Homemade foods taste better.
Not only do they taste better, but people prefer them. One survey shows nearly eight in 10 people would choose homemade meals over eating out.
But making homemade food can be out of the question in today’s daily bustle of stressful life, crammed schedules, and little downtime.
Some 60% of people surveyed believe there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish what they need to. That lack of time can be compounded by holiday season demands that include shopping, decorating the home, and preparing for family gatherings.
There is an out.
There are store-bought foods that will do when time closes in on you. Here are 10 items you can buy at the store that make adequate substitutes for homemade meals and foods.
Mashed potatoes
The versatile mashed potato goes well with anything from steak to pan-fried chicken to meatloaf. When made correctly, these fluffy, light potatoes with a dollop of butter will make you go back for seconds and thirds. But they are time-consuming to make. You have to peel the potatoes, place them in salt water, let them cook, mash them, and add cream, butter, salt, and other ingredients. Why do that when you can buy any number of store-bought mashed potatoes that will do the trick? Add a little more butter, and they’ll be fine. The boxed instant potatoes aren’t nearly as good as what you’ll find on the store shelf, but they’re an option.
Condiments
Homemade mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard take food to a new level, especially since you can customize each to your liking. Tarragon mayonnaise goes great with egg salad, jalapeños spice up ketchup, and bourbon or honey adds sweetness to mustard. But making condiments takes a lot of time. You can find a wide array of excellent condiments at the store.
Cakes and brownies
This will be devil talk to some people. There’s nothing like Auntie’s pound cake, Grandmama’s pecan pie, or Uncle’s bread pudding. All true. But the easy box mixes require eggs, water, and oil, and that’s it. Flavored cake mixes save a lot of time. For example, if you like lemon cake, the box mix saves you from squeezing and zesting lemons. There’s nothing wrong with the canned frosting, either.
Pizza dough
More stores carry dough made with 00 (double zero) flour, which is best for making pizzas. But doughs made with regular flour will work in a pinch. The best homemade doughs require an overnight rise in the refrigerator. Grab dough from the store, let it come to room temperature, and you’re set.
Pasta
Pasta is, no doubt, better when made fresh. But doing so is a skill that can confound home cooks new to making and handling the dough. Boxed pasta is excellent and popular, with an estimated 274 million Americans using the boxed version in 2024, according to Statistica. Might as well get on the bandwagon.
Frozen potatoes/onion rings
There’s a reason fresh french fries and onion rings cost so much at a restaurant. Making them is time-consuming. After peeling and slicing the potatoes, you have to double-fry them to get that nice crunch. Onions need to be sliced, added to the batter, and fried. Instead, get your favorite brand from the store. For those who worry about fried food, the fries and onion rings crisp nicely in the oven.
Croissants
If you’ve never tried to make croissants, don’t. Making the dough, kneading, folding, adding the butter to the dough — you get it. Leave it to the bakery pros, or buy them at the grocery. Store-bought won’t be as fluffy and crunchy, but they’ll work. That’s all you need.
Potato chips
Americans consume about 1.85 billion pounds of potato chips in a year, or 6.6 pounds per person, according to Smithsonian Magazine. Grab a bag of chips instead of trying to make them yourself. Yes, they’re amazing when fresh, but scrubbing the potatoes, peeling them, slicing, and frying can be a bit much. While the homemade kind is all that and a bag of chips, you’ll be just as happy going to the store.
Salad dressing
Yes, you can make your homemade salad dressing. It’s always better, and you need just a few ingredients. But not everyone has high-quality balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and Dijon mustard in the pantry. The grocery store, for many, makes a better option.
Pickles
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, how did he pickle them? Pickling takes time, and pickling properly pickled pickles is as hard as it is to say. You make pickles by placing cucumbers in brine and letting them sit for a day or so. But if you’re hungry and have a hamburger staring at you now, get any variety of pickles from the store.
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