
Fresh linguine with crab, chilli, garlic and fresh parsley is delicious and takes less than 10 minutes.

Oven pizza

Most of the supermarkets do a ‘takeaway box’.

Something like a Charlie Bighams or Cook ready meal would work, all you have to do is put it in the oven so takes no time to prepare.

Get Jamie's 15 minute meals. We both work full time and anything that takes longer than 15 mins isn't happening in my house, except weekends

Fake away

Homemade burgers could work? You can make them earlier in the day or the day before.

Or homemade pizza and DS helps put them together?

Or go for a "better but not perfect" approach and have supermarket pizzas, chicken kievs or decent quality ready meal. It's not as good as homemade, but better nutritionally and ££ than a takeaway.

To me the point of a restaurant or takeaway is that everyone can have what they fancy. You can't replicate that when cooking unless you want to do 4 different things.

The closest we get is a buffet type meal with lots of different choices.

Supermarkets do takeaway Chinese and Indian meals (in a box) that just need putting in the oven much cheaper than takeaway. Or fresh pasta and ready made pasta sauces very quick to make and almost like a takeaway.

I recommend trying this sauce. It’s not overly peanutty like some satay sauces, it’s very delicious and a simple stir fry with noodles or rice gets you that takeaway flavour at home.

I'd say Cook ready meals too (eg a family size lasagne etc). Minimal effort but tastes good.

M&S dine in for £15 or however much it is now?

Me and DH used to have a date night each week with one of these.

Home made burgers are ridiculously easy, aren't junk but taste like it ! Add whatever toppings yoy fancy.

I like making my own pizza but when I don't have time, I buy a cheap margherita and add lots of onions, mushrooms, chorizo slices and more cheese.

Stir friies are really easy & quick.

As PP mentioned, 'you're looking for 'fakeaway lots of recipes if you Google and I've seen fakeaway recipe books

So many lovely suggestions, thank you! I've spent the past hour drooling & scrolling through recipes on Instagram 😂

@GreyBlackBay I love the idea of a little buffet style dinner, a jazzed up 'picky tea!'

Is it to do with health or saving money? Health wise, I'd do something like a Mindful Chef ready meal (you could order a selection). Or if it's more the saving money then just a supermarket ready meal (plenty choice to suit each person) or a big pizza to stick in the oven and you only have the tray to wash and nothing else (probably less to wash than all the takeaway containers)! Or even something very simple like a pot noodle - think that would be DH's choice in that scenario. A guilty pleasure, but it's cheap.

M and S do a lovely gAstro range.

A traybake of some type eg chicken, Mediterranean veg and new potatoes baked with lemon olive oil and garlic, serve with bought tzatziki and pitta breads. So easy

We stopped our weekly takeaway when we moved and just cook something nice instead but we don’t actually save any money by doing so. It was more because there’s nowhere nice to order from here.

Frozen spring rolls, dumplings, tempura prawns, dumplings, halloumi fries, poppadoms, whatever starter or sides you buy etc in the air fryer or oven. Taste exactly the same as if you bought them in a takeaway but a fraction of the price.

Microwave rice.

One pan for a curry or Chinese chicken.

We never order takeaway now as we can make it better ourselves.

If you are trying to save money, just go for a supermarket Indian or Chinese takeaway style meal - usually about £12 for two people with enough food left over for snack lunch next day. Or good supermarket pizzas and a bag of salad - a fraction of the price of takeaway pizza.

If you want to be healthier, do tray bakes - toss chicken pieces in a bit of olive oil and garlic paste or garlic granules (to avoid having to peel fresh garlic) and put into a roasting pan with a glass of white wine or dry sherry, fresh herbs, baby potatoes, baby carrots (choosing these veg as they need no prep at all) cover with tin foil and bake for 30 mins. Take the foil off and add some purple sprouting broccoli and bake for another 15 mins. Total prep time 5 mins. Quicker than ordering a take out, and only one pan to wash up.

How do you not save money? I am always so shocked how much takeaways cost. Supermarket fakeaway foods are half the price, and cooking fresh is usually either massively cheaper or slightly if you choose expensive treats.

Are you trying to save money OP, whats the reason you want to stop the takeaways?

If they serve a purpose and you can afford them, just carry on

I agree with others about Cook and Charlie Bingham but they arent cheap either if its about money, you'll spend about the same on them as a takeaway (because they're smaller portions)

Because we buy fancier foods to cook, nice drinks, usually some snacks and come out of the supermarket having spent more than a takeaway would cost.

Ah yes, that does add up. I do that sometimes too. But it tastes nicer than takeaways imo.