NOW CLOSED Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes reviewer feedback thread.

[KatieBMumsnet]

This thread is for the 250 Mumsnetters who have been trying out the new 2in1 recipe mixes from Schwartz.

Here's what they say: "The new 2in1 range offers two easy to use recipe mix sachets in one handy pack: one sachet flavours the main dish whilst the other contains a seasoning for a complementary side dish or topping. With five different varieties to choose from, and an easy recipe on the back of each pack, this is a great way to try out new dishes or transform an existing family favourite from ordinary to special."

Mumsnetters have been trying the following recipe mixes:

• Garlic & Thyme roast chicken + crispy roast potatoes

• Chicken Tikka + mint & cucumber raita

• Mediterranean chicken pasta + crispy crumb topping

• Southern style crunchy chicken bites + BBQ dip

• Garlic & herb crunchy chicken bites + cheese & chive dip

Below are some questions for you to answer but please do feel free to add any other comments you may also have. We'd like you to post at least 3 sets of feedback - answering the same questions for each recipe mix you try. Please also upload any pictures you take of your creations. Please note, photos and comments may be used on Schwartz's pages on Mumsnet and possibly on other marketing material.

Questions

• Which 2in1 recipe mix did you try?
• How would you rate this recipe mix out of 5 (1 being lowest and 5 highest)
• What did you/your DCs think of the overall flavour of the product?
• How easy, or difficult, did you find the 2in1 mix to use?
• Did you follow the recipe on the back of the packet or did you add/take away any other ingredients?
• Would you say the 2in1 recipe mix made your mealtimes easier at all? If so, why? If not, why not?
• Do you think you will buy, or look to buy, Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes in the future? If so, why? If not, why not?
• Overall, would you say you loved the 2in1 recipe mix, you liked it or you hated it?

Everyone who adds at least 3 sets of feedback to this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will receive a £500 John Lewis voucher!

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

chicken currently marinading overnight for the chicken tikka one

Which 2in1 recipe mix did you try? Med Chicken pasta and crumb topping

• How would you rate this recipe mix out of 5 (1 being lowest and 5 highest) 4/5

• What did you/your DCs think of the overall flavour of the product? DH and myself really enjoyed the flavour, DS didn't like the crumb topping, it was too crispy for him

• How easy, or difficult, did you find the 2in1 mix to use? Well, I thought it was pretty easy, but then I didn't read through the ingredients properly, I went straight to the method, so when I had cooked the chicken and added the pepper and tomatoes, then I realised that I hadn't cooked the pasta, so it took longer! Perhaps the part about the COOKED PASTA could be nearer the top of the ingredients, for numpties!

• Did you follow the recipe on the back of the packet or did you add/take away any other ingredients? I stuck to the recipe, but used a different coloured pepper

• Would you say the 2in1 recipe mix made your mealtimes easier at all? If so, why? If not, why not? It was an easy, quick meal to make (if you read the instructions first!

• Do you think you will buy, or look to buy, Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes in the future? If so, why? If not, why not? I would buy this recipe mix again, yes

- Which 2in1 recipe mix did you try?
Mediterranean chicken pasta + crispy crumb topping

- How would you rate this recipe mix out of 5 (1 being lowest and 5 highest)
2

- What did you/your DCs think of the overall flavour of the product?
It was OK, but nothing special

- How easy, or difficult, did you find the 2in1 mix to use?
Quite easy

- Did you follow the recipe on the back of the packet or did you add/take away any other ingredients?
We did the tuna and sweetcorn variant

- Would you say the 2in1 recipe mix made your mealtimes easier at all? If so, why? If not, why not
I don't think it made a huge difference, pasta bake is not especially difficult and a simple cruch topping can be easily made from a pack of crisps.

- Do you think you will buy, or look to buy, Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes in the future? If so, why? If not, why not?
Probably not this one

- Overall, would you say you loved the 2in1 recipe mix, you liked it or you hated it?
I felt fairly neutral about this one.

• Which 2in1 recipe mix did you try?

