Good to see Iceland bringing back the bargain microwave meals. Not everyone's a chef, it's a handy thing to have in the freezer when you've had a long day at work and can't be bothered to cook.
Hope life treating you better now mate, wish the biased government would help out our skilled homeless and veterans more than they do the 25 year old illegal migrant men sorry 17 year old male children coming over with no ID.
I agree that you could cook it from defrosted in the oven ( to reduce the cooking time) then top with grated cheese 🧀 and grill. My late dad would love this even more cause its a pound, lol
These meals kept my daughter going through 3 years of university although she did learn some basic recipes but at times, arriving home late, these were life savers.
Personally I think Iceland try and proved some foods at a good price and that’s good for people struggling old age pensioners etc , I’m not iceland biggest fan but they have a major place in today’s supermarkets
Back in the 80’s when times were really hard, the 99p chicken korma was something the kids thought was a treat. I used to add more rice and some veg and the one curry stretched to 3 small kids.
I'll tell you why, because they were far better about 2 years ago. It was the only product from the £1 range I would buy and now I don't buy them at all.
These are worth having in after a long day when you can't be bothered cooking much. Much better in the oven though, spud on top goes crispy and it's much less sloppy. Spot on indeed.
I like to cook it in a microwave, sprinkle some grated extra mature cheddar cheese on top and then put it back in the microwave for another minute. Slap a bit of pepper and chilli sauce on top and jobs a good un. Iceland's £1 Spaghetti Bolognese is nice with a bit of cheese on top as well.
It's practically a soup... I used to always have these at a quid back in the day, but then prices went up and contents reduced. This would best be poured into a large Yorkshire pudding. Treat as a soup, maintain expectations. 😊
Hi Gareth, Some of the Iceland pound range is not bad at all, the one I like is the mince beef and onion crispy pancakes, they are worth a try and for me they are a 9/10 for taste and value. My Dad likes this cottage pie he say you can't go wrong for the price. As always a great video, take care
As I have said before on some of your other videos, some £1 items (I get mine from Asda) are very good (not all, some). The following are all their "Just Essentials" range. What I can recommend for instance, is Asda's garlic bread baguette 170g ---37p! Beef lasagne 400g £1. Cheese and tomato pasta bake 400g £1 Spaghetti Bolognese 400g £1 Cheese and Tomato pizza 314g 97p Pepperoni pizza 314g 97p They are all very acceptable as they are, but, of course, you can add any other ingredients to them to bolster them up.
Iceland £1 meals are often my mid morning choice. I find them more reliable than a lot of "luxury meals". Whenever I have tried to trade up to more expensive meal versions, I have often been disappointed.
With Regards To Plastic - Look Some People Don't Like It But Single Use Plastic Is Generally Considered To Be Safe If It's Only Used Once. Now I Keep The Single Use Plastic Tubs Sometimes To Use For Storage Or For The Kids Doing Arts & Crafts ETC But I'd NEVER Cook In It Again. Same Goes For Single Use Plastic Bottles Gareth. Buy, Use, Bin (Or Wash Out And Use For Something Other Than Cooking Food Or Holding Fluid). Hope That Explains It. Also It's Good To See You Looking So Well Pal! Much Love To You And The Family ❤.
We've tried the £1.00 macaroni cheese pretty good as part of a meal..also the chicken in sàuce with rice and the Chinese rice with vegetables..all pretty good and tasty..👍
Many years ago I bought a 1kg Cottage Pie in Iceland. When I went to eat it I was very disappointed by the meat content, It wasn't in their cheapest range. At this stage I was under the mistaken belief that it was quality food. I looked at the package and it had 10% meat content, I've never been back since. Even if you took it out of the plastic tray to cook it you would still have micro-plastics in it, heating it in the tray will get the chemicals from the plastic leaching into the hot food. The saving grace of frozen is they don't have to fill it with the usual chemical preservatives. For those interested, modified maize starch is just a fancy term for cornflour pre-cooked before being put in the pie.
These Iceland ready meals aren't bad for that they cost. Not tried the cottage pie but the lasagna and the toad in the hole are pretty decent (although I'd have a few chips with the former and maybe some mash or a baked potato with the latter). I can image on how somebody who was really on their uppers might find them a godsend.
Gareth, you corrected your 29% to 27% beef in the video edit but it is quite clear that there is nowhere near that amount in reality and the ingredients label which clearly states 52% is mash and the remaining 48% is sauce (of which 27% is beef, water is the top ingredient). This means there is only 13% beef in the whole product.
