Top 10+ upgrades that turn lazy dinners into proper meals

To make an impressive meal of microwave rice, chop additional veg small and top with crispy shallots - Andrew Crowley

You roasted, glazed and simmered your way through December and now you can’t face making another dish from scratch. But the household still needs feeding, meals don’t cook themselves, and you don’t fancy forking out for a takeaway. Happily, a little cheating goes a long way.

With a few well-chosen additions and some clever tricks from chefs, everyday products from your supermarket or corner shop can become quick, brilliant meals and snacks that ask little of your time or budget. And, whisper it, they’ll taste as though you’ve put in far more effort than you have.

1. Microwave rice

Make a quick Thai fried rice, suggests Sebby Holmes, the chef founder of Farang in London. Cook the rice as per the packet instructions, then toss it in a hot pan with a splash of oil, soy sauce, chopped spring onions and whatever cooked veg you’ve got to hand, chopped small. Crack in an egg and stir-fry until piping hot, then finish with lime juice, white pepper and a handful of fresh herbs. Crispy shallots or chilli oil on top make it even better.

2. Supermarket pizza

Add flavoursome toppings to basic margherita pizzas - Andrew Crowley

Homemade sourdough pizzas are all very delicious, but too much to contemplate on a weeknight. Step forward shop-bought versions. They’re often short on crispness, but James Harris, the head chef at the Beckford Bottle Shop in Bath, has a solution. “Set the oven temperature 20C hotter than the packet suggests, chuck your baking sheet in to heat up, then turn the oven down when the pizza goes in.” Placing it on the hot baking sheet will help to avoid a soggy bottom.

To boost flavour and make up for stingy toppings, grind over plenty of black pepper and scatter with basil once out of the oven. “Then finely grate enough Parmesan over the top to make the pizza disappear,” Harris says.

Alternatively, buy basic margheritas, bake as Harris suggests, then add your own toppings once they’re out of the oven: torn burrata or ricotta, with good olive or chilli oil drizzled over; crumbled blue cheese and hot honey; pesto thinned with olive oil and dotted all over; or black olives and anchovies for a salty kick.

3. Instant noodles

A squirt of sriracha goes a long way - Andrew Crowley

Instant noodles, with their little flavour packets, can be turned into something far more exciting with a few additions. Cook as per the packet instructions, but add leftover cooked meat, chicken or turkey and simmer until piping hot. Add extras such as jammy boiled eggs, tinned sweetcorn and snipped herbs. A squirt of sriracha and a spoonful of peanut butter, stirred through, delivers a satay-style sauce. A little chilli crisp on top never hurts.

4. Tinned soup

Dressing up a simple soup with roasted hazelnuts makes all the difference - Andrew Crowley

Shop-bought soups, even the posh ones, often lack depth and seasoning, says Harris, who suggests crumbling in a stock cube as you heat them up. “When the soup’s in the bowl, add crème fraîche, hazelnut oil and roasted hazelnuts,” he says. (Toss the nuts with olive oil, garlic granules and salt towards the end of roasting if you want to go fancy.)

Josh Eggleton, the chef and co-owner of the Pony Restaurant Group, bolsters cream of chicken soup by adding a whole head of broccoli, finely shredded with a knife. Add the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of chilli flakes and a cup of water. “Cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes and you have a delicious broth, very good when you feel under the weather,” he says. Finish with a glug of good olive oil.

5. Hummus

Pile hummus high with lamb mince fried with cumin and paprika - Andrew Crowley

Shop-bought hummus rarely contains enough tahini or cumin, says Imad Alarnab, the founder of Aram and Imad’s Syrian Kitchen. “My recommendation is to put it into a blender and whip it up with extra tahini, ground cumin and even confit garlic, if you have it,” he says. Top it generously. “I like harissa paste, Aleppo chilli flakes and chopped parsley.”

You can turn hummus into a meal by spreading it on a plate and piling on sizzling spiced chickpeas, or lamb mince fried with cumin and paprika, with warm pita for scooping.

6. Oven chips

Lashings of mayonnaise elevate the humble oven chip - Andrew Crowley

A freezer staple, oven chips often take longer than stated on the packet to reach proper crispness, so don’t rush them. Once they’re golden, Harris has a favourite trick. “Toss them in a bowl with Chipotle Tabasco and cubes of mozzarella, and a sprinkling of chicken bouillon powder, salt and MSG,” he says. Cover so the cheese melts, then transfer to a warm bowl and scatter with chives and crispy onions. “Serve with lashings of mayonnaise, obviously.”

Or just toss with finely grated parmesan and chopped rosemary.

7. Fish fingers

This comforting, cheesy fish finger gratin is sure to be a hit - Andrew Crowley

A fish finger gratin is a favourite in my house and, while it’s not a looker, it’s comforting and satisfying. I usually make the cheese sauce while the fish fingers cook, but shop-bought sauce works too if you stir in a little more grated cheese.

Grill 16 fish fingers until crisp on both sides, set aside, then heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. Meanwhile, if you’re making the sauce, melt 40g butter in a pan, stir in 40g plain flour and cook for a minute. Slowly whisk in 500ml milk until smooth, then bubble for a couple of minutes to thicken. Stir in 120g grated cheddar, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a handful of frozen peas or sweetcorn, and salt and pepper.

Pour into a shallow baking dish and nestle the cooked fish fingers into it, leaving their tops exposed so they stay crunchy. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the fish fingers are golden. Lovely with a squeeze of lemon juice. This will serve four.

8. Supermarket curry

Bland supermarket curry sauces can be easily enhanced - Andrew Crowley

Supermarket curries often come with a thin, bland sauce but can be easily improved, says Tomás Gormley, the chef founder of Edinburgh’s Cardinal restaurant. Strain the sauce into a pan, simmer until thickened a little – this will also concentrate the flavour. Add the other elements of the curry back in.

For extra oomph, gently sizzle whole cardamom, a cinnamon stick and cumin seeds in hot flavourless oil until fragrant. “Use that aromatic oil to season the curry,” Gormley says. Finish with lime zest and herbs such as coriander, mint or parsley to bring brightness the original versions lack.

9. Packet mash

Packet mash is far more versatile than you might think - Andrew Crowley

“To ramp up the flavour of packet mash, use milk infused with rosemary, garlic and thyme instead of water,” suggests Harris. Use slightly less liquid than stated for a better texture. “Finish with a spoonful of crème fraîche and finely grated parmesan, salt and white pepper,” he says.

Nathaniel Mortley, the chef-owner of 2210 in south London and better known on social media as NattyCanCook, suggests folding flaked tinned fish through the mash with spring onion, thyme, black pepper and a little hot sauce, for a Caribbean riff on brandade, the Provençal mix of salted fish and mashed potato.

10. Macaroni cheese

Scatter garlicky breadcrumbs over macaroni cheese - Andrew Crowley

Ready-made macaroni cheese often needs more seasoning, so add salt and pepper before baking, says Harris. “For more cheese pull, add more mozzarella,” he says.

While it’s in the oven, fry some fresh breadcrumbs in olive oil with crushed garlic, chopped herbs or chilli flakes until crisp, then scatter them over halfway through cooking.

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