As soon as the temperature hits around 21C in the UK, you know a mum somewhere is saying, "I can't be bothered cooking dinner tonight, let's have some picky bits". And as a mum-of-two, I am one of those women evoking the sun as a moral guide for my family's mealtime menus.
We call it "tea", not dinner, in my house, and sometimes a "picky tea" is called a platter or more recently, "girl dinner", because of that TikTok trend, if you know, you know. But in essence, it is the same principle; no one is cooking a full, cohesive meal. Instead, we are going to have a selection of beige foods and some side salad. And they are the only rules.
Sausage rolls? Crisps? A bit of pesto pasta? Some token cucumber slices? Add it to your plate and enjoy.
And supermarkets know how much we love our picky bits, so I tried the selection on offer at Iceland.
As many already know, there is a large fridge selection, they don't just do frozen food. And in there is a variety of pastas, sausage rolls, meats and quiches.
Aside from the West Country Cheddar Balsamic Onion Quiches, I didn't have to cook a thing, which was perfect given the warm weather.
I was impressed with the Luxury Coleslaw, which I was concerned about because I can be a coleslaw snob, but this is rich and crunchy with a hint of sweetness.
I thought the potato salad was just OK, as I have had better, but it had a nice flavour and the potatoes had a good texture, so if served as part of an evening platter, you wouldn't feel too disappointed.
And I was surprised by the Nacho Cheese Pasta, it was nice and creamy with a good kick of jalapenos, but not too much as the creamy sauce helped to balance it. The Tomato & Basil Pasta was also decent for a premade store bought pasta, with a nice zesty tomato flavour.
I guess my only issue with all these products is that there is too much sauce in all of them, except the tomato pasta.
In terms of the meat and egg-based products, these are going to be easy wins on a picky plate.
The West Country Cheddar Balsamic Onion Quiches are really nice and I would definitely have them again.
The rest is all good for the price and convenience, but I have had better sausage rolls and mini scotch eggs, yes.
The Iceland versions can be a little dry, but a bit of sauce and it is still a decent offering for a quick and simple dinner.
Here is a list of some of the products included in the range and Iceland currently has a deal on selected products six for £10.
- Iceland Nacho Cheese Pasta - 300g, £2.25
- Iceland Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks - 370g, £2.40
- Iceland Cumberland Mini Eggs - 216g, £2.40
- Iceland Coronation Coleslaw - 300g, £2.25
- Iceland Cumberland Cocktail Sausages - 170g, £2.40
- Iceland Tomato & Basil Pasta - 275g, £2.25
- Iceland Luxury Coleslaw - 330g, £2.25
- Iceland Mini Sausage Rolls - 20 Pack, £2.40
- Iceland West Country Cheddar Balsamic Onion Quiches - 2 Pack, £2.50
- Iceland Southern Fried Chicken Strips - 161g, £2.40
- Iceland Potato Salad - 450g, £2.25
- Iceland Coronation Chicken Pasta Salad - 250g, £2.25
- Iceland Tex Mex Dip Selection - 210g, £2.00
