8 Grocery Store Products that are Better than Homemade, really

Yahoo/Bon Appetit ^ | 4/17/11 | n/a

[DemforBush]

Usually, the imitation, short-cut, version just doesn’t hold a candle to the original. Consider: Spray tans. Toupees. Press-On Nails. But when it comes to food, most of us don’t have the time to make everything from scratch. So over the years I’ve scoured grocery store shelves for pre-made foods that taste as good as homemade (almost). There are not many. But when I do find a winner, I am instantly hooked. And, while it would probably be more prudent for my culinary street cred to keep my finds to myself, these products are so good, I can't help but overshare.

Do these store-bought foods give the made-from-scratch versions a run for their money? You bet your clip-in hair extensions...

[patton]

You buy in mashed potatoes? Really?

Look, even my kids will tell you that I am a lousy cook.

But mashed potatoes?

Take some potatoes. Don’t bother to peel them or anything. Washing is optional - you are going to boil the suckers anyway.

Do get rid of the green bits. They will give you the trots.

Throw them in a pot.

Put a fire under it.

When they get mushy, hit them with a hammar, a K-Bar, a tanker bar, whatever is handy. We have an old tire iron for the chore.

Toss in butter,garlic, and cream.

Serve hot.

[Freedom56v2]

Oh my, don’t think this would pass muster with the wagu/arugula crowd in the white hut.

[skinkinthegrass]

...hit them with a hammar, a K-Bar, a tanker bar, whatever is handy.
We have an old tire iron for the chore.

*snicker* ...lumpy potatoes, its what fer dinner.

[Cvengr]

Try Classico, with Sun Dried Tomatoes, mix in a splash of red vinegar, teaspoon of sugar, fresh garlic, and a little olive oil, with half a bottle of your favorite red wine.

[little jeremiah]

To clean my glass top stove I have one of those razor blade things, a razor blade in a holder. Soak it, scrape it, voila. Sometimes a teeny bit of Bar Keepers Friend after the scraping.

[skinkinthegrass]

you can always add some Scottish Haggis, too. :)

[BuckeyeTexan]

Dude! A three way at Skyline is the bomb. It’s like crack. When I go back to Cincy for vacation, I have to make three stops. Skyline is the first ... straight from the airport (right on past Goldstar without a second glance.)

Kroger in Texas sells Skyline in a can. It’s almost good as being there but not quite.

I need a fix.

[BuckeyeTexan]

Gold Star? Are you mad?

[patton]

If you got issues with Haggis, you should try my schmetterlink.

[Uncle Miltie]

I grow my own:

Heirloom tomatoes (5-6 types, vine ripened, especially “Black Krim”)
Basil
Thyme
Oregano
Rosemary
Italian Parsley
Chives

I add:

Garlic
Salt
Carmelized Red Onions (a separate recipe)
Brown Sugar (if necessary, to knock back the acidity)

Throw them all in the pot and boil until tomatoes are cooked into sauce.

Puree in the blender.

Freeze in dinner sized portions.

The only better tomato sauce I’ve ever had is at Cafe Lago, in Seattle. They even gave us their recipe and we couldn’t recreate it. Otherwise, I win!

;-)

[I still care]

I was surprised (for us in the south) to find that Publix (canned) heavy whipped cream, in the purple can, is better than any of the prepared whipped creams, such as rediwhip.

It is very good. Of course not homemade, but it’s lighter, as you point out, and probably a little less caloric because of all the air.

[buccaneer81]

Thanks!

[buccaneer81]

Right on!

[Revelation 911]

nonsense - sounds like they are sloppy cooks

[Revelation 911]

Besides I only use honey in the dough instead of sugar to activate the yeast.

try skipping this step next time - it will still rise just as quickly - had a pizza shop share that with me years ago…I watch him make a batch of dough and he only added salt to retard the rise somewhat

[buccaneer81]

Nonsense yourself. Ever been married to Italians? A messy affair, all around.

[buccaneer81]

Nonsense yourself. Ever been married to Italians? A messy affair, all around.

[buccaneer81]

$3.99 on sale this past week!

That's a great deal.

[widdle_wabbit]

THREE WAY?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z43PGrMuqto

[jocon307]

“...All-Clad pans and they recommended [Barkeeper’s Friend] to clean them”

What a great post this is! I’ve bookmarked the page to send to hubby, daughty and good-cooking friend.

And what a great thread, wonderful comments!

PRS-I’m ASTONISHED that all clad recommends Barkeeper’s friend to clean their pans, I’m a dedicated fan of Bon Ami, I just love the stuff. The only time I used BKF was to get some rust stains off of a medicine cabinet. But, I gotta admit, sometimes you can’t get the schmutz off the cooking pans (we are not in the all clad class, just Cafalon here-lol). Now based on your post I’m going to try it. I feel like shinier pans are in my future! (Hubby cooks, I’m the clean up crew).

bigbob - as for your comment about store-bought hard liquor being always better than homemade, you are SO right!

I never drank any moonshine (see, I’m right between the moonshine class and the all clad class, like ALL Americans I’m “middle class”) but I have had some pretty cr*ppy homemade wine. But it reminded me of what I told my daughter: if you are going to drink hard liquor, drink the high-end brands, don’t never drink no cheap hard liquor.

I also heard James Beard quoted years ago as saying the only thing he couldn’t make better than store bought was marshmallows, he just couldn’t get them to come out right.