Hi Gareth, Like well great value, add a few extras and you got a great Meal. A Can of Dog Food in Aldi costs more. Some Hot sauce, few mushrooms, Beans, Grilled or Microwaved Tomatoes, Sausages stuck in it . Magic
Iceland £1 lasagne is nice and well worth a £1 My son sometimes takes one of these meals to work for dinner, he works on a building site, so they are very handy
You can do a lot to enhance these £1 meals for very little extra money. When they're frozen solid, pop them out of the tray and put a few frozen veggies or leftover cooked mince or cooked sausage or whatever underneath then put the frozen meal on top. If you have some cheese or even a few breadcrumbs sprinkle on top.
Hi Gareth. Speaking of plastic, here in Thailand, hot food is spooned into plastic bags and closed with a laggy band, even the accompanying hot soup !! There are more plaggy bags and laggy bands used here than you can shake a stick at !! We even get another bag to PUT the bags in. They last a short time but bio degrade in the air. Good that you have got back into the swing of things ! Best wishes Don, Phannee and the boys.
The mash if often slushy and bland with these types of meals so I add a couple of knobs of butter on the top. It can make it a bit runny but it adds a bit of flavour.
I think it would be okay to defrost it first, then bake it in a conventional oven. I can't see how that would spoil the flavour. As long as it's eaten piping hot, that's the important thing.
An hour at 180 in the oven, it was nice. I've ate 3 recently, next batch I'll check what they're like in the micro wave, which sometimes changes texture and taste, which as you found with Brains Fa**ots. In the oven, the mash stays firm, doesn't turn to mush like yours did. Will buy again, top up the freezer for emergency use. I tried the £1 Toad in the Hole, cooked from frozen and thawd. Haven't got the knack of them yet, the batter comes our rubbery. Edible but not how I remember how yorkshire pud should be...
I dare say cooking this in an oven from frozen for over an hour with pre-heating probably costs as much as the meal itself in electricity. With gas it would be half. The microwave is certainly cheaper and quicker when you are trying to survive on £1 meals.
Sainsbury's do a frozen Shepherds pie for 85p in their Stamford Street range, they also do a Minced Beef Hotpot, Chicken Hotpot, Beef Lasagne and a Chicken Curry + Rice, they do a couple of others as well but I forget what they are. For 85p they are an absolute bargain although a bit of extra salt & pepper helps boost the flavour. BTW, I think you are supposed to remove the film lid before you nuke the Cottage Pie, that's why your taters were sloppy, the film keeps the moisture in.
I know it sounds dodgy, but because these are so difficult to get out in one piece it’s often easier to eat them out of the tray. Good to see you back in form.
Hi Gareth, I had a feeling u would like this one when u put it out on your plate because u looked surprised & I thought it looked nice glad u enjoyed all the best & thanks so much for sharing Lin 🙂👍
Great review Gaz and you can’t complain about a £1,add a nice bit of cheese and lashings of brown,red or chilly sauce on and it would be completely different, again plus it was a good find and possibly Iceland been,watching you complain about their prices 👍👍
@@BaldFoodieGuyhi gareth, better than this time last year thanks...Good to hear that your doing a lot better yourself, keep it up mate, all the best 👍🏻
Well done for including such meals in your reviews as they have an important role to play for many families on a tight budget provided they can avoid eating such processed meals too often. I did a bit of reverse engineering and I think Iceland is still making a decent margin but even though it may taste ok it looks very lacking in texture. If you've several mouths to feed I think some dried pasta and a tomato based sauce would be cheaper than £1 per head and more appealing to eat. I'm a trustee of a food bank and one of my dreams is to help people by teaching them how to create low cost meals prepared at home; these can be very inexpensive if based around vegetable ingredients although a big barrier is a lack of education and confidence.
They've done that for years. Used to come in a paper carton with no plastic on top and was flatter and didn't have the veg. Always got 1 in the freezer. Lovely with a dollop of hp sauce. They are changing up the packaging on all the £1 stuff, noticed that recently.
Hi Gareth if I cook something like you are cooking, I take it out of the plastic dish and put it in a rectangle glass dish with a lid that has a vent. This dish is perfect for certain brands of Aldi frozen microwave meals. Cheers Debra xxx
These taste great, and are awesome value. Their Chinese Chicken & Rice is also £1 and makes a good meal for one. I usually shop at Morrisons, but once a month I do an Iceland shop to stock up my freezer with stuff like this. And my absolute favourite is their Garlic & Chili Breaded Calamari chunks, you get three bags for £10 - they are the tastiest things in the world, I'm completely addicted to them!
