We took three family favourites from the ready meals range of Tesco, Sainsburys and Waitrose, and worked out how much it would cost to cook them yourselves. Both the results, and the comparable ingredients lists, certainly make for interesting reading!
Budget Bolognaise Tesco Bolognaise Pasta Sauce
£1.29 for a two person portion, 350g. (£2.58 for four)
Tomato (57%), British Beef (24%), Tomato Puree, Onion, Carrot, Red Wine (3%), Vegetable Oil, Sugar, Salt, Garlic Purée, Ham Stock, Basil, Black Pepper, Oregano, Thyme, Parsley, Bay Leaf, Malt Extract.Ham Stock contains: Ham, Water, Bacon, Salt, Sugar, Cornflour, Onion Concentrate, Herb Oil, Spice Oil.
Homemade version £2.16 for four (shopping at Tesco)
Ingredients:
500g beef mince - £1.40
250ml beef stock - 3p
Handful of mushrooms, sliced - 20p
Onion - 14p
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes - 30p
Tbsp tomato puree - 6p
Garlic clove, crushed - 3p
Seasoning
Method:
Fry the onion and garlic until soft, add the mince and brown it evenly. Add mushrooms and fry for five minutes. Add the stock, tomato puree, chopped tomatoes. Season to taste and simmer for 30 minutes.
Cut-Price Pizza Sainsburys Pizzeria Margherita Pizza £2.99
Ingredients: Tomato Topped Pizza Base (58%), Mozzarella Cheese (20%) (from Cows' Milk, made using Vegetarian Rennet), Tomato & Herb Sauce, Marinated Tomato (6%), Mature Cheddar Cheese (3%) (from Cows' Milk, made using Vegetarian Rennet), Parsley, Tomato Topped Pizza Base contains: Wheat Flour, Water, Tomato, Rapeseed Oil, Yeast, Salt, Sugar, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid, Tomato & Herb Sauce contains: Tomato (with Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid), Water, Tomato Puree, Sugar, Cornflour, Oregano, Garlic Puree, Black Pepper, Marinated Tomato contains: Tomato (94%) (with Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid), Salt, Sugar, Oregano, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1%), Black Pepper.
Homemade version
£1.33 (shopping at Sainsburys)
Ingredients
6oz (175 g) plain white soft flour - 5p
1 level teaspoon salt - 1p
1 level teaspoon easy-blend dried yeast - 13p
½ level teaspoon golden caster sugar - 1p
1 tablespoon olive oil - 4p
Mozzarella cheese - 63p
Pizza sauce:
Can of chopped tomatoes – 37p
Garlic clove crushed – 3p
Tbsp tomato puree - 6p
Method:
Sift the flour, salt, yeast and sugar into a bowl and make a well in the centre of the mixture, then add the olive oil and pour in 4 fl oz (120ml) hand-hot water. Mix it into a dough, then find a flat work surface and knead the dough until it's nice and springy. Knead the dough for a few minutes. Leave it somewhere warm until it looks as though it has doubled in bulk which should take around an hour.
Heat the oven to gas mark 8, 450°F (230°C) and pre-heat the baking sheet. Knead the dough once again, then roll the dough out - using your hands to make it roughly rounded. Top with tomato puree and nuggets of mozzarella cheese and put in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
Frugal Fish Pie Waitrose Fisherman's Pie
£9.18 (£4.59 for two person portion - £10.76 for four)
Ingredients: Mashed potato, cheese sauce (31%), cod (22%), cheese crumb (2%) Mashed potato contains potato (97%), skimmed milk, salt, white pepper Cheese sauce contains water, whole milk, mature Cheddar cheese (10%), double cream, onion, cornflour, white wine, unsalted butter, wheat flour, concentrated fish stock, parsley, concentrated lemon juice, salt, ground bay leaf, white pepper Cheese crumb contains mature Cheddar cheese (70%), breadcrumbs Breadcrumbs contain wheat flour, palm oil, salt, yeast Concentrated fish stock contains concentrated broth from plaice, maize maltodextrin, salt, palm oil, yeast extract, seaweed extract, onion concentrate, acidity regulator citric acid, emulsifier mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, spice extracts.
Homemade version
£5.63 for four persons (shopping at Waitrose)
Ingredients
450g cod or haddock fillets - £4.08
600ml milk - 33p
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
40g butter - 11p
40g plain flour - 4p
3 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
900g potatoes - 42p
Milk
25-50g butter - 13p
100g grated cheese - 52p
Method:
Preheat the oven to 375°F, Gas Mark 5, 190°C. Put the fish in an ovenproof dish and pour over the milk. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes before flaking fish. Strain the milk from the fish and reserve some for the sauce. Put the flaked fish back into bowl. Put the potatoes on to boil for 20 minutes. In a medium saucepan, melt butter, add flour and mix well. Let the mixture bubble gently for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and add milk, stock, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Bring back to the boil, stirring continually until sauce thickens. Pour over the fish. Drain potatoes and mash with a little milk or cream, butter and pepper. Cover the fish with mashed potato and smooth over with a fork. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake for 20-25 minutes until top is golden.
