topic Re: Convenience Foods in Kitchen

Convenience Foods

QVCkitty1 — Wed, 12 May 2021 17:46:25 GMT

What is your favorite convenience food. Mine is Uncle Ben's Ready Rice. It is 90 seconds in the microwave and no pot to clean. It comes in many flavors, but I stick with plain brown rice and it comes out right every time. I get mine at Amazon I a box of 12 and it is cheaper than the store.

Re: Convenience Foods

Pook — Wed, 12 May 2021 17:56:26 GMT

Mine is Idahoan Mashed Potatoes. All you need to do is add a package to 2 cups boiling water and nothing else. Butter and seasonings already in package. Does not taste fake like regular instant mashed potatoes. I got these when I had several broken bones in my arm and now I see no need to waste time peeling potatoes and mashing them.

Re: Convenience Foods

Foxxee — Wed, 12 May 2021 18:30:09 GMT

Hungry Jack Instant Mashed Potatoes.

I think the taste and consistency is better than others I have tried.

Since there is nothing added, I have my own recipe for making a lower calorie version. I use Brummel & Brown, 0% F a g e yogurt, and water instead of butter and milk.

Re: Convenience Foods

JeanLouiseFinch — Wed, 12 May 2021 17:59:16 GMT

RAO’S pasta sauce (their pizza sauce too).

We don’t eat rice, potatoes, pasta, or grains.

Re: Convenience Foods

amyb — Wed, 12 May 2021 22:20:33 GMT

I don't eat too many "convenience foods", as I go by the "fresh is best" mentality, mostly...but...everyone needs something in their arsenol for those nights you just want no fuss, no muss (especially since we've ALL had to cook more during pandemic!)

For me it's Amy's frozen meals...particularly I like the Light & Lean. Hard to consistently find them in my local grocery stores lately, hit and miss on my favorites.

Occasionally I do the Pacific brand boxed soups too. I love their Corn Chowder (I think it's Southwestern...yummy.)

Also @QVCkitty1 ... I've had some of those 90 second rices too, "Seeds Of Change" Organic is the brand I've had...they're good! 90 seconds to meal time~ can't beat that! 😄

Re: Convenience Foods

amyb — Wed, 12 May 2021 19:07:32 GMT

@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:
RAO’S pasta sauce (their pizza sauce too).

We don’t eat rice, potatoes, pasta, or grains.

Just curious, what do you put the sauce on?

Re: Convenience Foods

SilleeMee — Wed, 12 May 2021 19:17:29 GMT

Mixed frozen berries. So convenient to have all the different kinds of berries ready to eat.

Re: Convenience Foods

Zhills — Wed, 12 May 2021 19:24:44 GMT

Schwan's Baked Breaded Chicken breasts and frozen Creamy Mashed Potatoes.

Re: Convenience Foods

JeanLouiseFinch — Wed, 12 May 2021 20:14:46 GMT

@amyb wrote:
@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:
RAO’S pasta sauce (their pizza sauce too).

We don’t eat rice, potatoes, pasta, or grains.
Just curious, what do you put the sauce on?

@amyb

I have several options:

Meat sauce over zoodles (zucchini noodles)

Meat sauce for zucchini boats

Meat sauce for lasagna made with either eggplant or Palmini hearts of palm sheets

Keto pizza casserole with riced cauliflower base

Meatballs or Italian sausage with peppers, onions & sauce

Fat head pizza crust

So Ketolicious pizza crust

I use homemade Alfredo sauce with spaghetti squash but would like to try a meat sauce sometime.

Re: Convenience Foods

FLgardener — Wed, 12 May 2021 20:17:15 GMT

Frozen dark sweet cherries (Publix)

Goya canned beans (take your pick)

Marie Callender frozen chicken pot pie (the large size)

Re: Convenience Foods

QVCkitty1 — Wed, 12 May 2021 20:37:55 GMT

@amyb wrote:
I don't eat too many "convenience foods", as I go by the "fresh is best" mentality, mostly...but...everyone needs something in their arsenol for those nights you just want no fuss, no muss (especially since we've ALL had to cook more during pandemic!)

For me it's Amy's frozen meals...particularly I like the Light & Lean. Hard to consistently find them in my local grocery stores lately, hit and miss on my favorites.

