Is there such a thing as a decent ready meal?

one thing I find quick and tasty is get a piece of smoked haddock. I just put it in a shallow dish with some milk and in the microwave for about 2 minutes. I do some frozen peas and have some lovely fresh bread and butter and that is an easy thing to make and not a lot of washing up or anything. It used to be a saturday tea in the winter time when we were young and lots of things happening so not a lot of time to make. I cannot eat cheese which is a nuiscance but my mother would add some grated cheese to the milk used to make a cheesy sauce with it. Also in the town here there is a butcher who is quite famous for his pork pies and general good place, that people come especially to buy from. He does a pack of 4 steak and kidney pies ready to bake so you can buy the 4 at a reasonable price, and freeze 3 and have the 4th that night,. then just add veg with it. I love a jacket potato, but always microwave it for a couple of minutes while the oven heats and then you get it cooked quicker but still have the lovely crispy skin. also for a sweet treat, I get a baking apple, draw a knife line round the middle , core , add raisins, brown sugar, and cinnamon and bake in the microwave, bliss on a cold winters day. Do you have any friends whose food you really like? could you do a skill swap? When my son was a toddler we had 3 of us liked different things and I remember my son used to be growing so quickly so that clothes were grown out of very quickly. So I chose material and paid for it and she made me trousers of my choice with big hems. I was considered a good and creative cook so I made birthday cake and other food for her child etc. Great results as you actually do something you enjoy doing and get praised by the person who hates cooking, but also get very good value trousers made. an hour doing something you enjoy doing seems to fly by, when for me an hours sewing would seem to last half the day!! Good luck in finding some things which suit you. Best wishes

Roast Kings online do lovely roast dinners and extras. Always have a couple in the freezer for ‘emergencies’.

Cook meals are good , but to buy free range chicken dishes I recommend Mindful Chef ( also do gluten and dairy free) . They aren’t cheap, but good quality and they deliver next day.

Do stay clear of ‘parsley box’ ready meals. Awful.

Sainsburys ‘ Taste The Difference ‘ range . lovely ….and approx £3-£3.50 for 1 or £6- £6.50 for a double serving, both of which we find plenty. Very generous and I think reasonable price. Just as good as M&S and lot cheaper. We have then twice a week.

Most ready meals don't include the veg. I remember years ago "TV dinners" that had all the trimmings in a little tray like you get prison food in. But nowadays you can get lots of different veg for the freezer that are ready prepared to heat in the microwave in their bags. Carrots, sweetcorn, broccoli, cauli, spinach... you name it. So you can definitely avoid preparation

My friend recommended Parsley Box meals. I thought they looked and tasted awful, so wouldn't buy them again.

I’d definitely say MS if you can get delivery. I get the 3 meals deal and it’s nice food, fish chips,Shepard’s pie, curry there is a good variety as well, it’s the best I’ve found when needed that quickness.

Our local butcher does complete home made ready meals such as stews, lasagnes, pies, roasts etc. They’re reasonably priced and very tasty, there may be some similar outlet near you

I have to say that we've always found the Wiltshire Farm Food meals we have delivered to be very tasty. We have them for our evening meal on the days we are 'fasting' (we stick to the 5:2 diet) because we know the meals we choose are balanced and less than 300 calories- our particular favourites are the chicken in garlic and basil sauce and the roast lamb in mint gravy.
There is such a wide choice, including a range of 'Hearty Meals' if you want bigger portions, or mini meals if you have low appetite. (I've no connection with this company, by the way!)

Mummer

Why all the fawning over M &S ??! Beyond me, overpriced mediocre samey. Aldi dofar superior reaymeals both fresh chilled and frozen, excellent quality and amazingly reasonable costs. Do yourself a favour and be adventurous - visit some of the far superior rooms retail outlets than flippin marks and sparks!!

I agree Mummer. More expensive doesn't mean better, just more profit!
As for fish pie it is so easy to make your own. Frozen fish mix, frozen prawns. frozen mash and a tub of herby cream cheese. Maybe some grated cheese on top. I also use cream cheese or creme fraiche for macaroni cheese or anything that needs a cheese sauce.

