Useful food buys to save time.

Waves at MaisieD I make my own mayonnaise. But not all the time in case you think I'm some kind of mad thing. I use the diced veg packs from Tesco if I'm making lentil soup but that's all really. I have plenty of time to faff about in the kitchen so I'm happy to chop etc and make roux.

Do the little jars of ginger , garlic etc taste as good as fresh ? I have always avoided them thinking they might be bland in comparison. I could be converted.

Certainly Schwartz mixes - chilli especially, and sausage casserole. Tubs of “five-cheese sauce” from the supermarket when I can’t be bothered to make my own, and M&S do a lovely ready made dill and lemon sauce. Packs of microwave rice, and other grains, are useful for a small portion. Always JusRoll puff pastry. Life is too short to make it from scratch. And am I the only one who can’t get on with frozen mushrooms?

My most useful one is Pateks Curry Paste, in different Indian flavours.
I prefer milder.
I usually get at least four curries from one jar and the rest keeps in the fridge.
Oh and coconut cream to throw in at the last minute.
Oh and 2 minute microwave Wholemeal rice.

Puff pastry.

One of my favourite lunch dishes is garlic mushrooms on toast. I find garlic puree (in a tube) a convenient shortcut. And recently I bought a tube of smoked garlic puree, which lent a certain je ne sais quoi to a very easy lunch.

Soup mixes from the fresh veg section. We have bought leek and potato, vegetable, carrot and coriander. Veg already chopped. Just add water and a stock cube. A bit lazy but cheap (about £1 ish) and quick.

Same here spottysocks.

I use a packet of 'Pasta 'n' Sauce' with extra milk for a macaroni cheese, adding a topping of panko crumbs and grated cheese. The last packets I bought were Asda brand at 20p, each making 3 servings.

I also have a selection of Parsley Box meals which are useful when I am counting calories. They are surprisingly tasty, but I wouldn't use them every day, preferring to cook from scratch most of the time.

nanna8

I always have mincemeat in the freezer and buy it in bulk for pasta dishes, curries, shepherds pies etc. Also, when we go to Costco I buy bulk chicken fillets and fish, divide it up into 2 serves and use that thing you get in Aldis to vacuum seal it and then freeze it. Always something there to eat.

I read the first line of that and thought...ewww! Then I realised you meant minced meat - mincemeat to me is what you put in xmas mince pies!

I never peel potatoes...anyone else?

A quick 10min meal that I enjoy is a tub of carbonara sauce & fresh tagliatelle served with crispy bread,I always have some in as an emergency and find it very satisfying.

Puff pastry, microwave rice or grains, frozen mash.

Blondiescot & Nanna8
I also thought of Xmas mincemeat - thought it was rather unusual and was actually going to try it! ? That's how bored I am with my own cooking.
However I do sometimes add raisins to my curry.

Elegran

Tesco Chef's Base, a 400g bag of finely diced onion, carrot and celery (called mirepoix by professionals) Use as a base in recipes for soups or casseroles.

I swear by this. It's so useful, we always have some in the freezer.

Ready made parsely sauce and mash for a fish pie; ready made mash on cottage/shepherds pies.

When my son was at school and needed cakes for something I would buy a couple of packs of plain fairy cakes, ready made butter cream and a couple of packs of dolly mixture. I had a stash of food colours and sprinkles. So a dash of colouring in some icong, spread on the cake and then go mad with the dolly mixture and sprinkles. (Or let son do it).

Any prepared veg, with arthritic hands it's the only way I can manage them. Usually frozen as it's easier for portion control when you live alone.

I like Spice Tailor Curry kits. I also keep garlic, chillies and herbs in frozen packs in the freezer for quick access.
Blue Dragon stir fry sauces make a regular appearance and some of the microwave rices are good, though not Sainsbury’s own.

Frozen berries and frozen nuggets of spinach. Both invaluable for weekday breakfasts when in a rush to get to work. Into smoothies, berries for porridge, spinach for omelettes and eggs florentine. Couldn't be without!

Cooking used to be more like a hobby for me. I even used to demonstrate yeast cookery at WI. I still don’t like to use jars ready made jars of sauces. But now I cannot stand because of arthritis I rely on packs of frozen stewing vegetables, chopped onions, mashed potatoes, raspberries etc. Much less waste. However I wish the packs were smaller because I only have a small fridge.
I wouldn’t be without my slow cooker and do miss the pressure cooker which I got rid of because it was too big and dangerous.

I used to buy a pack of ready prepared veg in tesco and make soup. Cook it in stock, season and blitz. Add chopped parsley and serve.

Like Greyduster I couldn’t get on with frozen mushrooms. Mine were watery and rubbery no matter what I did.

Conversely I am having success with frozen grated garlic from Asda. I thought it might be bland but it really isn’t. In fact, I’m working my way through this shop’s scratch cook ingredients plus I like their frozen mixed cabbage.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I use Simply Cook spices together with their recipes for quick 20 minute meals. Taste much nicer than your own mix of spices.

Frozen mashed potato from Iceland or elsewhere is mine.You need a lot, so I'm not sure quite what it is mixed with but some left over bolognese with that one top makes for a quick cottage pie.