Last night we tried the Garlic & Thyme roast chicken + crispy roast potatoes

• How would you rate this recipe mix out of 5 (1 being lowest and 5 highest)

2

• What did you/your DCs think of the overall flavour of the product?

I enjoyed the meal, but this was due to buying a good quality chicken rather than the hate being particularly tasty, I really enjoyed the potatoes but they didn't look appetising, I think they may have needed slightly longer to really crisp up

• How easy, or difficult, did you find the 2in1 mix to use?

Very easy. I liked mixing the oil and bating the whole chicken, I thought it needed more salt although I realise that companies are really trying to rice salt contents but IMHO chicken skin needs salt!

• Did you follow the recipe on the back of the packet or did you add/take away any other ingredients? I normally put half a lemon in a roast chicken as I'm cooking to add flavour and moisture but didn't, next time I definitely would. I also added red onions and garlic in with the potatoes and then 10 mins before the end added frozen peas, they always taste nice in the oil and cook quickly in a hot oven

• Would you say the 2in1 recipe mix made your mealtimes easier at all? If so, why? If not, why not

Not really, it's something I regularly cook and doesn't need much imagination.

• Do you think you will buy, or look to buy, Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes in the future? If so, why? If not, why not?

Not this one, possibly the chicken tikka

• Overall, would you say you loved the 2in1 recipe mix, you liked it or you hated it?

Hate is a bit strong but I didn't really like it

Which 2in1 recipe mix did you try?
Chicken Tikka Bites

How would you rate this recipe mix out of 5 (1 being lowest and 5 highest)
4.5

What did you/your DCs think of the overall flavour of the product?
We didn't bother giving this to the DC's as they do not like anything spicy but DH and I really enjoyed it and felt the flavours really complemented each other.

How easy, or difficult, did you find the 2in1 mix to use?
Very easy, just a bit of stirring together and you're done.

Did you follow the recipe on the back of the packet or did you add/take away any other ingredients?
Yes we followed the recipe on the back and served it with basmati rice and plain naan breads.

Would you say the 2in1 recipe mix made your mealtimes easier at all? If so, why? If not, why not?
I usually cook from scratch so making this did make things much quicker and easier whilst still tasting great.

Do you think you will buy, or look to buy, Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes in the future? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes we would buy this one again

Overall, would you say you loved the 2in1 recipe mix, you liked it or you hated it?
Both DH and I loved this recipe

I'm not going to use the roast chicken and potatoes packet.

It's so easy to deliciously roast chicken and potatoes and very easily variable. I just can't see how adding a packet of this stuff can make things better. After the two packets I've tried to date I'm not confident enough in the product to think using it on a whole chicken could be a good idea.

Just do the potatoes bit BeCool.

We had the Mediterranean pasta with crispy crumb topping last night.

The best part was that DH made it, and was happy to do so. He said it was good for someone like him who can't cook! However, watching from the sidelines I'm not sure it was any more convenient than just making something similar from scratch, lots of pots and pans still, several processes, which I don't mind BUT I like cooking and if I'm going to do that I'm not sure I'd bother getting a sachet.

The end product: the topping, we both agreed, was delicious. The main pasta part, however, tasted a bit 'ready meal' to both of us, and whilst we both like pepper we felt there was too much in there. I would have liked the tomato sauce to taste much more tomatoey.

I'd do this again if I happened to have it in the cupboard. We liked it, but I certainly wouldn't bother buying it again. It fills a gap between convenience food and cooking that, for me, doesn't need filling (I'm all or nothing!)

Which 2in1 recipe mix did you try?
Garlic and herb chicken bites

• How would you rate this recipe mix out of 5 (1 being lowest and 5 highest)

3

• What did you/your DCs think of the overall flavour of the product?

DD (6) really enjoyed helping to prepare it. The flavour of the chicken was nice. The dip did not go down well. I was pleased that it wasn't too salty

• How easy, or difficult, did you find the 2in1 mix to use?

Easy

• Did you follow the recipe on the back of the packet or did you add/take away any other ingredients?

