What is your favorite convenience food shortcut?

[Claire]

Jet, I don't see where you are from, but here rather than looking for the chopped onions and peppers in the produce department, for some reason they're in the meat refridgerator. I don't use them myself (I cheat, if I don't feel like it my husband will step up to the bar) but have a lot of friends who do. Some friends also use grocery store salad bars when they need fresh produce in small amounts, already cut.

 

[jet]

Jet, I don't see where you are from, but here rather than looking for the chopped onions and peppers in the produce department, for some reason they're in the meat refridgerator. I don't use them myself (I cheat, if I don't feel like it my husband will step up to the bar) but have a lot of friends who do. Some friends also use grocery store salad bars when they need fresh produce in small amounts, already cut.

I guess my "thriving" Midwest metropolis of 150,000 is not big enough to have pre-chopped onions. I've seen grocery stores with salad bars, but none close enough to shop at on a regular basis.

 

[vagriller]

Some friends also use grocery store salad bars when they need fresh produce in small amounts, already cut.

I've been known to get a carton of the baby spinach off the salad bar at my local grocery store. The salad bar is 2.99/lb vs. 3.99 for a 12 oz bag of baby spinach!

 

[Kathleen]

Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock

My single favorite convenience item is Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock. My one hit on the product is that the salt content is very high, but I simply omit all salt in the recipe when I use it. I know there are lower salt versions for other brands, but this stock has a richness in both taste and color that I cannot get without making stock myself.

~Kathleen

 

[CharlieD]

I love Manischewitz pea soup mix.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

After boasting about not having much in the way of prepared foods, canned soups and some rice mixes, DH came home with an armload of Stouffer's frozen items. LOL! He discovered their lasagna a while back and he says he needs some variety. Before, variety meant adding ketchup to his hot dogs. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks!

 

[Max Sutton]

Kitchen Basics Unsalted Chicken Stock

My single favorite convenience item is Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock. My one hit on the product is that the salt content is very high, but I simply omit all salt in the recipe when I use it. I know there are lower salt versions for other brands, but this stock has a richness in both taste and color that I cannot get without making stock myself.

~Kathleen

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KathleenA,
I buy and use Kitchen Basics Unsalted Chicken Stock. It has 150mg of sodium per cup.

 

[Max Sutton]

chopped onions

There are places that sell pre-chopped onions?!?!

YES, two supermarkets (RALEYS and SAFEWAY) in our small town (pop. 13,000) sell the cup-size cartons of chopped onions. They offer both chopped red onions and chopped yellow onions in the produce section.

 

[HMGgal]

Rotisserie chickens picked up on the way home from work are nice and quick, and I'll also pick up the the pre-prepared scalloped potatoes and (are you sitting down?) the multi-colored jello with whipped cream in it. Yeah. I'll mix up frozen corn/lima beans for a succotash, and my family loves it. I try not enjoy it (expensive, high chemical load, and lots of salt), but I actually do.

 

[FrankZ]

They offer both chopped red onions and chopped yellow onions in the produce section.

What? No chopped white onions? Those barbarians!

 

[Cookbook Shop]

I didn't know what "KD" was for the life of me..... now I do!

 

[Kathleen]

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KathleenA,
I buy and use Kitchen Basics Unsalted Chicken Stock. It has 150mg of sodium per cup.

Thanks! I'll ask my grocer whether they can start stocking it! I've not seen it before.

~Kathleen

 

[CharlieD]

Rotisserie chicken...

Completely off topic. I would love to have a rotisserie at home. Back in my old soviet days, the stove we had in the apartment came with rotisserie in the oven (well actually all the newer stoves came with it). That was really convenient, no need for an extra appliance in the house. No need to go to your grill (if the grill has an attachment) in the middle of the winter. I wish it was available here.

 

[ChefJune]

I love Manischewitz pea soup mix.

Yum! Thanks for reminding me of that, Charlie.

 

[roadfix]

I often just sprinkle some furikake on plain spaghetti, no sauce. Tastes great.

