Ready meals instead of takeaways...

[craftinggeek]

Hia :)

We're always really busy on a Saturday and I never learn my lesson, get home cba to cook and order a takeaway.

With the view so save money (we generally eat very healthy through the week) can people recommend some decent ready meals?

Just thinking a decent ready meal must be cheaper than a takeaway which can often cost £30+.

TIA 🩷

Cook (you can find your nearest stockist on their website) love their curries, lasagne, lamb tagine, beef stroganoff 😋

Ready meals are very unhealthy. If we don't feel like cooking, we order a takeaway whole tandoori chicken from a North Indian restaurant (not a Bangladeshi one) with naan bread. It costs ca. 15 quid and it's so worth it. There is no way I would be able to cook this at home - they marinate the chicken in rich yoghurt and spices overnight before roasting it in a real tandoor oven. Yummy!

Oh that's a new one for me, thanks - although when I look at their black dal it says they only have 7% of urad lentils in it! That's rather offputing. Lentils are so cheap, why do they do that. A good black dal is my favourite.

Depends on the ready meal, Aldi have quite a few with no additives etc, just normal ingredients
Think M&S do as well so just how you would make at home

Morrisons ready meals are expensive now and used to be good quality but they aren't any more.

We like the Co-Op ones, and Sainsburys Chinese range is nice.

I don't mind supermarket pizza but ready meals don't feel like a treat. Cook range we eat on holiday as a treat to save on cooking. I'd agree that an m&s or sainsbury's bag of Indian or Thai is a good alternative but not as nice as a real takeaway

How about Morrisons or Asda rotisserie chicken and a ceasar salad?

I'm vegetarian so don't eat this but buy it regularly for my husband. He says it's the best bought curry https://www.marksandspencer.com/food/indian-goan-beef-vindaloo/p/fdp60710127 and he really likes this fish one too https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/waitrose-indian-fish-curry-for-2/042420-20992-20993?srsltid=AfmBOorbBn9hnvSxFAr10joEMwWwGzrbIskzXNeSyX4FbB7xqOKnTPA4

I had a crosta and mollica pizza the other day- that was nicer than any takeaway!

We tend to get ‘picky bits’ oh yes I said it. Things like the deli tubs of chorizo and Gouda, olives, artichokes, mozzarella/sundried tomatoes, chicken skewers, good bread, houmus, whipped feta, salami etc and feast on that!

Yes this one is really nice and loads of food, much cheaper than a takeaway.

I

Second Charlie bighams and M&S best ever tikka masala

We are really enjoying doughboys pizza at the min

Or the M&S loaded shawarma with salad and flatbreads

Is this some kind of market research?

We have a fakeaway or takeaway night once a week.
Asda do great choose your toppings pizza, M&S do a nice spicy chicken on sourdough. We have those with some chicken pops and spicy potato bites. Proper Papa John's fakeaway.
Or Chinese in a box from M&S with a bag of prawn crackers.
Or Indian from a jar with a bag of ready prepped veg, maybe some cooked chicken if we have leftover.
Or Italian night. Someone's finest lasagna and garlic bread. Or tortellini with a ready made fresh pasta sauce. Or a tray of waitrose mozzarella meatballs with fresh 3 min pasta.
Last night we had KFC fakeaway. Oven fries, corn on the cob, onion rings and M &S spicy chicken fillets in a bun with salad and garlic mayo.

Usually have something that just goes in the oven, sometimes have to add some pasta, but usually very easy . Around £12 for 3 of us fakeaway instead of £30 takeaway.

Thanks so much everyone...
Some great ideas here.

The cooks look delicious but there is a delivery charge.
M&S bags I hadn't thought of..

Exciting 😋

Yes this is what we quite often do now instead of a takeaway. I like the M&S one and the Tesco one isn't bad either

The m and s best lasagne in the black packaging is lovely. That, some salad, and a lemon tart! Still about £18 now tbf, but you will have leftover salad and tart for the next day

Meant to add the slow cooked range from M&S is good we had the char Sui pork and teriyaki beef great on bao

I agree, Waitrose Indian meals are fantastic, very authentic and nicely spiced.

@AprilF00L I love that Indian one - it's one of my favourites- the M&S Indian starter packs too are great for £3.50

I got a reduced plant based curry bag from Waitrose last month that I still think about. It was utterly delicious so I guess the meaty ones might be nice too. I'm veggie but dh who isn't, said even the fake chicken one was good. The sauces were so so tasty. Better than our take out

Anything from M&S.

Definitely recommend the Cook meals !

Frozen dimsum from the Chinese supermarket knock up a nice dipping sauce maybe some edamame and a few Thai or prawn crackers and that’s a Saturday night supper for a good price

Cook is brilliant and they’ve got a takeaway range as well so can still have Indian/Chinese/thai but way healthier and cheaper

Another Charlie Bigham fan.
Rana do really nice pasta and sauces.
And Cook frozen meals.

Ready made lasagne is ok with garlic bread and salad.
Waitrose or M&S curries.
Crosta & Mollica pizzas are excellent and UPF free.
Charlie Binghamse