I never went inside an Iceland until I worked in a very small town with only one supermarket which was an Iceland. I was quite pleasantly surprised at the quality. You can still buy fresh produce as well as frozen. On a Friday, I used to buy these Italian pizzas for £2.50 each I think they were. They were really good and very handy after a few beers down the pub. Since no longer working in the town, I haven't been back to an Iceland.
Just been into Iceland this morning (Ashington) and they have a freezer full of these £1 meals……good for them. It’s a good hot no frills filler for if you’ve got nothing. Not my thing, but hats off to Iceland!
@@felicityscarth3153 it’s not just Sainsburys, they almost all have ranges for less than £1 - eg 75p at Aldi and Lidl. Iceland ain’t really a cheap store unless you only want junk food. Even then, it’s rarely the cheapest option. Fresh fruit and veg prices are shocking at Iceland - dearer than M&S!!!
@@PotatoPirate123 maybe…..I don’t drive. I have Heron, Iceland and, if I really feel up to it…..Asda. I suspect that lots of people around here are similarly circumscribed. ……ie…….they don’t have much choice. And if Iceland can fill your belly for a quid…..that really can’t be bad no?
@@felicityscarth3153 I didn't say it's bad, but Iceland is far less prevalent than other supermarkets and is often next door to an Aldi or an Asda so I didn't want people going out of their way to go there thinking it's cheaper, when it isn't.
Especially during the school holidays when the free school meals aren't available, baked beans or frozen veg and some bread on the side would make a meal for a couple of little ones.
I’m going to try that cottage pie, will definitely add lots of black pepper, then a bag of steamed veggies and more gravy. It’ll be a proper cheap tea and that’s just up my street.👌🏼😂 Btw A little tip for you to try! Start using hashtags # under your title to help the algorithm improve your reach and spread your content to a wider audience. You can include hashtags like “food” “food review” the super markets name you bought said food from, the brand of food you are trying etc. It should help your channel’s growth a little more. 👍🏼😊
I always put it in the fridge the day before to cut the cooking time down, Some foods burn around the edge if cooked for a long time, defrosting stops that.
I had one of them a couple of days ago and it was great, the mashed potatos are not as mushy/slimey if you do it in the oven instead of the microwave, also the pound range in iceland is red boxes not yellow - you are probably getting mixed up with Asdas own brand cheap range Gaz
It'll do for a wee family on a tight budget. The last time i had a frozen cottage pie was 11 years ago. I was i 13 years old and i was at wee grans. It was the worst thing i ate & i swore blind i will never eat one again. It's really bland the mash potato, being made with dried potato flakes 🤮. Xx
Gaz’ seeing that you’re on a health kick now👍🏼 and a good job may I say your doing with all that’s in tow💪🏻. So how about some less fatty and hydrated foods, let’s try some green and yellow traffic light foods that’s good for us as well as good for our pockets. Would be great to show us even more enthusiasm along this road we are all travelling with ya. 💪🏻👍🏼💪🏻
If there's an oven option, oven cook it. Microwaving is great for sauces or foods with lots of sauce like beans & stews. But for Cottage Pie, you need to oven/air fryer cook it. It removes some of the water in it, makes it less stodgy.
@room in all respect you can actually do 6 times this amount for twice/three times the price ,but it means you have to prepare it and cook it ,but you have at least 3 days good food,but you know what is in there
@@TheTrulyMentalShow yes you can. that would be 45p worth of potatoes and 300g of mince. there is not to no peas or carrots. when you could do one full carrot sliced for 10p. Dont be fooled thats easy made for £3 or less for 3 people
I don't shop at Iceland anymore but when i did i bought these for a quick dinner after work but they are probably full of nasties but they did taste quite nice. I put lots of brown sauce on it. Didn't have peas in it when i bought it.
Hi Gareth, these £1 range are a god send for me as an ex-squaddie, can`t fault the range. i`m limited on my budget. They are a good base to add more to taste. As always an informative and superb delivery. keep up your great work.
Looks good to me and especially if it passes your test Gareth, 400g for a £1 is great. Reminds me when me and my ex girlfriend where saving for a deposit on a flat years ago, there was this corner shop down the road that sold £1 lasagne's that kept us going, takes me back. We would splash out once a month and get a Chinese takeaway after a pint or two down the pub, good old days.
Have a look at Tesco's "cooking bacon". It used to be 90p, now £1 for 500g of untidy cuts... ooo-er misses. It's extremely variable but if you dig through the box and look for the end cuts, anything thicker and with yellow rind, it's very much the good stuff. I chop it up for use in various (mostly breakfast) recipies.
