I tried Tesco's £20 'restaurant quality' ready meals to see if they're worth the cost

I was raised in a 'make everything from scratch' household. Pastry dough, gravies, sauces - you name it, I learned how to make it with my own two hands. It wasn't until I moved out of my home that I discovered the joy of ready meals (sorry Mum) and now I'd say I'm slapping a pizza in the oven and calling it a night at least twice a week.

So when Tesco reached out and asked if I wanted to try their new Chef's Finest Collection meals I was all about it. These chef-developed meals are slow cooked and inspired by British, Italian and Indian cuisine and now for the first time are available year-round rather than just at Christmas. Priced between £17.50 and £20, the meals promise an elevated experience - definitely a step above my usual pizza.

I received three of these meals, along with a couple of recommended side dishes. However, the meals themselves are not sold in a package deal with sides in store. It's also worth noting the range currently does not offer any vegetarian or vegan options - it's meat all the way.

Pork Belly with a mustard & tarragon sauce and apple & brandy chutney (£17.50)

This was first up on the week's meals because I absolutely love pork belly. I preheated the oven to the right temperature and began the unpacking of the meal. I loved that the pork came in its own roasting tray, as I wasn't sure I had a proper one and all the sauces were labelled and easy to see what was what.

The first hurdle was that the instructions asked me to put the pork on the tray 'fat side up' - but due to the level of seasoning on the meat I had absolutely no idea which was up. I turned it back and forth for several minutes before realising there was a 50/50 chance I had it right so just went for it.

Half an hour later, my timer went off and my kitchen smelled so good that my flatmates came out to comment on it. After letting the meat rest for five minutes, I sliced in, and realised I had got the gamble right - the fat was on top.

I plated the pork atop the tarragon and mustard sauce and topped with the crumb. It looked exactly like the picture on the box which was very satisfying. I had also cooked some Tesco finest fries to go along with my meal and they were placed on the side.

The meat was definitely delicious and tender and the tarragon complimented it well. The crumb added a nice crunch to a very soft meal and the apple sauce cut through nicely. However, the pork was a bit too salty for my liking - luckily I hadn't added any extra as I usually do, because it may well have dried me out like a raisin.

Despite being too salty, it was still a good and filling meal with the side. However, I think if it was just by itself and shared between two it wouldn't be enough food.

Tandoori Spiced Chicken Supremes with a smoky butter masala sauce, tandoori spiced yogurt and onion crumb (£17.50)

This also needed to be cooked skin side up so I gambled again. The cooking for this was slightly more complex - and by that I mean I had to take it out at one point and smear some yoghurt on it (not exactly Gordon Ramsay levels). Again, the smell was amazing but I was definitely disappointed that the meal didn't come with rice. To me, eating just a chicken breast by itself - even if it is beautifully seasoned - is a little depressing. I cooked some rice myself to go with this, as I was starving and didn't think that just chicken would do me. Once I had plated everything, it looked just like the picture on the packet (aside from the added rice).

When I cut into the chicken I realised that this time my 50/50 gamble on which side was up on the meat had failed - I had definitely cooked this one upside down as there was some seasoning clumped across the fattier side of the chicken which hadn't properly spread throughout the meat - but that is my fault.

Sadly, like the pork belly, this chicken was also too salty for my taste. However, the meat was beautiful and tender and the masala butter sauce was creamy, smoky, and perfect. If it was a little less salty, and came with a rice that I could have just popped in the microwave it would have been a great meal. As it was, it was a good meal but not one I would necessarily eat again.

Stuffed Beef Featherblade with a Porcini & Parmigiano Reggiano stuffing, peperonata and pine nut pesto (£17.50)

This was actually supposed to be night two's meal because it expired before the chicken did but I had gotten in late and realised at the last minute that this one takes a whopping 55 minutes to cook. Not exactly a quick ready meal, so it got ditched for night three when I would have more time.

This one took a little more work than the other two - I had to cover the provided roasting tray with kitchen foil (not provided) which I luckily had in the drawer. Then it was put into the oven for 35 minutes with regular basting, then foil off and another 20 minutes in the oven - again basting all the time.

The peperonata sauce needed simmering as the beef rested and then it was ready to serve. I was instructed to slice the beef "as thick as I like." However, the meat was so tender it was un-sliceable. Any attempt with a knife just slipped right through.

This time, the seasoning was perfect. It wasn't too salty like the chicken and the pork and the sauce pairs well with the rich meat. It was peppery and tangy and the acidity cut through the savoury meat well. However, the pesto was a little unremarkable - I think perhaps it was just overpowered by the other flavours.

This was my favourite of the three in terms of taste. But with a cooktime of just under an hour, it definitely wasn't as simple to make.

Overall, my week of eating Tesco's new ready meals was a mixed bag. In terms of pros and cons, they're split right down the middle. I think if you've got the money and don't mind a bit of extra prep on the side they're worth a go - but an oven pizza is cheaper and you don't need to think about it.

Pros	Cons
High quality meats	Expensive for what you get
Feel like a treat	More difficult to prep than other ready meals
Diverse flavours you might not usually try	Can be too salty
Clean up is simple	Small portion sizes