Followed the recipe

• Would you say the 2in1 recipe mix made your mealtimes easier at all? If so, why? If not, why not?

It was not so much easier - but was nice to have something a bit different - rather than using plain breadcrumbs

• Do you think you will buy, or look to buy, Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes in the future? If so, why? If not, why not?

I wouldn't buy this one, as the dip would be wasted

• Overall, would you say you loved the 2in1 recipe mix, you liked it or you hated it?

Well as I liked both the chicken and the dip, I liked it. Everyone liked the chicken, but not everyone liked the dip.

Going to do the Med chicken tonight

• Which 2in1 recipe mix did you try?

Garlic and Thyme roast chicken and crispy potatoes

• How would you rate this recipe mix out of 5 (1 being lowest and 5 highest)

I say 3, DH says 2

• What did you/your DCs think of the overall flavour of the product?

Potatoes were crispy and tasted good. Not impressed with the chicken, the flavour was too overpowering and we both preferred the way we usually cook it. Also DH likes the crispy chicken skin which you don't get when using the mix.

• How easy, or difficult, did you find the 2in1 mix to use?

Very easy

• Did you follow the recipe on the back of the packet or did you add/take away any other ingredients?

Followed the recipe

• Would you say the 2in1 recipe mix made your mealtimes easier at all? If so, why? If not, why not?

I ended up using a bowl I wouldn't usually when cooking roast chicken (to mix the oil and seasoning in) so would say it made more washing up and took a little more time. (This was minimal and wouldn't stop me using it again if we had liked it)

• Do you think you will buy, or look to buy, Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes in the future? If so, why? If not, why not?

Not this one. We weren't impressed with the chicken but would buy the potato mix if I could buy it separately.

• Overall, would you say you loved the 2in1 recipe mix, you liked it or you hated it?

Liked the potatoes, disliked the chicken.

Which 2in1 recipe mix did you try?
Chicken Tikka bites and Raita

• How would you rate this recipe mix out of 5 (1 being lowest and 5 highest) 5, we really enjoyed it and the dip was delicious.
• What did you/your DCs think of the overall flavour of the product?

The chicken wasn't too spicy and so the DC's all loved it. The dip was really tasty and complemented the bites really well. Everyone asked for seconds!

• How easy, or difficult, did you find the 2in1 mix to use?

It was easy to make up though I wasn't immediately clear which was which packet, maybe it could say a bit more boldly on the side. Also, it was easy to rip through both packets at once making an awful mess, and yes, I did do that!

• Did you follow the recipe on the back of the packet or did you add/take away any other ingredients? I followed the recipe on this one, but it would also be nice without the onion.
• Would you say the 2in1 recipe mix made your mealtimes easier at all? If so, why? If not, why not? Yes, it did. It felt like a proper meal but was nice not to think about it after a particularly busy day. It made it easier as it was also tasty enough to feel special without the guilty feeling of not having spent much time on it.
• Do you think you will buy, or look to buy, Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes in the future? If so, why? If not, why not? I would definitely keep this one in the cupboard for another busy day as everyone loved it.
• Overall, would you say you loved the 2in1 recipe mix, you liked it or you hated it? I really did love this and so did everyone else.

Which 2in1 recipe mix did you try?
Chicken and herb pasta with crispy topping

• How would you rate this recipe mix out of 5 (1 being lowest and 5 highest)

2

• What did you/your DCs think of the overall flavour of the product?

This didn't have as much flavour as I imagined it would and was a bit bland for us. The DC's quite liked it though but not the crumb topping.

• How easy, or difficult, did you find the 2in1 mix to use?

It was easy, but as we had to add peppers and tomatoes etc it didn't feel as if it was that easy to do and not so quick. The crumb was easy to add though.

• Did you follow the recipe on the back of the packet or did you add/take away any other ingredients? We did follow the recipe but added more chicken and some fresh basil afterwards.