@@Drew-Dastardly There's a man who knows what he's doing. You do need to check what you are buying but it is literally the same stuff for a tiny fraction of the price. It depends on the dish of course... if you want pretty then you have to pay for that.
We've all had similar in pretty little village cafes for a tenner with a daft sprig of parsley. Be interesting to check their bins out back, nail their home cooked myth!
I think thats great value, like u say a bit of cheese would be nice, and some more peas or carrots, even 49p broccoli. Never going to be amazing but its a hot meal, no cooker even needed, thanks Gareth 😊
hi gareth great value again from iceland and this is a great buy for a £1.iceland always seems to give extra value for money in these hard times .worth bearing in mind to keep in freezer ready for winter time . thanks for review gareth have a great week wes
Good to see Iceland bringing back the bargain microwave meals. Not everyone's a chef, it's a handy thing to have in the freezer when you've had a long day at work and can't be bothered to cook.
I was a chief engineer and everything was taken from me when I got unwell.
I ended up homeless and these types of meals made my day 🙂🤩
I do hope things are on the up for you, sometimes life isn't a lot of fun.
Hope life treating you better now mate, wish the biased government would help out our skilled homeless and veterans more than they do the 25 year old illegal migrant men sorry 17 year old male children coming over with no ID.
I hope your on the mend and life is better x
Can’t argue for £1 , thanks for review ❤
Hope u r ‘Spot on ‘ now.
Iceland, during Covid, was the only food company prepared to deliver to our 2nd floor flat - we are both disabled and very grateful.
It'll keep someone alive another day. Fair play Iceland for the £1 range
Or take a month off their life many different ways of looking at this mate 😂
@@ED-209UHD its meat, veg, preservatives and potato. It's not going to kill anyone. No need to be dramatic.
Iceland was known for doing a quid on a lot of their items for years but they just had to put their prices up even on their one quid stuff.
I was a chief engineer and everything was taken from me when I got unwell.
These types of meals made my day
@@fimmywait’s fat, and full of carbs any microwaveable or frozen meal is ultra processed. The meat in the cottage pie is not real meat it’s fake.
Great to see a £1 meal that puts a smile on your face. A treat for someone on a real tight budget 👍
I always add grated cheese on stuff like this and melt it under the grill for extra flavour. You can't go wrong with the price.
I agree that you could cook it from defrosted in the oven ( to reduce the cooking time) then top with grated cheese 🧀 and grill. My late dad would love this even more cause its a pound, lol
These meals kept my daughter going through 3 years of university although she did learn some basic recipes but at times, arriving home late, these were life savers.
Personally I think Iceland try and proved some foods at a good price and that’s good for people struggling old age pensioners etc , I’m not iceland biggest fan but they have a major place in today’s supermarkets
10% off Tuesday for over 60s with Iceland card 😁
Its not a rebrand its a reworked product. The £1 cottage pie used to use Dehydrated potato and only had 19% beef. So this is an improvement
The £1 lasagne is 👌
Was going to comment this I can get away with the £1 lasagnes mop up the sauce with chips and bread.
The ‘Cottage Pie Sauce’ on the ingredients said it all really, but for a quid, impressive!
Back in the 80’s when times were really hard, the 99p chicken korma was something the kids thought was a treat. I used to add more rice and some veg and the one curry stretched to 3 small kids.
How can you go wrong for a pound . Great review Gareth 👏
Thank you Kevin
I'll tell you why, because they were far better about 2 years ago. It was the only product from the £1 range I would buy and now I don't buy them at all.
Glad my mother taught me how to make a proper cottage pie, thanks mum, you saved me from relying on this mush. Got it's place Gaz. All the best.
Cheers Adz all the best pal. We love mums
These are worth having in after a long day when you can't be bothered cooking much. Much better in the oven though, spud on top goes crispy and it's much less sloppy. Spot on indeed.
I like to cook it in a microwave, sprinkle some grated extra mature cheddar cheese on top and then put it back in the microwave for another minute. Slap a bit of pepper and chilli sauce on top and jobs a good un. Iceland's £1 Spaghetti Bolognese is nice with a bit of cheese on top as well.
Sounds great!
Yeah iceland do a lot of £1 range products. It helps with cost of living crisis etc.. I go regularly to iceland I like it. 👌
For £1 with a few extras it's a cheap meal worth a try . Just been to Tescos 80 P FOR 2richmond sausages WHAT A laugh. Good post
That's 80p too much...
