See what Mumsnet users thought of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces

[JustineBMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the Mumsnet users who have been testing Homepride Slow Cooker concentrated sauces. The sauces are available in Chilli Con Carne, Chicken Curry, Beef & Ale or Pulled Pork flavours.

Here’s what Homepride has to say: “Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces are the 1st concentrated sauces for slow cooking. Ready in 3 easy steps, our sauces have been carefully blended to create perfect slow-cooked meals every time!”

Testers, please give your feedback by answering the following questions, as well as completing the short survey we’ve emailed you.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?
2. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?
3. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?
4. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

All testers who give the required feedback will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

Easy to use/prepare

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

They smelt amazing.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Depends on their taste- I found them nice but lacked flavour.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Not sure, something herby or spicy.

I tried the beef and ale casseroles and pulled pork.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

Just no fuss, able to whack everything in the slow cooker and not really have to think about it. Especially at the moment, with homeschooling, working from home whilst looking after a toddler. It’s one less stress. I also found them not too be too full of sugar compared to some other prepared sauces etc and with the pulled pork it was optional to make it sweeter And could feed us all for a change

2. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

We tried Pulled pork and chicken curry. They really enjoyed the flavours

3. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Yes, asking as the price doesn’t increase. It currently at £1.50 in my local supermarket which is probably maximum I would want to pay

4. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

More curry flavours and maybe casseroles in winter

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

We had the chicken curry and beef chilli sauces. They were both easy to use. No thought needed to make dinner! Clear instructions which I liked.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

They were tasty and required no thought! Dinner was ready as we got home.

Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?
No. To be honest there wasn't much difference between adding a tin of tomatoes and some curry paste/ spices to some meat and throwing in the slow cooker. And the second ingredient in both sauces was sugar which isn't ideal for a family meal!
It was not a nutritious meal really. A distinct lack of vegetables in both recipes (except 1/2 tin tomatoes).

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Anything vegetarian. They were all focused on meat which was a shame as you can make a lovely veggie slow cooker meal. A different curry flavour would be nice or a ragu type thing. I imagine someone trying to cut sown on meat would appreciate an easy, tasty slow cooker veggie sauce and recipe.

Just cooked Beef and Ale. I ignored the cook beef and onion on stove first as whats the point with onions and just cba with beef. Cooked on high for about 6 hours beef just fell apart. Served with mash and broccoli. So was plenty to go around. Also added about 180g of mushrooms after reading others had and there wasnt much sauce as mushrooms can help with that.
Very easy to do and will do again. Have the curry to try next

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

The packaging looked very nice and was very functional.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

Brought out a really nice flavour to the food added.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

No, there are cheaper alternatives we prefer

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Chicken casserole

I tried the curry and the chilli con carne sauces.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

Pretty idiot proof to prepare.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

That we didn't have to cook in the evening.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

No. I can make something much tastier with the herbs and spices I have in the cupboard. They both smelt amazing but weren't anything special in terms of flavour. The curry actually smelt incredible but we were all a bit disappointed by the flavour.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Something with a bit of spice, maybe jerk chicken thighs.

We tried the chicken curry and pulled pork sauces...

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

The sachets were easy to understand/use and packaging felt less wasteful not being a jar.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

They liked that the curry was tomato based, made a nice change.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Not really, seems overpriced and I feel slow cooker meals should be more simple (no pre cooking ect). Both sauces were more watery than we’d have liked and the pulled pork wasn’t very pleasant sadly. I’d get the curry again and tweak it but I wouldn’t recommend it.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Gravy one for mince/dumplings or casserole, creamy one for chicken, beef or pork and a tomato Italian one for bolagnaise/meatballs/sausage- I’d like the idea of a multi purpose flavour that could work with whatever ingredients you have in/can get

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

How easy they were to use. Only needed a few other ingredients to make a meal.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

The taste- we tried the chicken curry and the beef and ale. Me and my husband thought that the curry could have been a bit spicier but it was just right for my toddler. We all loved the beef and ale and will definitely have it again.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Yes. Ease of use. Great to stick in the slow cooker in the morning and in the evening just need to add rice or potatoes to have a lovely meal.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Sausage casserole, spicier curry, Thai food.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

