Confession Time - Cheat Products

[Eve]

Anyone out there confess to using any?

I'll admit to have bought already sliced mushrooms and microwave mash and rice.

[B00]

i always use microwave rice in a pack, ya know, the rip a corner off and nuke for 2 minutes job.

[knowabit]

Always use microwave rice....

[Psybbo]

Microwave rice and anything by Aintie Bessie

[EcclesCake]

After a recent thread on convenience foods I went and had a look around my fridge and kitchen cupboards.

All I could find was stock cubes!

[craft1948]

I always use microwave rice too, have frozen sliced mushrooms to put into stews etc...............

[society]

I buy frozen vegetables in the winter months, if that counts.

Sometimes when in a hurry I cook in the microwave.

[woofgang]

ready prepared frozen potato wedges
gravy and slow cooker mixes
frozen herbs and spices (ginger and garlic)
posh ready meals
frozen king prawns and mussels (real paella in 30 minutes!!)
m and s chinese ribs
bread mixes
packet brownie mix (stud with fresh raspberries so there is one in the centre of every slice when cooked and cut)
Packet cake mix
packet stuffing
Ikea ready to bake frozen cinnamon buns which are so good they should be illegal...15 minutes to bake from the freezer, cool for 5 minutes and tuck in.

[4getmenot]

chilli in a can mixed with a can of baked beans and put on microwave rice

[Eve]

Mmmmm cinnamon buns! Might have to get myself to an Ikea (without buying other stuff!). I use gravy powder too, too much of a faff otherwise if just me.

[Eve]

I have a lot of tinned/packet/fresh tub soups. I love Heinz tinned ravioli too (and Spaghetti hoops!).

[woofgang]

Eve, the crab and dill paste in a tube is salty but excellent and the gravadlax is pretty good, also the jams and sauces.

[pastafreak]

errmmm...stock cubes,and Marigold bouillon powder,frozen coriander and basil...I think that's about it.

[boxtops]

Yep - I always have a tinned meat pie on the shelf in case of famine/desperation, and we use Mr Mash, and instant rice, and loads of other things

[magsmay]

My 3 fav. cheats:

Frozen roasted Mediterranean vegetables -much cheaper than buying everything fresh and great for veggie lasagne or mixed with bulgar rice.

Frozen casserole veg - makes a quick 'homemade' soup

Bisto best roast beef gravy granules -make with 50/50 red wine & water its fab -the chicken one with white wine is good too.

[losgigs]

Mainly ready-made pastry. Most of them are so good, it's really not worth the effort of making from scratch. Even heard one of the 'celeb' chefs - may have been Nigel Slater - say he uses it,

[vodkancoke]

Frozen puff pastry and filo pastry. Life is too short to make these from scratch. We did it a cookery school and I swore to never, ever make them by hand again!
I also use stock cubes and microwave basmati rice.

[rockyracoon]

Microwave rice
Stock cubes and the stock pot thingies (they're fab)
Frozen pea and corn
Aunt Bessie's Rosti's
Heinz soups
Bisto

Definitely pastry, especially puff and filo.

[Sparkles62]

Microwave rice again, I'm the only one who eats rice, so it seems pointless doing it in a pan for just one portion.

[EcclesCake]

How could I forget pastry? Of course I buy puff & filo!

[askyourgran]

I have some frozen mushy peas, my daughter says I'm a cheat and MrAsk is shocked.