It's practically a soup... I used to always have these at a quid back in the day, but then prices went up and contents reduced. This would best be poured into a large Yorkshire pudding. Treat as a soup, maintain expectations. 😊
Hi Gareth, Some of the Iceland pound range is not bad at all, the one I like is the mince beef and onion crispy pancakes, they are worth a try and for me they are a 9/10 for taste and value. My Dad likes this cottage pie he say you can't go wrong for the price. As always a great video, take care
Cheers Shaun 😊
As I have said before on some of your other videos, some £1 items (I get mine from Asda) are very good (not all, some).
The following are all their "Just Essentials" range.
What I can recommend for instance, is Asda's garlic bread baguette 170g ---37p!
Beef lasagne 400g £1.
Cheese and tomato pasta bake 400g £1
Spaghetti Bolognese 400g £1
Cheese and Tomato pizza 314g 97p
Pepperoni pizza 314g 97p
They are all very acceptable as they are, but, of course, you can add any other ingredients to them to bolster them up.
Iceland £1 meals are often my mid morning choice. I find them more reliable than a lot of "luxury meals". Whenever I have tried to trade up to more expensive meal versions, I have often been disappointed.
Nice enough packaging, definitely a more premium look than yellow
Good to see your pushing out the bargains priced food brilliant thanks 🎉🎉
No problem 👍
Good to know that you liked it Gareth. Great value for a pound.
Given the current month and the consistency of the dish, we could call this one Augustus Gloop. 😂
Very Good 😂😂😂
With Regards To Plastic - Look Some People Don't Like It But Single Use Plastic Is Generally Considered To Be Safe If It's Only Used Once.
Now I Keep The Single Use Plastic Tubs Sometimes To Use For Storage Or For The Kids Doing Arts & Crafts ETC But I'd NEVER Cook In It Again.
Same Goes For Single Use Plastic Bottles Gareth.
Buy, Use, Bin (Or Wash Out And Use For Something Other Than Cooking Food Or Holding Fluid).
Hope That Explains It.
Also It's Good To See You Looking So Well Pal!
Much Love To You And The Family ❤.
We've tried the £1.00 macaroni cheese pretty good as part of a meal..also the chicken in sàuce with rice and the Chinese rice with vegetables..all pretty good and tasty..👍
Many years ago I bought a 1kg Cottage Pie in Iceland. When I went to eat it I was very disappointed by the meat content, It wasn't in their cheapest range. At this stage I was under the mistaken belief that it was quality food. I looked at the package and it had 10% meat content, I've never been back since. Even if you took it out of the plastic tray to cook it you would still have micro-plastics in it, heating it in the tray will get the chemicals from the plastic leaching into the hot food. The saving grace of frozen is they don't have to fill it with the usual chemical preservatives. For those interested, modified maize starch is just a fancy term for cornflour pre-cooked before being put in the pie.
I was going to say, a crack of black pepper, and I don't mind mushy when it's comfort food!
These Iceland ready meals aren't bad for that they cost. Not tried the cottage pie but the lasagna and the toad in the hole are pretty decent (although I'd have a few chips with the former and maybe some mash or a baked potato with the latter). I can image on how somebody who was really on their uppers might find them a godsend.
Gareth, you corrected your 29% to 27% beef in the video edit but it is quite clear that there is nowhere near that amount in reality and the ingredients label which clearly states 52% is mash and the remaining 48% is sauce (of which 27% is beef, water is the top ingredient). This means there is only 13% beef in the whole product.
Good value for a pound Gareth.😀👍
Hi Gareth,
Like well great value, add a few extras and you got a great Meal. A Can of Dog Food in Aldi costs more. Some Hot sauce, few mushrooms, Beans, Grilled or Microwaved Tomatoes, Sausages stuck in it . Magic
Cheers John
Iceland £1 lasagne is nice and well worth a £1
My son sometimes takes one of these meals to work for dinner, he works on a building site, so they are very handy
You can do a lot to enhance these £1 meals for very little extra money. When they're frozen solid, pop them out of the tray and put a few frozen veggies or leftover cooked mince or cooked sausage or whatever underneath then put the frozen meal on top. If you have some cheese or even a few breadcrumbs sprinkle on top.
Hi Gareth. Speaking of plastic, here in Thailand, hot food is spooned into plastic bags and closed with a laggy band, even the accompanying hot soup !! There are more plaggy bags and laggy bands used here than you can shake a stick at !! We even get another bag to PUT the bags in. They last a short time but bio degrade in the air. Good that you have got back into the swing of things ! Best wishes Don, Phannee and the boys.
