Ready meals - any favourites?

Not a ready meal but a great cupboard standby - Sainsbury’s tinned chicken in white sauce. Goes with jacket potato or stick in frozen pastry for pie , or with pasta. Beautiful big pieces of chicken breast in good sauce. Serves two generously or three at a good pinch.

We are hooked on "Cook" meals here, their curries are great and many of the dishes are gluten free etc.

And vegan ones

Another vote for Cook - they actually taste home made. I stock up on their vegan ones.

MissAdventure

Not so much a ready meal, but I do keep frozen jacket potatoes in the freezer.
5 mins in the microwave, then filled up with beans and cheese.

That’s one of my occasional go-to, too tired or just can’t be bothered, meals.
We have an ancient combi microwave, so with oven and microwave on together, I can have 2 big jackets with crispy skins, in 14 minutes. Or 15 if they really are whoppers.

They go very well with cauliflower cheese, too, which is one of dh’s all-time favourites. I’ve never found a ready-made version that’s quite cheesy enough, though - and a dollop of English mustard in the sauce is essential here.

Thank you teacheranne. I hadn't thought about a kitchen stool, but will now. It's a great idea. Sometimes I put the veg and a saucepan and knife etc on a tray and sit on the sofa to prepare veg.

My husband considers himself a bit of a curry expert . He makes them a lot, grinds his own spices etc. He really likes Sainsburys curries. They really are lovely.

I make my own, far healthier. Batch cook and freeze is the way to go

Charlie Bigham for me too. They’re worth the money but can sometimes be found reduced in supermarkets. I freeze them. Quality seems just as good and we’ve survived!

I tried Parsley Box a few months ago and they were really dull. I pity people who have no choice than to have this type of food. I too think they taste like the school dinners as I remember them as just bland. I almost always cook from scratch but just occasionally get seduced by a ready meal by the very appealing picture on the box. If only the contents even looked similar ! The taste is usually really salty for me and sweet too. Really not for me until I have no choice.

Do not really eat them very often as I cook in larger portions and freeze them then myself, but an odd time I like the Italian range in M&S.

We have found Charlie Binghams meals very good. Especially like the Chicken Pies with Puff Pastry , they come in an oven proof dish. Yes they do cost more but are tasty and a decent size.

I just don’t like M&S food.
There’s never a taste they don’t add something pretentious to
And it’s very overpriced.
Lidl, Aldi and Tesco have basics such as spag. bol.
Also some real surprises on the instant meal market. Good quality, too.
I stopped buying at M&S when their cotton knickers suddenly appeared on sale with their reinforced crutch in the wrong place for a female body.

Similar here that we normally cook from scratch and I suppose not strictly a ready meal, but M&S chicken Kiev in their gastrointestinal range is delish! Just need a few veggies, we regularly get it for Sunday dinner.

Like so many of you I like Charlie Bingham. Parsley Box are just awful.
Not ready meals but I do use Hello Fresh and pick their 20-30 min cook time meals.

I very rarely by ready made meals, but there is one in particular I love. Tesco’s own liver and bacon in onion gravy (not the one that comes with mashed potato!!). Delicious?

We love jamnvegan- a range of Vegan frozen ready meals which are delivered to your door. You can choose from a subscription or one off box. They are healthy and full of flavour- dishes inspired from around the World. Always have some in the freezer. Mac n cheese is my current favourite ?. The Jerk Gravy is amazing- l could drink it ?

the op says ready meals .......making your own is not whats meant

Understand where you are coming from. Same situation. Please try www.Donald russell.co.uk Have been using them since beginning of lockdown last year. Excellent selections of meats I.e. pork chops to steaks but also their selection of ready made meals are just scrummy. For lasagne, curries, cottage pie, fish pie etc Most can be microwaved from frozen or cooked traditionally in the oven. I even bought a complete Christmas dinner with all the trimmings last year. It was amazing. Already place my order for this year. Turkey so succulent.

i agree with previous comments about parsley box, found them totally unappetising(my school dinners were better). Absolutely love aldi chicken chow mein.

Charlie Bigham Chicken Korma is delicious, but expensive and can be hard to find, often selling out. It's about £7.50 at Waitrose.

Also M&S Chicken Kiev from the Gastropub range is lovely, very garlicky!

Pedwards
Gastrointestinal?? Is that a new line?!

M&S Hoisin Duck Noodles are amazing and taste very authentic too. Single portion but plenty for one. Good served with a few prawn crackers

Mr L loves any ready meal sausage and mash for lunch at work. When im counting the cals I buy Asdas good and counted the hotpot one is lovely though quite small but add veg and it becomes a nice meal and cheap. I find Charlie Binghams very expensive.

These curries from Iceland are delicious!
www.iceland.co.uk/p/iceland-luxury-chicken-makhani-masala-400g/59646.html#start=1