Mash Direct's fuss-free veggie sides (review)

You know those evenings when you get home after a long day at work and want some lovely homecooked food but just can't face spending hours slaving over the stove? Or the days you're home alone and think it's not worth cooking up "real food" for one so you're contemplating making a round of toast or throwing a frozen pizza in the oven? Well, Mash Direct to the rescue ! They sent us through a selection of their ready-to-heat vegetable accompaniments which are ideal timesavers.

We started off with the Potato Croquettes which were lovely. I've tried making home-made croquettes before, which are very fiddly to put together and tend to come out either soggy or burnt on the outside, and I sometimes buy frozen croquettes, which are often a bit dry and bland, so it was a pleasant surprise to discover the creamy, smooth potato and the delightfully crispy coating of the Mash Direct croquettes. We got the Potato, Cheese & Onion ones, which have a subtle hint of cheese and onion that enhances rather than overpowers the potato flavour, but they also come in plain Potato Croquettes, Potato and Turnip Croquettes and Potato, Carrot and Parsnip Croquettes. The pack contains 300g which is supposed to be enough for three servings, with each serving providing 214 calories and 10g of fat (of which 2.2g saturates). That works out at 2 croquettes each though and I can guarantee you'll want more than that because they're so tasty! (RRP £1.79 for 300g)

Now, I make a pretty mean cauliflower cheese with added mushrooms, onion, bacon and carrots, so I wasn't sure what we'd make of the Cauliflower Cheese Gratin. Well, I have to say, it's not bad at all. Madhouse Daddy nobly said that it wasn't quite as good as my version but the kids were much less loyal and said that they preferred the Mash Direct one - ratbags ! I was impressed at how fresh and natural the cauliflower tasted , the cheese sauce was lovely and creamy and the crunchy crumb mixed in with the cheese on top added some nice texture. (£1.89 for 350g)

I was gutted when the final product from the delivery, a pack of Bubble & Squeak, got munched when I was out of the house - the packs are so quick and simple to prepare, just needing a few minutes in the microwave, that they are ideal for teens or husbands to prepare when they need something quick and tasty on the table so I wasn't really surprised. When I spotted some Mash Direct Creamy Bubble & Squeak Mash Pots when I was shopping, I couldn't resist grabbing them so I could have a try too ! They taste beautifully rustic and warming - classic winter comfort food. I knew that bubble and squeak was a thrifty dish designed as a way of using up leftovers and involving cabbage and potatoes but that was as far as my knowledge went. It's actually a mixture of potatoes and savoy cabbage coated in a creamy garlic sauce, then topped with mature cheese and breadcrumbs. Now, where are my Irish readers? If you look on the Mash Direct website, they don't mention Bubble and Squeak but they do have Colcannon which looks and sounds just the same to me - is that just the Irish name for Bubble and Squeak?

Speaking of Ireland, don't forget it's St Patrick's Day next week (on Tuesday). If you know you won't have time to cook up an Irish feast, how about this cleverly packaged "tasty trinity" of Mashed Potato, Turnip and Green Cabbage. I love the way the classic Irish accompaniments represent the colours of the flag.

It's undoubtedly more expensive than cooking your own mash and veggie accompaniments from scratch, but if you want something quick and convenient or a healthy alternative to additive-packed ready meals, they're ideal.

for more information : http://www.mashdirect.com/

Disclosure : We received the products in order to write an honest review.