'I tried M&S's new Dine-In menu - and at £10 it's perfect for an easy midweek meal' - Rachel Williams

For the busy households among us, treating yourself to a healthy, home-cooked meal during the week can often seem like mammoth task.

Whether you have been working all day or you've been doing chores, sometimes the thought of toiling away in the kitchen over a fresh meal can be a bit much. Luckily, M&S has come to the rescue with a new menu.

The beloved retailer has just updated its iconic Dine-In deal with a brand new range - the Cook Menu Dine-In. Launched earlier this week, the menu has been curated by M&S chefs as a modern take on the classic "meat and two veg".

Priced at an affordable £10, the deal lets shoppers bag one main meal and two side dishes. Each dish is also said to be incredibly quick to cook, so it's ideal for busy households.

Since the Cook Menu Dine-In has been hailed as the "biggest" and "freshest" option ever, I was naturally intrigued. As someone who struggles to fit time between work, the gym and general chores, I wanted to see if the menu could really create a fresh meal without the fuss.

What is included in the new Cook Menu Dine-In

A general image of a woman holding a salmon dish from M&S' new Cook Menu — The new menu boasts 23 mains and 16 side dishes (Image: Daily Record/Rachel Williams)

According to the retailer, its new menu has been curated to prepare healthy, midweek meals with limited prep. With 23 mains and 16 sides, it offers over 5,000 meal combinations - so you won't be stumped for choices.

Each meal is also said to be ready to eat within as little as just 30 minutes. If I can cook an easy, healthy dinner that seems like it has been made from scratch in around half-an hour, then you can sign me up.

From salmon and hunter's chicken to sea bass and pork belly slices, there is a main that will suit pretty much every palette. There's also a wide variety of healthy sides that range from wedges to side salads.

Here's all the menu options:

Mains

Scottish Haddock Fillet Rarebit
Scottish salmon-all butter En Croute
Oriental-style outdoor-bred British pork belly slices
British outdoor-fed pork fillet medallions
British outdoor-bred pork schnitzel
British outdoor-bred gammon steak
British chicken breast with roasted mushrooms
British chicken breast with parmesan and basil pesto
British chicken in a tomato and chorizo sauce
British outdoor-bred pork loin saltibocca
British duck breast
British chicken breast in a creamy three mustard sauce
Lemon and garlic British chicken breast
Honey, soy & ginger glazed British chicken breast
Hunter's chicken with cheddar melt
Pulled British beef all butter pastry en croute
Seabass fillets with chilli and lime butter
British beef and pork meatballs
British chicken breast stuffed with spinach and ricotta
British lamb cutlets
Scottish salmon with Cajun-style sauce

Sides

Greek feta salad
Sweet rosa verde salad
Smashed new potatoes
Hasselback potatoes
Fresh potato wedges
Leeks, courgettes and peas
Mediterranean-style roasting vegetables
Baby potatoes and greens
Cous cous and chickpeas
Sweet potato and carrot crush
Supergreen salad
Caesar salad
Ranch salad
Grains and greens
Mixed greens medley
Carrot and red onion roasting tray

What did I choose for my menu?

A general image of a Cook Menu Dine-In deal from M&S on a kitchen countertop — I ended up opting for a salmon dish that was accompanied with some hasselback potatoes and a salad (Image: Daily Record/Rachel Williams)

When I popped into my local M&S store, the new range was advertised quite well, making it easy enough to find. The only problem I had was choosing my meal.

Since I am a massive foodie, I am always keen to try pretty much anything. With a huge selection of options to choose, the opportunity to pick just one was a momentous task in itself.

In the end, this is what I opted for my main and two side dishes:

Scottish salmon with Cajun-style sauce and Parsley & Lime
Hasselback potatoes with Rosemary
Supergreen salad with a fruity dressing

Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.

Was I able to cut down my time in the kitchen?

A general image of the new Cook Menu Dine-In in an M&S Aberdeen store — M&S' new menu has been hailed as its "biggest" and "freshest" dine-in (Image: Daily Record/Rachel Williams)

As the menu was advertised as being "ready in 30 minutes or less", I was keen to see if my choice could cut back on the faff of prepping fresh veggies and meat.

While most of the mains were certainly ready to pop into the oven and be all done and dusted within around 20 minutes, I did find some of the side dishes, such as the potatoes, did take a little longer of up to about 50 minutes.

My own meal was slightly longer with the Hasselback Potatoes taking 40 minutes. However, as the seasoning and the prep had all been done, it was enough to pop them in the oven at the required temperature and wait 20 minutes before popping in the salmon.

Since the fresh Supergreen Salad and its dressing was also all prepped, I found that I could catch up on some other household chores, such as hanging up the washing while my fresh, almost homemade meal cooked away.

Once the timer went off, all I had to do was simply heat up the Cajun-style sauce and pop it over the salmon with a squeeze of lime. Then I just had to drizzle over the fruity dressing on the salad and, voila, a perfectly, fresh meal that looked cooked from scratch without the fuss.

A general image of salmon, Hasselback potatoes and a salad from M&S on a dinner plate — The dish was created in less than one hour and it tasted, and looked, like I had cooked it from scratch (Image: Daily Record/Rachel Williams)

Overall verdict

Even though I have only tried one combination from the new Cook Menu Dine-in, I can certainly say it was enough for me to get a taste for it.

What I really liked about the whole range was that there is a wide variety of healthier options. As it's not something you tend to get with a lot of ready-made meals, it's nice to know that you can get a meal that is both nourishing and tasty at the same time.

As for my meal itself, the salmon was cooked to perfection, with that nice flaky texture. The Cajun-style sauce certainly add a touch spice to the dish, making it seem like it came straight from a restaurant and not my very own kitchen.

The addition of the Hasselback potatoes and a fruity salad on the side perfectly complimented the slightly spicier main dish. It also made me feel nice and full after a long day.

Overall, from what I tried, I'd say that M&S' Cook Menu Dine-In is the ideal range for the busy household, or person, looking to get that fresh, midweek meal that seems homecooked without spending too long on the preparations. It cuts back on the time in the kitchen, tastes top-quality, and you don't have all the dishes to clean up afterwards, so it's a win for this foodie.