Now I'm not usually a fan of ready-made foods - I often insist on dazzling dinner guests with gourmet grub I've proudly made from scratch, without cutting any corners. Having said that however, I'm also used to eating my words (excuse the pun) when I've been proved wrong. So when asked to try the readily seasoned, spicy roast chicken from Asda I was admittedly intrigued, especially as the chicken itself is cooked from start to finish in an oven-proof, sealed bag. Smugly assuming nothing could possibly beat my own version of crispy roast chicken laced with golden roasted garlic and aromatic rosemary, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only is this the easiest ever roast chicken to prepare, it tasted absolutely delicious.

I chose the Piri Piri roast chicken, as I fancied a little bit of heat on a Monday evening, and thought it would perfectly accompany my homemade spicy rice recipe. The only preparation you need is to pierce a small hole in the top of the bag, place inside the oven for 1 hour 30 mins and simply wait for the juices and fantastic flavours to infuse inside the bag. The chicken was truly scrumptious, crispy on the outside with a tangy hit of Portugese spice, and wonderfully succulent on the inside, with tender pieces of mouthwatering, flavoursome meat.

To add to the allure of this wondrous food buy, the roast in a bag chicken is at a bargain price of £5 - which could easily feed up to four people, together with rice and salad or potatoes. If you're just cooking for two, then look forward to a few days of tasty leftovers. This works perfectly as fuss-free mid-week supper when you're pushed for time, or if you just feel like being lazy and letting the oven work its magic itself for a change!

The Butcher's Selection Simply Roast in the Bag Piri Piri chicken, £5, www.asda.com

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