• Would you say the 2in1 recipe mix made your mealtimes easier at all? If so, why? If not, why not? I found chopping peppers and tomatoes more time consuming so this one didn't feel as if it made meal times much easier or even tastier which would have made it worth it.

• Do you think you will buy, or look to buy, Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes in the future? If so, why? If not, why not? Not this one. I didn't particularly like this flavour and was nothing special or different from the ordinary pasta bake I might cook on a weekday.

• Overall, would you say you loved the 2in1 recipe mix, you liked it or you hated it? Just neutral about this one really.

Here's my third review:
Which 2in1 recipe mix did you try?
Southern Style chicken bites with BBQ sauce

How would you rate this recipe mix out of 5 (1 being lowest and 5 highest)
4.5
What did you/your DCs think of the overall flavour of the product?
The children loved this one, and DH really liked it too. "Even better than the chicken Tikka" said DD1. I knocked half a point off for the BBQ sauce, although they liked it, we didn't feel it was better than either ordinary ketchup or BBQ flavoured ketchup which we already had. If you don't normally have BBQ ketchup in your cupboard, this would make a change though.

How easy, or difficult, did you find the 2in1 mix to use?
Very easy and quick to do.

Did you follow the recipe on the back of the packet or did you add/take away any other ingredients?
Well it was really just a simple assembly job! Didn't add anything else.

Would you say the 2in1 recipe mix made your mealtimes easier at all? If so, why? If not, why not?
I think this would be easier than making it from scratch

Do you think you will buy, or look to buy, Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes in the future? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes, I might keep this one in the cupboard

Overall, would you say you loved the 2in1 recipe mix, you liked it or you hated it?
The children loved it

Which 2in1 recipe mix did you try?
Chicken Tikka + mint & cucumber raita

• How would you rate this recipe mix out of 5 (1 being lowest and 5 highest)

3

• What did you/your DCs think of the overall flavour of the product?

DD loved it, bit strong for ds - though he is autistic and a bit stuck in his ways food wise.

• How easy, or difficult, did you find the 2in1 mix to use?

3

• Did you follow the recipe on the back of the packet or did you add/take away any other ingredients?

Followed recipe

• Would you say the 2in1 recipe mix made your mealtimes easier at all? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes, I like to follow a recipe

• Do you think you will buy, or look to buy, Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes in the future? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes, though perhaps not this one as the children preferred the other ones.

• Overall, would you say you loved the 2in1 recipe mix, you liked it or you hated it?

Liked it.

1. We tried the Southern Style Chicken Bites and BBQ Dip
2. We would rate it 2-3 out of 5
3. The breadcrumbs were a bit too peppery without any other flavours and the BBQ dip was nice. We wouldn't normally have got DS to eat something so spicy except he made it!
4. It was easy to make but then half of it was based on a pre made sauce - ketchup. This seemed a little absurd.
5. We followed the packet instructions.
6. It made it easier than starting from scratch
7. I wouldn't buy this again. While DS liked making it, we keep BBQ sauce in stock and by buying our own breadcrumbs we could make it less spicy. The packet just didn't seem worth the money sorry. Maybe if the breadcrumbs had been more flavoursome and the sauce had allowed us to use less processed ingredients than we already had in a sauce bottle.
8. I'm ambivalent for the reasons stated at point 7.

Forgot to say that we used less chicken than it suggested. I would have been dubious about there being enough breadcrumbs otherwise but I could be wrong having not tried it.

• Which 2in1 recipe mix did you try?

Southern style crunchy chicken bites + BBQ dip

• How would you rate this recipe mix out of 5 (1 being lowest and 5 highest)

Flavour was great but had not quite enough mix to cover all the chicken. I didn't think I was being overly generous with the mix, so 4/5

• What did you/your DCs think of the overall flavour of the product?

I was surprised by the flavour, it was nicer than I was expecting for a pack mix. My DH and DD enjoyed them too.

• How easy, or difficult, did you find the 2in1 mix to use?

Really easy, did it for a Saturday lunch and managed to get it prepared and cooked well before an overtired toddler had reached the end of her rope.

