Talk to Tesco about your store cupboard hero and your top three ways to use it - you could win a £200 Tesco voucher NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

We've been asked by Tesco to find out about Mumsnetters' store cupboard heroes.

Here’s what Tesco say, “The Tesco Eat Happy Project is our long-term commitment to help children have a healthier and happier relationship with their food. We’ve got lots of recipes for healthy, tasty dishes that we think they’ll love – especially if they help you prepare them. But we’re keen to hear your recipe ideas too.”

So, what is your store cupboard hero and what are your top 3 ways to use it? Perhaps you always keep pesto in your cupboard, to stir into pasta, pep up a risotto or spread onto pastry to make a savoury puff? Or maybe you like to have lentils in stock, to add to soup, bulk out a stew or make a warm winter salad with?

Whatever your store cupboard hero is, Tesco would love to hear about it!

Everyone who adds their comments to the thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £200 Tesco voucher.

Please note that any comments posted on this thread may be used by Tesco in further marketing material (anonymously, of course).

Thanks and good luck,
MNHQ

Tinned chick peas - houmous, falafel, vegetable tagine.

hot dogs... hot dog's in a roll with onions, put in pasta with tomatoes,onions and peppers, a good pizza topping

Worcestershire sauce is my cupboard hero..I wouldn't be without it! I use it in so many ways but my top three are: in my spaghetti bolognese sauce, to give my chili an extra special kick and on top of my cheese on toast for the perfect comfort food

Tinned Tomatoes. I use them to make a sauce for pasta, blitzed with garlic, onions and chicken/vegetable stock for soup (either add cream for cream of tomato or chicken and rice) and I use them in a chicken dish where I use chicken breasts topped with slices of mozzarella and tinned tomatoes poured over the top.

I'm another devotee of canned chopped tomatoes.

They are so useful for any mince dishes and stews casseroles.

I read as well that cooked tomatoes release more lycopene from fresh ones, so that's an extra reason to use them.

Passata - it's awesome (and cheap)

My three favourite ways to use it are

Bolognase or ragu type sauce
Pulled pork with bbq sauce
Chicken curry

mmmmmmmm

Soup
Beans
Pasta sauce
Pasta
Rice
Flour and baking ingredients
Porridge oats
Ready bake rolls/ciabatta
Uht milk
Crackers (for cheese)
Nutella
Chocolate
Biscuits
I keep some tinned veg...tinned potatoes are fine in a frittata

At the risk of repeating so many on here, it simply has to be tinned tomato. So many uses and even just on toast. I use them in the base of most of my pasta dishes, curry dishes, casseroles and even add to a shepherds pie.

Bicarbonate of soda as it has so many uses - baking biscuits and cakes but as well as cooking it is great as a cleaning agent. Used with vinegar it cleans out sinks, unblocks toilets. Used on grout it brings off the dirt so I think because of the variety of uses it has to be my must have store cupboard hero, its cheap too :)

Along with others tinned tomatos are a must have. Many uses and so versatile. Also pasta is a big thing in my house. Most evenings am busy with kids lessons so this is an easy quick meal with plenty of carbs in it.

tinned tomatoes - i use them in everything (and they're free on slimming world). Great for bolognese , chillis, pasta bakes, curries etc!

Tricolor Pasta, my lad adores them so I can get him to eat pretty much anything if I add those into the mix. To be honest it's more of a struggle to not give him them too much and keep his diet varied.

Dried pasta - can use it to make a quick spag bol on a busy day, or make some up to have with tuna mayo for lunch or use it with a pour over sauce and cooked chicken - it'll go with all sorts and costs very little!

Tinned tomates. I use them

with psata
in curries
to make soup
on pizzas

It would be the tomato theme for me too. Very good for tomato dishes, pizza bases and as a topping.

Caribbean hot sauce is essential. I use it to pep up everything from veggie chilli to savoury muffins to cheese on toast to salad dressings and dips.

worcestershire sauce - use it in loads of things but top 3 are, spaghetti bolognese, cheese on toast and lasagne.

Stock cubes! We always have various flavours in the cupboard - for stews, adding a bit of flavour to rice, soups, so versatile!

tinned tomatoes too, for my chicken/turkey/pork/meat suprise curry which is a weekly sometimes bi weekly tea time meal, chilli con carne and of course the nation's favourite (but not mine because I prefer curry) spaghetti bolognaise for my son who prefers it to curry (arrrrgh), but resistance is futile as they say....

As an aside thanks to Miss Yamabuki as I like the idea of tuna with beans & peppers...will try that next week when I go shopping

Lentils - fab in soup, curry even salads. They are cheap and full of goodness :)

Eggs- boiled, fried, scrambled, poached, omelettes, Mexican spicy eggs, egg fried rice, Pad Thai noodles, coating chicken goujons, not to mention the endless baking possibilities.

My store cupboard hero is a spicy pasta sauce. If I am caught short for time, I can simply boil some pasta & heat the sauce.
If I know I am going to be pressed for time in advance, I put the pasta sauce in the slow cooker with some chicken & chorizo, then it is cooked & ready for dinner when I need it & we can have it with rice, pasta or potatoes.
I can also use it as a replacement for pasta topping, for salsa or as a sauce for anything such as a mince based pasta sauce.

My store cupboard hero is tinned tuna used as a quick and simple topping for jacket potato, in a healthy salad,and with pasta. You will always find it in my cupboard

Baked Beans:

jacket potato filling
beans on toast
add to chilli con carne to make it go further

I'll avoid the tinned tomatoes comment, and choose tinned fruit. It's my stand by for when the kids have devoured all the fruit in 5 seconds flat and I want to add pudding (to the store cupboard meal of pasta, tuna and tinned tomatoes)

Porridge oats and raisins as well. I've managed to train the DC to eat porridge made with oats, water and raisins - on the days when they have washed down the fruit with the milk!