Ciao to a Family Favourite
Our Prime Beef and Pork Cannelloni is based on a traditional family recipe that has been passed down through Mat's family, with his mum making it for the family while he was growing up. It’s a recipe filled with memories, and one that has always had a special place at the table.
Years later, while Mat and Megan were living in France, this love for cooking continued. Mat was playing rugby and Megan was working on the super yachts, and whenever Megan had time off, the two of them loved cooking together. Cannelloni was one of the favourites that regularly made its way into their kitchen rotation.
It's a classic dish and we make ours with a flavoursome blend of lean beef and pork mince for the perfect balance, rich pomodoro sauce and a generous layer of creamy béchamel, finished with cheese and Italian herbs. It's a hearty meal that's satisfying on its own, or serve with crusty bread, a crisp green salad dressed with RedKitchen vinaigrette, and a glass of Chianti for a complete Italian-inspired meal.
When RedKitchen was just getting started, this much-loved recipe was one of the very first meals added to our range. Jen remembers those early days well: "Back then we filled each tube by pressing the meat against the side of the bowl to squash it in. We'd fill the dishes with pomodoro, add the tubes, cover the meals, and freeze them. You couldn't stack them, so it was like playing Tetris in the one double-door retail freezer we had! The next day we'd top them with béchamel and cheese before freezing them again. We vacuum-packed everything back then, and because you couldn't vacuum-pack fresh meals, they had to be completely frozen first. What a process!"
Thankfully, things have come a long way since then. Today, we make around 200 dishes per batch, with processes and systems that have evolved enormously. While the way we make them has changed, the recipe that so many of you know and love has remained the same. For 16 years, this meal has found its way onto dinner tables across the country, becoming a favourite in your homes just as it has always been in ours.
A Fond Farewell to our Family Size Cannelloni
Recently, we’ve been making some changes across our Dinners range as we transition into our new packaging. Our Family Size Cannelloni has always had its own special packaging, but as we move forward with the new look, we’re no longer able to keep it as part of our Family Size range.
When a meal is retired from our range and we've let our stockists know it will no longer be available, we continue making it for a short time so we can sell the final batches ourselves. We love having the opportunity to share these last meals directly with the customers who have supported us over the years.
That means there's still time to enjoy one of the final Family Size Cannelloni meals from RedKitchen HQ, RedKitchen Made Market, or through our online store before it leaves the Family Size range.
But don't worry - the Cannelloni you know and love isn't disappearing completely. It will continue to be available in our Small Meal size as a generous single serve, so you can still enjoy this family favourite whenever the craving hits.
Whether you've been enjoying our Cannelloni for years or are yet to discover it, we hope you'll take the opportunity to enjoy one of the last Family Size meals before they're gone or continue making it part of your table with our Small Meal.
Thank you for loving this meal as much as we do ❤️