Very easy to use, especially pulled pork. It was literally just put it on the meat. Hardest was finding pork shoulder. Cheap cuts in short supply round my way. Could not be simpler. Chicken curry pretty easy too but there were a couple more steps and additional ingredients.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

Children loved them both. They are slightly on the sweet side, so that explains it and the curry was mild. For those same reasons DH was less of a fan, but still had seconds. I thought they were both, pulled pork and chicken curry, remarkably tasty and not too artificial tasting. Much better than other cook in sauces I have used recently, possibly because if the long cooking time which means stuff has time to blend rather than just sit on surface.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

I would, because of the simplicity in making nice comforting hearty food. It can be done by yourself of course but means getting s lot of ingredients together. I did not like the plastic packet though and felt that it was hard to get it all out. I thought there was not enough in threes, but actually it went a very long way. It combines with meat juices and really extends.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Other curries, hotter ones. Coconut Thai curry Japanese cuisine Coq au vin Boeuf bourguinon Chicken chasseur. It is making me feel very 70s

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?
They are very easy to use & you don't need a lot if additional ingredients. For me the key thing was being able to put the meals together in a few minutes and then leave them alone while I got on with my work.

2. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?
The taste. They were completely delicious.

3. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?
Yes, because they are such a quick & easy way to make a tasty dinner.

4. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?
We tried the Beef & Ale stew & the chicken curry which were both delicious. I'd also be keen to try a coq-au-vin variety or maybe beef stroganoff.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces? They were very quick and easy to use. We used them days we are very busy and it was convenient to grab your dinner from the slow cook. We tested chicken curry and beef and ale. Would have liked to test the pulled pork (was meant to test pulled pork) but wasn’t available in Sainsbury’s.
2. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried? The fact it was very quick to prepare.
3. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why? Yes because of how convenient it was. Put together early in the day, very quickly, then you can eat at your own convenience.
4. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced? Tomato based ones, stew ones. Vegetarian ones where you can add more veg portions to them.

Not in stock at my local supermarket

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

They are really easy to use. It is great just to throw everything in the slow cooker and have a delicious meal a bit later

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

The taste, both the beef and ale and pulled pork were lovely. It is great not to have to faff around to prepare a meal.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Yes. They are easy to use and taste great.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Would love to see some creamy curries

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

I really liked how easy they were to use

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

I tried the beef and ale as this is what my local supermarket stocked. I wasn't too keen on the smell of this one while it was cooking but it tasted really nice.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

I would recommend them as they are easy and convenient

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Maybe some kind of barbecue flavour More choices of curry rather than a generic curry flavour

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

Very easy. At first I thought there was never going to be enough in the sachet but there was plenty for my slow cooker.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

Everyone liked the taste, so definitely a hit.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Yes. Easy and tasty.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Perhaps a chicken casserole or a tagine would be nice.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

The ease of preparation.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

Chicken curry

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Not sure - quite expensive for what it is and would need 2 packs to feed my whole family

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Something else you could use with chicken eg a creamy sauce

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?
Well, to be brutally honest, there was not a huge amount that we liked about them. Many have commented on how straightforward to use they were but I am not even sure if I would say this. The dishes we made were less tasty than our current versions, more expensive, used more plastic and (had we followed the instructions including browning the meat) more of a faff.
My usual slow cooker recipe for curry is very similar to yours (except I add lots of veg to the chicken which yours didn't, and therefore yours it didn't feel quite as healthy). I add veg, meat, tin of tomatoes and a spoonful of curry paste, and then yoghurt at the end. So I couldn't see any reason to swap to yours. On a more general level, the generic name 'chicken curry' made me wonder quite what flavour or spice level it might be, whereas the paste I buy in jars very clearly tell me.
2. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?
Very little unfortunately. We tried the chicken curry and chilli con carne versions (I really struggled to find them in my local supermarkets and, in fact, after I'd purchased them I realised I'd actually bought one that was out of date). The flavours were quite bland and were less tasty than the versions I usually cook in the slow cooker. I was hugely disappointed, as we like the sauces you sell in jars.
3. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?
Not really, for the following reasons:

• expensive, in single use plastic (compared to. say, a jar of curry paste which I think does the same thing at much lower cost)
• quite bland flavour
• recipe asks you to brown the meat first which, to me, reduces the major benefit of a slow cooker in terms of reducing effort and pan use
• I am not sure the recipes as that healthy. I add lots of veg to my casseroles, curries or chillis, but yours didn't.

4. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced? I suppose to get me interested in buying them, they would need to be for an unusual dish that I had not thought of trying in the slow cooker before, At present, their focus on casseroles, curries and chilli largely covers what I cook anyway. I would have liked to have tried the pulled pork one because I've never cooked this in the slow cooker but couldn't find the sachet for that.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

It's very easy to use. No messing about with too many extra ingredients.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

My family loved the chicken curry. It was nice to spend more time with them in the evening, than prepping dinner and then standing to cook it.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Yes! It's super easy and very tasty.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Sausage casserole maybe. And more curries.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

They tasted lovely and it felt a lot nicer than buying pre-packaged food, as I was able to use fresh meat and adjust the flavour as it cooked.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

Children loved the taste. DP loved that it didn't take as long for dinner to be ready

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

I personally would recommend them, yes. The price point is very good, you could pick up a sachet along with meat (or veg or paneer etc) at the shops and look forward to a very tasty dinner.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Bolognese, creamy white wine with mushroom, Thai green curry.

We tried Beef in Ale - lovely and also the pulled pork - trying this week.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

Ease of use, has everything you need in an easy to use package

2. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?
How easy they were to use, providing a lovely meal with little effort

3. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Yes I would for the busy parent it's quick and easy to use

4. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?
Maybe a shepherds pie, fajita mix, casserole

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

They are easy to use.

2. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

Good flavours.

3. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Yes I would recommend.

4. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Sausage casserole (not tomato based) or a sweet chilli sauce.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

Very easy to use. Liked the small size packet which fits easier into cupboard than a bulky jar.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

The beef and ale was nice. I think ease of use. Handy to have if I really can't be bothered to cook. However my children didn't like them so they aren't really for me.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Not really. I really didn't like the smell of the chicken curry sauce and it being a slow cooker meal, it meant the house smelt of it for quite a while. I would have liked to have tried the chilli but couldn't find it in stock.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Anything I couldn't easily do myself with ingredients I don't usually have in the cupboard. Whilst I liked the beef and ale it's fairly easy to throw this together yourself.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

They were very easy to use and didn't require many other ingredients. They also seemed to be lower in salt than some other readymade sauces

2. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

They really liked the chicken curry which I was surprised about as it was slightly spicier than they were used to.

Pulled pork wasn't as strong a flavour and was more take it or leave it

3. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

Very easy for a quick slow-cooker meal. I'm thinking would be great if we were away, especially in a caravan or similar where cooking facilities are limited.

I'm not sure I would recommend day to day as quite easy to replicate these flavours.

4. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Not so much a flavour but I would have liked to see some suggestion on how to introduce more vegetables etc. For example, I added frozen peas, carrots and green beans to the chicken curry which tasted really good.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

Speed to prepare - 1 minute to put pork and sachet into slow cooker.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

Adults liked the pork on a bun.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

No. Can make tastier and more inspiring food with slightly more effort for less money with ingredients I already own. Would possibly suggest for those who really need a meal that can be prepared in 5 minutes.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

Casseroles or other exotic flavours that cannot be easily replicated at home.

1. What did you particularly like about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces?

The flavours were good in both the options I tried - chicken curry and pullled pork. They both had a good rich flavour and didn't taste like 'packet mixes'.

1. What was your family's favourite thing about the Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces you tried?

My son really enjoyed both meals. I asked him what he liked and he said they tasted nice. I liked the fact that they were quick to prepare and the recipes were simple, only needing a few additional ingredients.

1. Would you recommend the Homepride Slow Cooker range to others? Why?

I'd recommend them to people who are new to slow cookers, or don't have the time/ inclination to follow more complicated recipes. You get a quality result for very little start-up time.

1. Which other flavours of Homepride Slow Cooker Sauces that you would like to see introduced?

White wine and herb casserole mix. Sweet and sour sauce. Thai curry. Tagine. And why not put a vegetarian recipe on each pack as well as the main meaty version? I made barbecue baked beans with the pulled pork sachet, and vegetable curry with the chicken curry mix, and both worked really well. Happy to share recipes if you want them!