“What’s for dinner?” It’s the question that comes around every evening, just as our energy levels are at their lowest. So, if your usual rotation is feeling a little tired – seriously, pesto pasta again? – these are the new products and handy shortcuts the Good Housekeeping team is turning to for quicker, easier weeknight meals.
When dinner needs to happen in 10 minutes, this noodle kit is hard to beat. The Spice Tailor has launched two new flavours recently: Pho, for a fragrant, brothy bowl, and Yakisoba, for more of a stir-fried vibe.
Each kit includes noodles, sauce and spices, you just add a protein such as prawns, chicken or tofu, then throw in any crunchy vegetables that need using up. Versatile and speedy – we love to see it. Keep a few kits in the cupboard for the evenings when you need dinner in a hurry.
A jar of tomato sauce is a reliable weeknight standby, but Isle of Wight’s Marry Me sauce is particularly versatile. Use it as the base for a quick pasta dish, stir it through butter beans, or pour over chicken breast for something more substantial.
The ingredient list is reassuringly short, making this a useful option for anyone who wants the convenience of a jarred sauce without a long list of unnecessary extras.
Waitrose No.1 Chettinad Inspired Chicken Curry
Waitrose No.1 Chettinad Inspired Chicken Curry
Craving a takeaway? The Chettinad-inspired chicken curry is part of Waitrose's refreshed Indian ready meal range, and is made with chargrilled chicken in a rich coconut-and-cashew sauce using simpler, 'cleaner' ingredients. It also provides 34.8g of protein per half pack.
Included in the £18 No.1 Food Lovers’ Takeaway for 4 meal deal – which includes two mains and two sides – it's also a more affordable alternative to ordering in.
The COOK range has just landed at Ocado, making it easier than ever to fill the freezer with as-good-as-homemade ready meals.
Our pick for a comforting weeknight dinner is the Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie for two. It costs £11, can be kept in the freezer until you need it and gives you a proper pie dinner without the pastry-making or preparation.
Serve it with frozen peas and mash for an easy midweek meal when you can't stretch to more than turning the oven on.
A pack of mince is one of the most useful things to keep in the fridge, but HECK!’s new Easy Mince range takes the thinking out of what to do with it.
The pre-seasoned mince is ready to cook, with three options to choose from: spaghetti bolognese, cottage pie and chicken chilli con carne. You simply add a few ingredients to turn it into dinner – tomatoes and pasta for the bolognese, stock and mash for the cottage pie, or kidney beans and rice for the chilli.
It’s a smart shortcut for busy evenings, particularly if you want something filling, without starting entirely from scratch. In-stores and online from mid-September.
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