Cheers Don and family 😊
Tip... 6mins (pierce film) on defrost in the microwave then 18mins (film removed) in the air fryer @170° but check at 15mins.
Add cheese on top 👍
The mash if often slushy and bland with these types of meals so I add a couple of knobs of butter on the top.
It can make it a bit runny but it adds a bit of flavour.
Bita brown sauce over it and a portion of frozen mixed veggies or a mixed salad 🥗 on the side
I think it would be okay to defrost it first, then bake it in a conventional oven. I can't see how that would spoil the flavour. As long as it's eaten piping hot, that's the important thing.
And for £1 thats surprising that its edible as the Tesco version which is 85p is awful rubber meat and inedible so cheers for finding another Gem Gaz
An hour at 180 in the oven, it was nice. I've ate 3 recently, next batch I'll check what they're like in the micro wave, which sometimes changes texture and taste, which as you found with Brains Fa**ots.
In the oven, the mash stays firm, doesn't turn to mush like yours did. Will buy again, top up the freezer for emergency use. I tried the £1 Toad in the Hole, cooked from frozen and thawd. Haven't got the knack of them yet, the batter comes our rubbery. Edible but not how I remember how yorkshire pud should be...
I dare say cooking this in an oven from frozen for over an hour with pre-heating probably costs as much as the meal itself in electricity. With gas it would be half. The microwave is certainly cheaper and quicker when you are trying to survive on £1 meals.
Sainsbury's do a frozen Shepherds pie for 85p in their Stamford Street range, they also do a Minced Beef Hotpot, Chicken Hotpot, Beef Lasagne and a Chicken Curry + Rice, they do a couple of others as well but I forget what they are. For 85p they are an absolute bargain although a bit of extra salt & pepper helps boost the flavour. BTW, I think you are supposed to remove the film lid before you nuke the Cottage Pie, that's why your taters were sloppy, the film keeps the moisture in.
I know it sounds dodgy, but because these are so difficult to get out in one piece it’s often easier to eat them out of the tray. Good to see you back in form.
Thank you
Hi Gareth, I had a feeling u would like this one when u put it out on your plate because u looked surprised & I thought it looked nice glad u enjoyed all the best & thanks so much for sharing Lin 🙂👍
I always cook the £1 cottage pie in the Air fryer mash then firm with a slight cripness to the top
I'm glad to hear you think it's nice as I have one of these in my freezer.
Great review Gaz and you can’t complain about a £1,add a nice bit of cheese and lashings of brown,red or chilly sauce on and it would be completely different, again plus it was a good find and possibly Iceland been,watching you complain about their prices 👍👍
Cheers Peter
You can't go wrong for £1. I'll definitely be having a look in Iceland. I trust your honest reviews. Thank you Gareth 👍
😀💕xx Thanks Gareth. You always make me laugh!🥰
You’re welcome 😊
Not for me gareth, but thanks for giving it a go 👍🏻
Cheers James hope you're well mate
@@BaldFoodieGuyhi gareth, better than this time last year thanks...Good to hear that your doing a lot better yourself, keep it up mate, all the best 👍🏻
Well done for including such meals in your reviews as they have an important role to play for many families on a tight budget provided they can avoid eating such processed meals too often. I did a bit of reverse engineering and I think Iceland is still making a decent margin but even though it may taste ok it looks very lacking in texture. If you've several mouths to feed I think some dried pasta and a tomato based sauce would be cheaper than £1 per head and more appealing to eat. I'm a trustee of a food bank and one of my dreams is to help people by teaching them how to create low cost meals prepared at home; these can be very inexpensive if based around vegetable ingredients although a big barrier is a lack of education and confidence.
They've done that for years. Used to come in a paper carton with no plastic on top and was flatter and didn't have the veg. Always got 1 in the freezer. Lovely with a dollop of hp sauce. They are changing up the packaging on all the £1 stuff, noticed that recently.
Hi Gareth if I cook something like you are cooking, I take it out of the plastic dish and put it in a rectangle glass dish with a lid that has a vent. This dish is perfect for certain brands of Aldi frozen microwave meals. Cheers Debra xxx
Cheers
These taste great, and are awesome value. Their Chinese Chicken & Rice is also £1 and makes a good meal for one. I usually shop at Morrisons, but once a month I do an Iceland shop to stock up my freezer with stuff like this. And my absolute favourite is their Garlic & Chili Breaded Calamari chunks, you get three bags for £10 - they are the tastiest things in the world, I'm completely addicted to them!
Might be the best pie dish from that £1 range 😂😂😂 but thanks for the review gaz
Work backwards from a pound, shops profit, distribution, storage. Must come out of the factory for 20p, amazing.
