Meal plans for one, with little cooking.

If you are in range if a Cook shop they will deliver frozen readymade meals for one. They are excellent and a great standby. They also do larger portions if you want to entertain.

Hi, I found this discussion really interesting and wanted to contribute, even though it's an old thread. You should try different types of ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat products to make cooking easier and save time. You can also modify the dishes to suit your taste.

Recently, I tried some newly launched Indian ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat products. I used their All-Purpose Korma Gravy base to make Chicken Korma, and it was amazing. It's easy and convenient—just add 150 ml of water to the pan with the mixture and your sautéed or boiled chicken (or vegetables or meat, whatever you prefer). The water enhances the flavors and creates a rich aroma. Cook it for 15-20 minutes on medium-high heat, and it's ready. I had it with rice, and it was truly delicious.

I recommend trying their products and customizing them to your taste. You're definitely going to love them.

I hate cooking so I buy frozen veg, broccoli etc, which I cook for 6 mins in the microwave served with a very small piece of fresh meat from the market or frozen fish and with rice or spaghetti. Very boring twice a day but it does for me.

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Gordon rhodes sauce mix for the slow cooker is excellent, cook and divide into ready meals to freeze. Best value is from the website but also available on amazon

I used to be a wonderful cook because I had no choice, being widowed now is a whole new ball game. I am very aware of healthy eating and make sure I have 8-12 a day, however that is easily done. I eat a salad every day and pack these one pot meals with veg, chopped small for the slow cooker

If I want veggies cooked to go with eg a frozen meal, then it all goes into one pan at slightly different times

Rice is done to the max amount in my rice cooker, two cups of brown rice. One lot of energy. Put onto 2 cold plates afterwards and quickly cooled, divided and frozen as portions. I often use my microwave to re-heat an home made ready meal, rice on top and some raw green veg on top of that. It all cooks together well

My tall large freezer in my kitchen is an essential and takes the effort out of eating well

I use a small tower air fryer, only 2.2 litres but eg today, have taken a few of my home grown and part-boiled potatoes out of my freezer. Thaw on kitchen roll, quick spray and into air fryer with a couple of sausages. Served with my salad or mixed veg

Oops - house - but it made sense

Too far for a takeaway Hungry Horse !

I was thinking the other day that when the children left home I couldn’t get used to cooking for just the two of us and portions were always too big, and now I have to get used to cooking for one and have the same problem. I make casseroles, curry, chilli and bolognese sauce and freeze it in small foil dishes. I had stuffed baked potatoes yesterday which I had frozen and they were very nice reheated in the air fryer oven with a bacon chop. Tonight, chicken casserole. Some good ideas on here that I may take up, though.

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When I was a young businesswoman I used to do bulk cooking at the weekend and then often have the same concoction for the whole week when I came in from work. Never bothered me.

Is there anyone else like me in that I’m quite happy to have the same meal day after day eg I’ve had chilli every night this week except for the night we had fish and chips because we’d been out for the day?

I don't see why cooking seems so reluctant to go in the "things we were bought up to believe that arent actually true' basket.

My partner and I eat mainly different meals, so i will get my own evening meal separately.
I tend to eat the same things most weeks.

Which consists of: salmon and sweet potatoes with steamed broccoli.
Jacket potato with salad.
Sausage and mash.
Occasionally a ready meal.
Tinned vegetable curry with microwave rice.
Chicken Kiev with roast potatoes and veg.

I do try to vary with other stuff occasionally but it’s all quick cooking or microwave.

I also loathe cooking large meals after doing it for so many years and the washing up that follows.

bikergran

Do you have a slow cook, I have a small one.I have just bought some braising steak, will pop that in my slow cook on Sunday morning with few onions and carrots, then when Im home will take some frozen mash pellets out and have lovely steak,gravy mash and cabbage. Roll on Sunday.

I have a small slow cooker, and tried making a stew in it. Maybe I've got the magic touch or something but it tasted grim and the meat was tough. The slow cooker is now stuck at the back of a cupboard.
I'll stick to my usual fare, although I do have a tendency to live on toast.

Forgot to add - you could use leftover cooked chicken instead of the cheese if you have it.

I enjoy cooking and usually cook from scratch, but like everyone there are times when I want something quick and easy. My 'go to' quick meal is a bag of Mediterranean Veg (frozen - available in any supermarket) cooked in a frying pan or the air fryer with a dollop of pesto stirred through, and served with sliced or chopped and fried halloumi and lemon and coriander couscous. The couscous (again, all supermarket brands do it) just needs to have boiling water poured over it and left to stand for 5 minutes, the veg cooks in minutes and the halloumi air fries or stir fries in no time. Mix it all together and you have a healthy and tasty meal with 2-3 servings in no time.

Because of mobility problem and fear of falling I cannot use the frying pan or boil anything or stand to chop vegetables but I still manage to cook a dinner every day. Most of the time the slow cooker using frozen onions and frozen stew pack with what ever meat or chicken and lentils or pearl barley or rice and a stock cube. Fish in the microwave only takes minutes with frozen mash potato and peas. Egg in a little dish forty second in the micro.. also have mini oven and grill so cook breaded fish and chips.
I tried ready meals but on reading the back of the pack and seeing all the additives now longer use them.

MissAdventure

I buy soup.

I have read somewhere that it is the best kind of quick meal for nutritional purposes, and isn't different at all to homemade.
That'll do for me!

I do like a Heinz tomato soup, though, with all different kinds of bread.

heinz tomato soup and cheese on toast is the best comfort food ever imo

I like a nest of egg noodles put in boiling water for 4 mins, drain, lob on some salad bits and empty over a tin of sardines or sild in a tomato sauce (or they do other sauces now) It is a satisfying amount of food