 

[Constance]

Kraft mac'n cheese is a favorite here. I add a can of Cambell's Cream of Mushroom soup (another fave) which makes it juicer and even tastier. I use Cambell's condensed soups for lots of things, and I frequently eat the lower calorie Chunky soups for lunch, instead of a sandwich.
I also keep canned broth on hand as well as the jarred paste. I don't even WANT to know how much sodium there is in the latter...must be a lot, because it seems to last forever.

I use Kraft Italian dressing mix and Lipton Onion soup mix for seasoning a lot of things. Prego or Bertoli jarred tomato sauces are a good base for my own sauce. Depending on your pallette, just simmering the jarred sauce with browned Italian sausage is often all that is needed.

I use refrigerated pre-diced or dried granular or powdered garlic most of the time, as I have trouble keeping the fresh. We keep instant mashed potatoes on hand because my husband likes them and I can eat them; same with boxed Au Gratin potatoes.

As for already chopped stuff...DH is always ready to give me a hand with that. We usually chop more than we need (like a whole onion when we only need a half) and freeze the rest in a Ziplock. I especially like to do that with celery and green onions, as they don't keep well in the fridge for me, and I like to have them on hand.

I also keep cake and instant sugar free pudding mixes around, as I have some recipes for quick desserts that call for them. And I always have a selection of sugar free Jello and crumb pie shells in the pantry, as well as Cool Whip, boxed pie crust and puff pastry in the freezer.

 

[Claire]

Jet, my big Midwest town is only 3500! You might consider going to the service desk and asking if you can submit a comment/request. And, yes, a chopped onion (pepper, etc) can cost considerably more than a whole one. You just have to decide how much you are willing to pay someone to chop the vegs for you! IF buying an onion means throwing away half of an onion (right now, where I live, I bought a bag of onions and when all was said and done, I had to throw away more than half)(mind you, not half of an onion, I mean half of the onions, they were moldy, rotted and mushy from freezing), then it is probably worth the extra to buy vegs you can look and and know they are good to go. If I lived alone, or if we both worked, paying extra for the chopped (and being able to see that what I'm buying is good) would have been cheaper in the long run.

 

[Saphellae]

I didn't think KD would start such a discussion.. LOL!! Sorry to cause trouble....

I try to shop "around" the grocery store.. ie. along the outside perimeter. I attempt to stay away from all the boxed and prepackaged items, and stick with the fresh produce and meat and dairy, and a about once a month will hit the pasta/rice and oatmeal section... I really try and cook everything from scratch. I do use canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, etc... but who doesn't? Kraft dinner is really the only convenience meal I use, and I use it sparingly... everything else is from scratch.

Prepackaged meatballs, chicken in a box... etc... EWWWWWWwwwwwwwwww. Sodium hell!!! Even items labeled 'healthy' are loaded in disgustingness. I don't even consider those items anymore.

I do, however, like my kalamata olives. Salty, yes. But in moderation............... lol

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Going out!

Seriously,I keep a few things from the local butcher (old-timey butcher shop with steel tables and meat cleavers) for emergency quickie meals. He has the pre-made stuffed chicken breasts (like Barber's but they taste better...don't know where he gets them), and meatballs (they really taste home-made) that can be made into subs in a crusty bun with a little sauce and mozz cheese. Straight out of the freezer and into the sauce till they're hot. I also keep Carolina Long Grain and Wild Rice packets on hand.

And now, for a little commercial break, here's a video for Kraft dinners! Enjoy! YouTube - Geyser, Kraft Dinner

 

[msmofet]

You mean labour with your favourite neighbour?

To actually join in the discussion...my favorite convenience food that I "enhance" would be Hunt's Traditional spaghetti sauce. I add red wine and lots more dried basil.

I also like to take black beans, add lime, cilantro, and cumin, toss with some cooked rice and top with shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream.

snarky...that's another one!

i think canned/bottled sauce is way to sweet EXCEPT for Hunt's which i also doctor.