I know I'll scandalize someone, but I actually prefer rotisserie chicken to the home-cooked one. It doesn't leave a bad aftertaste in my mouth when it starts going cold.
It does seem greasy but I have it once in a while. Since I start buying it, I've stopped cooking my own roast chicken.
Rotisserie chicken is a bit dry compared to home-cooked, but I love dry breast anyway .
That's what comes to my mind at the moment, but if I think of something else I'll post it.

Pizza. I've just never got the hang of making it, so even the shop bought ones are nicer. I prefer pizza from the local takeaway or Pizza Express over shop bought though.

But shop bought is still better than my homemade pizza.

I did a semi-home made one last night. Simplicity is key for me. I reduced some fresh homemade tomato sauce I had in the freezer until it was quite thick then spread it on a shop bought base, grated some parmesan on then topped with some sliced mozzarella and some torn basil leaves. Oven on full then on to a pizza stone for 9 minutes. Just before serving I drizzled a little really good olive oil over it. Was better than any I've bought in recent times. I think the better the ingredients used the better the pizza will be, and don't overload it.

Hellmanns Mayo tastes better than home made to me.

I prefer Heinz tomato soup over my homemade tomato soup although I still like my own, especially chilled. It's just different and my preference is for Heinz. All other soups I prefer my own.

Fish & Chips. I've never managed to replicate the taste of a decent chippy.

Same with Indian food.

I used to be the same with Indian grub. Then I joined this forum and now I can replicate most things from a takeaway and some things I can do better.
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry...p?action=forum

Well I can make a semi homemade one - in that I just use a shop bought pizza base and use my own toppings. I use canned tomatoes and garlic for the sauce and just top with simple ingredients like tuna, ham, etc. I think it must be the pizza base though because I still like the shop bought pizzas

I wish I could make pizza like they do in pizza express...those are yummy.

I prefer shop bought hummus to home made - except for Asda that sucks, or at least used to as I haven't tried it recently.

Another vote for:

Heinz tomato soup ( only once did I ever come 'near' to it using fresh tomatoes in our apartment in Turkey - I could afford the tomatoes there)!

Heilmanns Mayo - their 3% fat one - I can't digest very fatty food and I understand you need commercial speed machines to incorporate water etc to make it like this.

Same for fat free yoghurt.

Tesco's carrot & swede mash.

Bisto's veggie gravy mix.


All sauces as in HP/ Worcestershire sauce/ ketchups IMO.

I'm sure hubby would go for chip shop battered fish and roasted chicken too.

Still thinking...

Cheese savoury sandwiches, i cannot make them as nice as Greggs or M&S. They are the only cold sarnies i ever buy.

Pasta sauce and pesto.

Chicken salad sandwiches. I can't make them as good as Tesco can.

I forgot about tomato soup. I prefer Heinz to homemade. I prefer homemade for most other kinds of soup though.

I don't eat mash potato so I used to buy the M&S Ultimate Mash for OH and he said it was nicer than any mash he's had!

I've started making my own occasionally now as I give the baby a little taster, OH noticed it wasn't M&S straight away

I with you on that - plus I love making soups - they're a god send when on a diet if you make your own.

I prefer my chippy's chips than my own...

I know where you're coming from - but due to low fat diet I have a few oven chips on a Friday as treat - I do love the oven baked ones - I leave them to slightly defrost, then cook on high - they're lovely - but they don't surpass chippy's chips, of which we have a great one. I can't even go there as I'd binge!

The M&S Mash is very good i must admit.

I find it too heavy.

I did some oven baked chips years ago, they turned out lovely, but these days they are a bit hit and miss, but mostly they are awful..Lol

Try grating the cheese and using mayo mixed with mustard instead of marge. S'pretty good

Like others have said Heinz tomato soup beats (my) home made.
But I think it's because the majority of us were brought up having tinned soup rather than home made, and Heinz tomato has such a distinctive taste quite different from home made.

Shop bought is too salty and that is why some people like it. I make humus but prefer the one from Waitrose. It is a rare treat though. I am watching my salt intake.

I've found the opposite. With all the hooha over heathy food in the last few years and the 'salt police' as Rick Stein refers to them a lot of food has reduced the salt content and many of them lack flavour.

I often have to add a dash or splash of cupboard essentials to food to enjoy them - e,g, soy sauce, hot sauce, vinegar, ketchup