I am delighted that it tastes ok. At least if someone is on the bread line. It is something nice to eat.
Really not bad for a quid 💯🙌👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Good to know Iceland has these !
I never went inside an Iceland until I worked in a very small town with only one supermarket which was an Iceland. I was quite pleasantly surprised at the quality. You can still buy fresh produce as well as frozen. On a Friday, I used to buy these Italian pizzas for £2.50 each I think they were. They were really good and very handy after a few beers down the pub. Since no longer working in the town, I haven't been back to an Iceland.
Cheers pal 👍
Just been into Iceland this morning (Ashington) and they have a freezer full of these £1 meals……good for them. It’s a good hot no frills filler for if you’ve got nothing. Not my thing, but hats off to Iceland!
No praise deserved at all IMHO other than that they're all in one freezer. These sort of meals are cheaper even at Sainsbury's
@@PotatoPirate123 maybe so……but some places just don’t have a Sainsbury branch. And I doubt there ever will be one.
@@felicityscarth3153 it’s not just Sainsburys, they almost all have ranges for less than £1 - eg 75p at Aldi and Lidl. Iceland ain’t really a cheap store unless you only want junk food. Even then, it’s rarely the cheapest option. Fresh fruit and veg prices are shocking at Iceland - dearer than M&S!!!
@@PotatoPirate123 maybe…..I don’t drive. I have Heron, Iceland and, if I really feel up to it…..Asda. I suspect that lots of people around here are similarly circumscribed. ……ie…….they don’t have much choice. And if Iceland can fill your belly for a quid…..that really can’t be bad no?
@@felicityscarth3153 I didn't say it's bad, but Iceland is far less prevalent than other supermarkets and is often next door to an Aldi or an Asda so I didn't want people going out of their way to go there thinking it's cheaper, when it isn't.
What else can you buy for £1 these days? Another top review Gareth, as others have said, great for the many struggling with money!
Cheers pal
I always wonder where Gromit is when you say "Cheeeese"
Going down the grid-very funny Gareth. Good review once again x
Thanks
Brilliant for a family on a budget.
Especially during the school holidays when the free school meals aren't available, baked beans or frozen veg and some bread on the side would make a meal for a couple of little ones.
I’m going to try that cottage pie, will definitely add lots of black pepper, then a bag of steamed veggies and more gravy. It’ll be a proper cheap tea and that’s just up my street.👌🏼😂
Btw A little tip for you to try! Start using hashtags # under your title to help the algorithm improve your reach and spread your content to a wider audience. You can include hashtags like “food” “food review” the super markets name you bought said food from, the brand of food you are trying etc. It should help your channel’s growth a little more. 👍🏼😊
Thank you 👌
When i was skint im telling ya, iceland was a must.
I'd buy powdered mash and add that to it and cheapo gravy granules.
Banging when ya hungry n skint
Ready made mash and tin of tuna ❤
@@DottyDolly-39ergh
Potato’s are so cheap?
@@Danfrank24 that's how broke I was. Long story that does not need to be broadcast here but trust me.
I appreciate buying posh Jersey Royals 😆😉
I do like iceland. I think they are a decent company and they have a good selection of frozen food.
Ideal to take to work cheaper than going to the chippy 😊
As you say, it's a decent feed for a quid. I'd splash on the Hendersons and add a few slices of wholemeal bread, jobs a good un! 👍
Thanks for the tips!
I always put it in the fridge the day before to cut the cooking time down,
Some foods burn around the edge if cooked for a long time, defrosting stops that.
I had one of them a couple of days ago and it was great, the mashed potatos are not as mushy/slimey if you do it in the oven instead of the microwave, also the pound range in iceland is red boxes not yellow - you are probably getting mixed up with Asdas own brand cheap range Gaz
Cheers pal, yes was ok wasn't it 👍
For a £1 Gaz I have tried them from Iceland not flash but once cooked and a good amount of onion gravy on top of it acceptable quick meal or snack 😋👍
Not for me. But it will suit others. Thanks mate
You're welcome 😊
It'll do for a wee family on a tight budget. The last time i had a frozen cottage pie was 11 years ago. I was i 13 years old and i was at wee grans. It was the worst thing i ate & i swore blind i will never eat one again. It's really bland the mash potato, being made with dried potato flakes 🤮. Xx
Gaz’ seeing that you’re on a health kick now👍🏼 and a good job may I say your doing with all that’s in tow💪🏻. So how about some less fatty and hydrated foods, let’s try some green and yellow traffic light foods that’s good for us as well as good for our pockets. Would be great to show us even more enthusiasm along this road we are all travelling with ya. 💪🏻👍🏼💪🏻
Just wanted to say congrats on smashing the 100k followers well deserved Gaz wish I cud be as popular lol😂😂
Cheers Clive
Absolutely fantastic for a quid. And a full 400 grams. Fabulous review Gaz, real class mate.
