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?!

Make your own junk food at home. It’ll still be healthier than bought in.

You could sometimes get a gousto/hello fresh box instead. You can usually get an offer, then the price for 3/4 meals is generally similar to one takeaway. You can choose ones which only take 10-15 mins to prepare.

I’d buy a Marks and Sparks best ever lasagne or Waitrose number 1, both cost about a tenner for basically two portions, and you can get some garlic bread at the same time. Just bung it all in the oven, and no real tidying up or pots etc.

There are lots of Indian and other cookshops opening up near us. We buy a couple of curries just as we would with a take-out but for under £5 each, less for veggie curries and a bunch of such as veg samosas and then heat it up later.

It's just as nice and much more convenient.

Quite a few supermarkets have fresh sushi counters, that’s good for a treat.

Fajhitas or tacos!
Get a kit so it’s nice and easy. But go wild with all the sides like nachos, sour cream, guacamole etc etc. It’s my favourite treat night tea.

We have the m&s one alone or with air fryer fries, better than most pub lasagnes. Also Crosta and mollica spicy meat pizza. Or a spice tailor curry kit with rice in instant pot.

I had a Spice Tailor daal the other night which was very good. I got it from Home Bargains too! Double win.

Recreate your favourites! I always prefer the home made versions

Pre chopped up noodle stir fry kits then you only have to wash up your wok
Or cook ready meals

We go one of two ways, we either get something to throw in the oven, M&S pizza or chicken meal deal is a winner, or at cook completely from scratch and make everything ourselves. I have an excellent salt and pepper chicken wings recipe if you want it 😁

If it's not cooking that you want can you try batch cooking? The Batch Cook Lady has some good ideas.

If you want a night if something more unusual than DS will eat how about Fakeaways? We're having Pinch of Nom's Pinch of Nom's Chinese Chicken & Broccoli one night this week and I've heard good things about Kwoklyn WAN's Books

I’d go with fake away - fajitas or burgers etc which are easy to make - or nice ready meals. Or party food. We have fakeaway Fridays and only get a takeaway for special occasions.

anything like slow cooker meals or traybake is a normal evening meal to me and wouldn’t replace a takeaway.

M&S / Charlie Bingham / Cook night.

the recipe stuff is all good too, but it doesn’t tick the box of no prep / clearing up whereas these all do.

Also - fresh pasta and sauce.

Charlie Bighams Tikka is great as is the M&S Best ever plus their Indian and Chinese meals are great easy options. Cost far less than takeaways plus it’s hot and not lukewarm and sweaty like most takeaways tend to be (can’t stand them personally)

I’m a huge supporter of everyone ditching takeaways entirely - overpriced, questionable hygiene and the quality can be dreadful.

Chicken tray bakes are my go to for a quick meal. Chicken drumsticks in a roasting dish with an onion chopped into 8 wedges, slice a pepper into wedges, a tin of butter beans, a tin of whole cherry tomatoes (plus half a tin of water), salt, pepper, a bit of dried oregano and then bake for 45 minutes. Some pitta bread and shop bought tzatziki on the side (or some Greek yogurt with some harissa paste stirred in).

We switch to Hello Fresh (other brands avail ;) ) and it unintentionally cut our take away use to barely anything. It's not cheap, but it's cheaper than take aways and takes all thought out of dinner. We did the meal for 2, 5 nights a week option.

Also, tiktok comes into its own for meal ideas - worth having just for that. Excellent meals home cooked and you can save the videos and use them as recipes.

My favourite "minimal effort" meal is the Jamie Oliver sausage tray bake.

A roasting dish full of cherry Tom's and garlic cloves and a lot of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add sausages and mix. Oven bake for 40mins. We have ours with sliced crusty bread and butter.