Pre-made meals

[Sweetkymom]

Do you buy pre-made meals from the local grocery? I used to but have quit buying them since I had my first born almost 12 years ago. I was very lazy and didn't care to spend time in a kitchen.

I tempted to buy a Thanksgiving meal last year but at the last minute decided not to. My family goes to three different houses for turkey dinner so having one at my house was not needed.

 

[LivetoErr]

Other than the occasional rotisserie chicken, we don't buy pre made meals. We haven't purchased one in awhile, though, because it's just as simple to throw a chicken on the BBQ.

Even when we're strapped for time, there is always something simple to whip up (and it's so much cheaper).

 

[skywatcher]

We don't buy pre-made meals because it's kind of been a tradition that we always cook the meals we eat ourselves. The only time that we're not eating a dish cooked at home would probably be when eating at fastfood or at restaurants, but as for pre-made meals, I would have to admit that I've never tried one before. Not because we're strict and all, but I also find them hard to see in supermarkets nearby, haha.

 

[Food4thought]

Supermarkets and food manufactures must make huge profits from pre-cooked meals. Ready-made meals are more expensive than home cooking.
They are popular with people who use a microwave oven, but I have never found them very satisfying.

Some pre-cooked foods use a lot of unhealthy ingredients and I would much rather cook food myself. I think they are generally bought by people who do not know how to cook or don't like cooking.

 

[lenachristine]

The closest thing to a premade meal I've ever purchased is those family chicken dinners from KFC. I've been tempted to buy the premade dinners the local groceries stores advertise for Thanksgiving and Christmas before, but I end up caving at the last minute and taking on the huge task of doing it all myself, year after year. Every year I regret it once I've started. So much work and so much clean up.

 

[dandeliion]

Once in a blue moon I'll buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store but that's about it.

 

[OhioTom76]

Sometimes. I would never buy a pre-made Thanksgiving dinner though. My uncle did that one year and invited us all over to eat it, and it was awful. Honestly I don't know why some people get so intimidated over Thanksgiving, aside from throwing the turkey in the oven and keeping an eye on it, the rest is all side dishes, which are easy to make. I would say the most "complicated" side dish would be the mashed potatoes. It's not rocket science to steam some vegetables like corn or carrots and season them with salt, pepper and butter. Stuffing is a piece of cake, just mix it with some broth, butter and herbs and bake it. Gravy is a piece of cake, just some butter, flour, salt, pepper and broth whisked together in a saucepan. Get some fresh dough from your grocer and cut it into dinner rolls to bake, or just grab some large loaves of french bread cut lengthwise and make a simple garlic bread.

One of the things I will buy though are the rotisserie chickens at places like Costco. If I were to buy chicken that size fresh it would cost me nearly twice as much as what they charge for it already cooked - so that's a no brainer.