Credit: Courtesy of brands
3 min read
Fed up of cooking and trying to decide what to have for dinner? We’ve rounded up nine of our favourite kitchen cupboard essentials for those quick and easy weeknight meals we all need sometimes.
The weekly food shop is a part of my week that constantly looms over me and fills me with panic. What am I supposed to eat? What do I cook? How do I make sure I’m not cooking the same meal for an entire month? And when you have to factor in office days, social occasions and your own energy levels, it becomes even more complicated and stressful. In an ideal world, we’d go home and have a delicious and nutritious dinner waiting for us, but sadly, that’s not our reality. However, there are some easy and quick shortcuts you can pick up in your food shop that can make your weeknight meals a little easier.
So, we’ve rounded up nine of our favourite store cupboard essentials for those quick and easy dinners we all need sometimes.
Bold Bean Co ultimate baked bean box
Bold Bean’s new flavoured baked beans are curated for those who crave a little variety in their meals. Each jar is packed with creamy white beans and Mediterranean tomatoes and this bean box comes with three different flavours: classic baked beans, rich tomato baked beans and smoky chilli baked beans.
Merchant Gourmet 3-bean and lentil chilli with chipotle and smoked paprika
Enjoy this warming and delicious pre-prepared chilli over a bowl of rice on those weeknights when you just want to get home to a quick and easy dinner that doesn’t take hours to cook.
Shop Merchant Gourmet 3-bean and lentil chilli with chipotle and smoked paprika (pack of six), £15
Fable plant-based meaty pulled mushrooms
A tasty alternative to slow-cooked beef, Fable has created this mushroom-based meat alternative made from shiitake mushrooms that are great for an easy or last-minute taco night.
Shop Fable plant based meaty pulled mushrooms from Holland & Barrett, £4.79
The Fresh Flour Company ramen noodles
These ramen noodles are made with milled flours and Devonshire water and come with a slightly nutty flavour, making them ideal for vegetable stir-fries or a hot bowl of ramen.
Shop The Fresh Flour Company ramen noodles from Delli, £4.25
Bold Bean Co organic chickpeas
Smooth, creamy and nutty, these chickpeas are great for a bean stew, a quick batch-cooked curry or blitzed into hummus for an accompanying dip to your favourite bread or crackers.
Ortiz tinned sardines
These tinned sardines are perfect for having on hand for when you need to add a bit more protein to your dinner or you can use as a tasty topping for your jacket potato.
Pasta Di Aldo tagliatelle egg pasta
A carbonara needs good quality pasta and the Pasta di Aldo tagliatelle egg pasta is exactly that. It’s a classic ribbon pasta that’s a firm favourite with creamy sauces, like carbonara, or served with a simple tomato sauce.
Shop Pasta Di Aldo tagliatelle egg pasta from Sous Chef, £5.50
Filippo Berio organic classic pesto
Another store cupboard essential, this classic green pesto is nutty in flavour and makes for a great addition to a bowl of pasta (with cheese on top, of course) or even just spread on a couple of slices of toast for a lighter but still delicious post-work meal.
Carluccio’s Sugo All’Ortolana organic mixed vegetable sauce
This sauce is made with a range of slow cooked vegetables: onions, carrots, celery and garlic are sautéed down until they are super soft and then paired with chopped aubergines, courgettes and peppers and left to simmer, finished with a big glug of oil. A great staple to have in the cupboard for an evening where you can’t decide what to have for dinner.
Shop Carluccio’s Sugo All’Ortolana organic mixed vegetable sauce, £4.75
Images: courtesy of brands
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