• Did you follow the recipe on the back of the packet or did you add/take away any other ingredients?

Followed the recipe

• Would you say the 2in1 recipe mix made your mealtimes easier at all? If so, why? If not, why not?

It did make it really easy. If I had done this for a dinner I would have had to prepare more to go along with it such as vegetables but for a lunch snack it was fine and easy

• Do you think you will buy, or look to buy, Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes in the future? If so, why? If not, why not?

MY DH thought it would make a great beer snack so in that case probably would look for it for a snack or when entertaining rather than a family meal.

• Overall, would you say you loved the 2in1 recipe mix, you liked it or you hated it?

Loved it

Which 2in1 recipe mix did you try? Mediterranean Pasta mix

How would you rate this recipe mix out of 5 (1 being lowest and 5 highest) 1

What did you/your DCs think of the overall flavour of the product? It was only me and dh that tried this as both of mine HATE pasta bake with a passion. I did like the topping but we both really didn't like the herbs in the sauce - it tasted really unpleasant.
How easy, or difficult, did you find the 2in1 mix to use? Couldn't be easier.
Did you follow the recipe on the back of the packet or did you add/take away any other ingredients? Followed the recipe but used tuna instead of chicken as suggested on the packet.
Would you say the 2in1 recipe mix made your mealtimes easier at all? If so, why? If not, why not? In this particular case it did because when I make a tuna pasta bake I make a cheese sauce to top it with which is time consuming compared with this topping.
Do you think you will buy, or look to buy, Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes in the future? If so, why? If not, why not? Was being persuaded towards using these independently but after this one not so sure.
Overall, would you say you loved the 2in1 recipe mix, you liked it or you hated it? 'Hate' seems a bit strong - but really didn't enjoy it.

We tried the southern style chicken bites tonight. Overall 3.5 out of 5.

DH,DD and I enjoyed them! We did potato wedges and salads with

I personally found there wasn't quite enough to coat the chicken or make up enough BBQ sauce for all of us. The product didn't pour well out of the sachet either in my

We made the mixes as specified, mo additions this time

Although not a perfect product, I think it made this mealtime a bit easier. There was a nice new idea to try and the mixes were easy enough to make up. I felt like a great mum as everyone enjoyed the meal!

I would buy them of on offer, 1.29 a bit steep for the product.

I liked it though!

My third feedback report.

Which 2in1 recipe mix did you try?

Southern-Style Crunchy Chicken Bites + BBQ Dip

How would you rate this recipe mix out of 5
4

What did you/your DCs think of the overall flavour of the product?
We liked the flavours a lot.

How easy, or difficult, did you find the 2in1 mix to use?

1. The BBQ sauce didn't mix very well, even after leaving it in the fridge for a few hours and then giving it another good stir, there were still little lumps which hadn't mixed in properly (perhaps the tomato sauce I used was of inferior quality, it was a cheap one).

Did you follow the recipe on the back of the packet or did you add/take away any other ingredients?
I followed the recipe

Would you say the 2in1 recipe mix made your mealtimes easier at all? If so, why? If not, why not?

1. I like to make things from scratch, using natural ingredients or buying this kind of thing ready made and frozen. Compared to ready made/frozen these are much better as the coating is crunchier and a better flavour. I have tried making this kind of thing from scratch with all natural ingredients and the coating hasn't stuck on properly or looked & tasted as good as these bites. So considering that the result is better (and preferred) yes, in this case it's easier.

Do you think you will buy, or look to buy, Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes in the future? If so, why? If not, why not?

I don't think I would get this as the BBQ sauce mix lets it down, and the portion of crunchy crumb coating is not generous.

Overall, would you say you loved the 2in1 recipe mix, you liked it or you hated it?

We liked it.

(We liked the Tikka Bites and Raita dip so much I was looking around to buy another one in the shops today and I was disappointed to find they're not on the shelves yet!)

Photo to show we ate the Southern-Style Crunchy Chicken Bites with nacho chips, salad and rice. We had taco shells too.

