Ready meals - any favourites?

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

And vegan ones

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

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.

JaneJudge

Can you not get Ocado GSM?

The M&S lasagne is nice but all their gastro range is. Charlie Bigham's meals are nice too

I've just started eating the Charlie Bigham's meals and the Chicken Tikka Masala and Pilau Rice was delicious and one that I shall certainly have again.

Charlie Bigham meals are comparatively expensive but I buy the chicken curry for about £8. We can't buy a take away curry for that price and the Charlie Bigham one is delicious. I also know that it is gf.

None of the ready meals in Australia are edible, we haven't managed to do that yet. Better with home delivery takeaway Thai or Vietnamese. The diet ones work because they are so foul you wouldn't actually eat them, so you would lose weight.

annodomini you’re right about Charlie Bigham not being great for vegetarians.
It also drives me mad when meat (usually bacon) is added to something which really doesn’t warrant it, eg macaroni cheese, Brussels sprouts.
M&S used to do a butternut squash and goats cheese lasagne, which really was the food of the gods, but they stopped doing it, for some unfathomable reason

Another one here for Charlie Bigham. Lasagne and Meatball al forno especially. DH enjoys Fish pie too. Yes expensive but in my opinion well worth it.

I rarely eat ready meals. If we don't want to cook its usually either pizza and salad or fish fingers, oven chips and baked beans.

I resent all those calories, and the risk of raging heartburn for something without much taste.

Know what you mean.

I usually find shop cauli cheese a bit insipid.
It was the Cathedral City that I liked the sound of.
Lovely mature cheese!

MissAdventure Iceland do their own cauliflower cheese but idk what it’s like. Since lockdown I make my own and add bacon and tomatoes.

25Avalon

Iceland’s Cathedral City Macaroni cheese is very nice, and at only £5 for 2 very good value.

Do they do a cauliflower cheese version, do you know, please?
It's one of my favourite meals, just as it is, with crusty bread.

Moussaka is one I really enjoy.

Iceland’s Cathedral City Macaroni cheese is very nice, and at only £5 for 2 very good value.

Aldi Mac Cheese with pancetta and croutons, with rocket and cherry tomatoes. Most things from their Especially Selected range are good though. But I am a mac cheese fan.

Another Charlie Bigham here, yes they are a bit pricy, But I've just done an Ocado order & they are, (serves 2), 2 for £12, on offer.
We're lucky to have delivery here in Cambs., We did try for delivery to our NW Norfolk bolthole, but no luck there.

During the lockdown we tried the Parsley Box meals, (recommended on the GM thread,) a good stand-by, but the portions are tiny. (although they would suit an invalid or someone with a very small appetite!).
Not for us, my DH would need 2 or 3 meals at a time......!

I do cook meals, but the easier the better nowadays, in fact I've just ordered the ingredients for a lovely warming dish, also recommended on another thread, (thanks U)

JaneJudge

Can you not get Ocado GSM?

The M&S lasagne is nice but all their gastro range is. Charlie Bigham's meals are nice too

I haven’t tried their lasagne ( it’s something I make anyway) but the M&S spag bol is very good.
Charlie Bigham meals? Who are you Jane Rees Mogg??
They are so expensive!

Charlie isn't much good for vegetarians. I do sometimes eat fish and find his fish pie nearly as good as I could make myself - if I could be bothered! It's what I call a necessary extravagance.

*Bigham

Another Charlie Bingham fan here. When I first started buying his meal 12y ago their chicken pot pies (in a real pot - I kept a few for nibbles, hairgrips etc) were delicious. Haven’t seen them for a few years? But I love the macaroni cheese topped with breadcrumbs and bacon, and the Thai Red curry with jasmine rice.

Apologies if I've duplicated this post!
I don't buy ready meals often, but on the odd occasion that I have I've enjoyed Aldi's chilled Jalfrezi curry and rice. A decent sized single serving that can be padded out a little with one of their delicious garlic and coriander naan breads. Yummy!

M&S chicken and brocolli pie.