Is it fawning to say that you enjoyed something? Why all the flak for having an opinion? Not all places have the same supermarkets, and we don't all like the same things - just as well or the shelves in some supermarkets would be empty while others stayed full of rotting food..

I normally cook from scratch but sometimes treat my self to a ready meal and it has to Cook or Waitrose. Wouldn’t touch any of the others

Why all the fawning over M &S ??! Beyond me, overpriced mediocre samey. Aldi dofar superior reaymeals both fresh chilled and frozen, excellent quality and amazingly reasonable costs. Do yourself a favour and be adventurous - visit some of the far superior rooms retail outlets than flippin marks and sparks!!

I really like Charlie Bighams. I like the lasagne and the pies. I spoke to him once and he seems very hands -on in the company and very keen to hear any feedback. I'm afraid I don't like Cook they seem very tasteless and for the price, not really worth it,but I know they deliver in certain areas.

There are lots of good suggestions already. We sometimes have Waitrose ready meals like quiche, pizza, Bigham's various pies etc. We didn't much like the delivered ready meals aimed at pensioners in adverts in magazines - too bland and too unexciting!

If I want to ‘re-set’ my portions I sometimes buy the M & S small meals for one to remind me not to pile up my plate when home cooking! They’re pretty tasty and don’t appear to be too full of additives etc. There’s a good variety too. Some are freezable so useful to have as a standby.

By Ruby do wonderful home cooked ready mealshttps://byruby.co.uk

I shop for the freezer in Cook. For emergencies it's a Godsend to have something DH can make for himself. I'm happy with a poached egg if it's one of those days but Himself doesn't consider he's eaten unless he's had a plateful. He says the Indian meals are excellent. I find there's too much salt for me in ready meals bought from everywhere.

@teabagwoman. If you’re pre-diabetic do check out the nutrition online before buying. The sugar content can be extremely high in the savoury meals!!
If you find the product on the store website and click on the details, you’ll find the nutritional breakdown. Often quite scary.
If you’re also trying to keep the saturated fat down, it can be very limiting.

I'd second the votes for Charlie Bingham's meals from Waitrose, though they are riduculously expensive! I got some free a while back to review, and they were all delicious, really tasted home made. (My sister-in-law passes off their sticky toffee pudding as her own!)

Charlie B doesn't put nearly as much fish in his fish pies as he used to. We stopped getting them. To much sauce.

I second the recommendations for Cook and Charlie Bigham meals. I buy the former as freezer standbys for family members who need a bit of food support (eg with a newborn or during illness) and the latter for my parents-in-law who live close enough for us to pop round and cook/eat dinner with them. Both have reasonable portion sizes too.

Soozikinzi

I order the parsley box meals for my Mother in law I just get the ten meal offer which usually includes a couple of free desserts .They can be kept in the cupboard which is such a boon for her . She always says how good they are and I ask if she has a favourite but she likes them all !

I ordered some Parsley Box meals for my mum at the start of lockdown when everyone was panic buying. I thought they would be useful if I wasn’t able to get mums shopping order. However, the portion size is very small and most come without any vegetables.

I left them for mums Carer to heat up but after trying a couple of them, she asked me to taste one and I found them rather hard going - lacked flavour and had an odd texture, possibly due to the preserving methods to allow them to keep in a cupboard for six months. We all agreed that they were awful and I took them to a local food bank with my next donation - they refused them!

Ready meals really are a personal taste and everyone likes different things!

This evening I went to our local takeaway because my first choice (fish n chips) -shop isn’t open Mondays (his loss)

Lovely guy serving me: I ordered a generous spicy chicken burger with salad served in a squishy soft bun with garlic mayo, all cooked to perfection while I nipped next door to buy milk.

Added a can of chilled coke all for a fiver!

Very pleased as never ventured there before in all the time I’ve lived here.
Devoured hungrily and no pots, pans or cutlery were disturbed in the making of this meal. Result!