Well, tonight we tried the tuna pasta bake. I wasn't so sure putting it together that I'd like it tbh. It seemed quite student-y, especially with the sweetcorn. However, it was better than I expected and we did enjoy it. However, the herby bake bit added together with tomato was nothing that I wouldn't have anyway in my cupboard, likewise the breadcrumb topping. However, it was nice enough and we'd make it again (probably from scratch though!).

• Which 2in1 recipe mix did you try? Tuna Mediterranean Bake
• How would you rate this recipe mix out of 5 (1 being lowest and 5 highest) 3 out of 5
• What did you/your DCs think of the overall flavour of the product? We liked it
• How easy, or difficult, did you find the 2in1 mix to use? Very easy (but TBH, it would be just as easy to shove a quick tomato sauce together too)
• Did you follow the recipe on the back of the packet or did you add/take away any other ingredients? Followed the recipe
• Would you say the 2in1 recipe mix made your mealtimes easier at all? If so, why? If not, why not? On this occasion, not that much quicker
• Do you think you will buy, or look to buy, Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes in the future? If so, why? If not, why not? Yes, but I'd buy them again
• Overall, would you say you loved the 2in1 recipe mix, you liked it or you hated it? We liked it but would probably make this from scratch next time.

Which 2in1 recipe mix did you try?

Garlic and herb chicken bites

How would you rate this recipe mix out of 5 (1 being lowest and 5 highest)

1

What did you/your DCs think of the overall flavour of the product?

The DCs quite liked it (although DS thought the dip was too yoghurty). DH thought it was bland. I didn't like it at all (although I preferred the dip to the chicken).

How easy, or difficult, did you find the 2in1 mix to use?

Easy

Did you follow the recipe on the back of the packet or did you add/take away any other ingredients?

Followed the recipe

Would you say the 2in1 recipe mix made your mealtimes easier at all? If so, why? If not, why not?

Not particularly. It wasn't really any less trouble than pulling a similar recipe together from scratch.

Do you think you will buy, or look to buy, Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes in the future? If so, why? If not, why not?

Certainly not this one. And I'm becoming more convinced that I'm not likely to buy any of them. This will probably motivate me to make up my own breadcrumb mixtures to have on hand to use on nuggets, though.

Overall, would you say you loved the 2in1 recipe mix, you liked it or you hated it?

I disliked this one (though hated would be too strong a word). The rest of the family were unenthusiastically neutral.

Which 2in1 recipe mix did you try?

Garlic and Thyme Roast chicken and Roast potatoes

How would you rate this recipe mix out of 5 (1 being lowest and 5 highest)

3
What did you/your DCs think of the overall flavour of the product?

We liked the flavour of the chicken and the flavour of the potatoes, but would have preferred just one item flavoured at a time.

How easy, or difficult, did you find the 2in1 mix to use?

Very easy, a lot more oil than I would usually use when roasting a chicken or potatoes though.

Did you follow the recipe on the back of the packet or did you add/take away any other ingredients?

Followed the recipe. Served up with some French beans, cabbage and carrots.

Would you say the 2in1 recipe mix made your mealtimes easier at all? If so, why? If not, why not?

Not in this case. My bunch are generally happy with a plain roast chicken and potatoes. It was a change though.

Do you think you will buy, or look to buy, Schwartz 2in1 recipe mixes in the future? If so, why? If not, why not?

Maybe, but not this one.

Overall, would you say you loved the 2in1 recipe mix, you liked it or you hated it?

Hmm.. liked it I guess.

Apologies for no photograph on this one, but I did manage with my previous three reviews :)

Made the pasta bake recipe This evening. To be honest I thought it was pretty horrid. Stuck to the recipe on the back but didn't feel that it made life easier at all. It wasn't hard but I thought it involved unnecessary steps, if I wanted to be quick I would use a jar. And looking at the ingredients of the sauce I'd be more likely to add them myself rather than use this again. The topping was okay but just cheese would have been fine. Husband and DS not wildly impressed either. Would give this a 1/5 and not recommend it or buy again.