If there's an oven option, oven cook it. Microwaving is great for sauces or foods with lots of sauce like beans & stews. But for Cottage Pie, you need to oven/air fryer cook it. It removes some of the water in it, makes it less stodgy.
Brilliant for a family on a tight budget ..
@room in all respect you can actually do 6 times this amount for twice/three times the price ,but it means you have to prepare it and cook it ,but you have at least 3 days good food,but you know what is in there
You ain't cooking cottage pie for a family for 3 quid @@derek-press
@@TheTrulyMentalShow I am, when did I say family? this is me and the wife ,our kids moved out 20 od years ago
@@TheTrulyMentalShow yes you can. that would be 45p worth of potatoes and 300g of mince.
there is not to no peas or carrots. when you could do one full carrot sliced for 10p.
Dont be fooled thats easy made for £3 or less for 3 people
Batch cooking, actually the more you make the cheaper it gets when bulk buy and batch freeze
little bit of cheese and extra instant gravy made up in a mug. brilliant meal for a quid
Guilty pleasure, 3-4 rounds = COMFORT FOOD. 😂
I don't shop at Iceland anymore but when i did i bought these for a quick dinner after work but they are probably full of nasties but they did taste quite nice. I put lots of brown sauce on it. Didn't have peas in it when i bought it.
Hi Gareth, these £1 range are a god send for me as an ex-squaddie, can`t fault the range. i`m limited on my budget. They are a good base to add more to taste. As always an informative and superb delivery. keep up your great work.
Cheers brother
their alright them cottage pies the chicken rice curry in a bag and the Chinese rice in a tray are also worth a look for a quid from iceland
Looks good to me and especially if it passes your test Gareth, 400g for a £1 is great. Reminds me when me and my ex girlfriend where saving for a deposit on a flat years ago, there was this corner shop down the road that sold £1 lasagne's that kept us going, takes me back. We would splash out once a month and get a Chinese takeaway after a pint or two down the pub, good old days.
Can't go wrong for a pound! Thanks for another honest review 💜💜💜
Cheers Barbie x
Have a look at Tesco's "cooking bacon". It used to be 90p, now £1 for 500g of untidy cuts... ooo-er misses. It's extremely variable but if you dig through the box and look for the end cuts, anything thicker and with yellow rind, it's very much the good stuff. I chop it up for use in various (mostly breakfast) recipies.
Cooking bacon is great with omelettes or frittata, or egg fried rice. I also like the smoked salmon offcuts for the same purpose. MUCH cheaper.
@@Drew-Dastardly There's a man who knows what he's doing. You do need to check what you are buying but it is literally the same stuff for a tiny fraction of the price. It depends on the dish of course... if you want pretty then you have to pay for that.
Thank you Gaz for a honest review 👍🏻
A drizzle of brown sauce, jobs a good in🤤😋
Have a wonderful day Gaz and family ❤
You're welcome 😊
Good emergency dish or beans on toast or the tin of spam / cornbeef / tuna /in the cupboard
Glad to see you looking well mate. Love the Hendo's. Iceland are usually decent and for a pound? Not bad.
Thank you
Hej Gaz, Glad that your gob is OK again. Still waiting for you to do an Instant mash comparison. Hope you will do one soon. Best regards.
Will do at some point
I'd microwave it then put it in an air fryer to brown the top ...maybe grate some cheese on top
We've all had similar in pretty little village cafes for a tenner with a daft sprig of parsley. Be interesting to check their bins out back, nail their home cooked myth!
I think thats great value, like u say a bit of cheese would be nice, and some more peas or carrots, even 49p broccoli. Never going to be amazing but its a hot meal, no cooker even needed, thanks Gareth 😊
You're welcome 😊
A bit of grated cheese and brown sauce would go down a treat.
hi gareth great value again from iceland and this is a great buy for a £1.iceland always seems to give extra value for money in these hard times .worth bearing in mind to keep in freezer ready for winter time . thanks for review gareth have a great week wes
You're welcome 😊
Ideal take to work snap,butter some bread to have with it.Happy times.
Birra pepper, slice or 2 of crusty Bread.... plenty of butter.... while its still hot.