Is there such a thing as delicious ready meals?

My friend, widowed 18 months ago and the same age as me (87)
was recommended to try the Wiltshire Farm Foods range.
She has taken to them like a duck to water.
She has deliveries regularly, she passed the brochure on to me but I was not impressed, especially by the price.
However, horses for courses, and she is happy.
She says most are microwaveable from frozen and she can just choose, cook and eat in minutes which she likes.

kittylester

Charlie Bigham are often reduced.

Not often enough for me unfortunately. 😁

I avoid ready meals as it’s all heavily processed food but I do appreciate that some people rely on them.

I have done the Waitrose dine in, if I lived alone that would be my go to, you can easily freeze half, the starter makes a good lunch or supper so at £12 for two you can get 4 meals.

Charlie Bigham are often reduced.

Living alone and with my right arm out of action, I discovered the benefit of ready meals. My conclusion, they’re ok occasionally or when life stops you in your tracks. Charlie Bingham and Mand S my go to when needs must and for a treat if I can’t be bothered

twiglet77
I don’t think any Charlie Bigham’s meals are good enough to justify the price.
In general I agree, but when Booths have a 30% off for something that needs eating the same day, I’ll try some of them.
By doing that, we found their salmon en croûte very good and so quick to cook in the air fryer.

I tend not to have ready meals, but I frequently have “quick to prepare” ones - frozen jacket potato into the microwave / 5 mins, pasta with ready made pesto, etc.
I like the salads from M and S too.
www.ocado.com/products/m-s-super-green-salad-554159011

We have been disappointed with Cook meals.

We prefer fish and chips to ready meals.

We like the Co-op own brand of chilled curries. They can be frozen and are a great stand-by.

My GD brought me an M&S fish pie in last evening as I had had a busy day and was tired.
It was delicious although quite small, plenty for me but would need bulking out with veg for some.
However it was expensive and I wouldn’t be having it regularly.
I found the same with the COOK range.

sharon103

When you ladies batch cook and take a meal out of the freezer, do you defrost it before heating it up ?
I've never batch cooked but I would like to.
Also, if cooked from frozen or defrosted do you microwave, oven, air fry?
Thanks.

Thank you for all the replies.

I’ve just returned from my granddaughter’s graduation. We were planning to have a meal but the youngsters decided to go away celebrating, while we ‘oldies’ returned home - so when I got back home, I ordered myself a Biriyani - yummy 😋

M and S Best Ever meals are good, the lasagne, macaroni cheese and chicken, leek and smoked ham pie are all very good.

Boz, yes to Waitrose Coffee ice cream. I don't have a sweet tooth either and much prefer savoury but I could eat a tub of that ice cream (and actually have).

Other than the wonder and versatility of eggs, my go-to quick meal is a pan fried fish fillet, with either the surprisingly acceptable frozen mashed potato from Waitrose or Morrison’s, and spinach or broccoli, or new potatoes and salad leaves.

I don’t think any Charlie Bigham’s meals are good enough to justify the price.

We thoroughly enjoy Charlie Bingham curries and their Paella.

I would never cook again if I had the chance, but that’s me and I am not proud of my lack of expertise and interest.

BOZ, I used to be a fantastic cook when my husband was alive. We loved our meals, all home cooked, but when he died, I lost all interest in cooking, could not be bothered to cook from scratch and found I was living on coffee and biscuits day in and day out plus the odd tin of soup. Gradually I went on to the Marks and Spencer ready meals and stuck them in the microwave.

It was so much easier, I had lost the will to live to be honest but I kept going for our family. After a few years I still cannot be bothered to cook, I will make a salad, beans on toast but that is it. Since my husband died I have no interest in food at all. I am lucky to be healthy with no serious medical problems.

If I go out, I will have a meal and enjoy it so I have come to the conclusion it is not the food that is the problem, it is the fact I just cannot be bothered to prepare it.

We have all sorts of ready meals from M&S. Massive variety from salmon en croute to Bang Bang chicken and all points in between. People who say they don't like them or can always tell if they're ready meals are quite simply being snobbish.

Thank the Lord for Sainsbury's ready meals, especially when they have a Nectar discount. That's when I stuff the freezer with them. The only one I've never liked is the vegetable lasagne. So bland.

I defrost overnight in the fridge.

Some things - pasta sauces, soups, chilli - I tip in a saucepan and reheat on the hob when I'm ready to eat.

Meals like cottage pies go into the oven in the same dish, so make sure the dish is freezer and oven proof. Depending on how long it's been in the fridge it's worth noting that the centre of the meal could be very cold, so check that it's hot all the way through when cooking.

Have you seen all the additives in ready meals? I feed my OH them because he is not that fussy and I get a break from cooking.
If cooking just for myself, I prefer my own pasta sauce or a toasted sandwich which is comforting. I make lots of fancy chopped salads and my own soups and smoothies. Passed my MOT last month so must be doing right.
I must say I find eating healthily easy as I don't have a sweet tooth and I am never tempted by cakes.
Indulgence is a bag of chilli crisps or Waitrose's Columbian Coffee ice cream.

When my husband died I lost interest in cooking, I could not be bothered for one person. It was either buy a ready meal or starve. I like the M & S ready meals but I could not say they are delicious, they are just a means to an end for me.

When using one of my batch cooked meals I defrost in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the microwave.

I always defrost anything I’ve batch cooked, before heating up, usually in microwave.

When you ladies batch cook and take a meal out of the freezer, do you defrost it before heating it up ?
I've never batch cooked but I would like to.
Also, if cooked from frozen or defrosted do you microwave, oven, air fry?
Thanks.