Occasionally I do the Pacific brand boxed soups too. I love their Corn Chowder (I think it's Southwestern...yummy.)

Also @QVCkitty1 not sure what brand I've gotten, not Uncle Ben's...but I've had some of those 90 second rices too...they're good! 90 seconds to meal time~ can't beat that! 😄

@amyb , I like Amy's Cheese Enchiladas, they are yummy !

Re: Convenience Foods

amyb — Wed, 12 May 2021 20:39:30 GMT

@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:
@amyb wrote:
@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:
RAO’S pasta sauce (their pizza sauce too).

We don’t eat rice, potatoes, pasta, or grains.
Just curious, what do you put the sauce on?
@amyb
I have several options:

Meat sauce over zoodles (zucchini noodles)
Meat sauce for zucchini boats
Meat sauce for lasagna made with either eggplant or Palmini hearts of palm sheets
Keto pizza casserole with riced cauliflower base
Meatballs or Italian sausage with peppers, onions & sauce
Fat head pizza crust
So Ketolicious pizza crust

I use homemade Alfredo sauce with spaghetti squash but would like to try a meat sauce sometime.

Love all those options! I'm not Keto, but I am carb "balanced" (was not as much during 2020 pandemic times, but I'm getting back to my better habits)...I'm carb conscious, so I like to have all kinds of non-carb options. Thanks for sharing!

Re: Convenience Foods

chickenbutt — Wed, 12 May 2021 21:06:52 GMT

@QVCkitty1 wrote:
What is your favorite convenience food. Mine is Uncle Ben's Ready Rice. It is 90 seconds in the microwave and no pot to clean. It comes in many flavors, but I stick with plain brown rice and it comes out right every time. I get mine at Amazon I a box of 12 and it is cheaper than the store.

Is this rice like that Minute Rice product, or is it more like regular rice? Just curious, as I keep rice on hand most all the time (white, brown, and wild), but some of them do take a while to make and you need to plan a bit ahead.

I cannot think of a convenience type product that I use outside of some frozen things I keep on hand like Lean Cuisine. Sometimes I have a DiGiorno pizza on hand, as well.

Re: Convenience Foods

depglass — Wed, 12 May 2021 21:16:06 GMT

Marie Callendars pot pies, the larger of the two small sizes. DH will eat any, I like the turkey. Warning, these things have just about your total calorie intake for the day if you are trying to lose weight. Not low fat, low carb, or keto.

Re: Convenience Foods

QVCkitty1 — Wed, 12 May 2021 21:24:08 GMT

@chickenbutt wrote:
@QVCkitty1 wrote:
What is your favorite convenience food. Mine is Uncle Ben's Ready Rice. It is 90 seconds in the microwave and no pot to clean. It comes in many flavors, but I stick with plain brown rice and it comes out right every time. I get mine at Amazon I a box of 12 and it is cheaper than the store.

Is this rice like that Minute Rice product, or is it more like regular rice? Just curious, as I keep rice on hand most all the time (white, brown, and wild), but some of them do take a while to make and you need to plan a bit ahead.

I cannot think of a convenience type product that I use outside of some frozen things I keep on hand like Lean Cuisine. Sometimes I have a DiGiorno pizza on hand, as well.

@chickenbutt , I haven't tried the white varieties, but the brown rice is just right, not at alllike minute rice.

Re: Convenience Foods

chickenbutt — Wed, 12 May 2021 21:28:16 GMT

@depglass wrote:
Marie Callendars pot pies, the larger of the two small sizes. DH will eat any, I like the turkey. Warning, these things have just about your total calorie intake for the day if you are trying to lose weight. Not low fat, low carb, or keto.

Ooh, I love these MC turkey pot pies. But I get the smallest one. The larger one is a bit much for me but I'm sure as I'm sitting here that the larger one would be the one my husband would prefer, too. I have one in the freezer right now.

Yeah, definitely calorie-laden. The smallest one is 500+ calories.

Probably just a weird 'me' thing, but I don't eat them out of the aluminum thing they come in. After nuking I will turn it over into a shallow bowl. Tap the bottom a couple of times with the fork and they usually come out pretty well.

The best thing - they are like the old-timey ones that have the crust all the way around. I like that very much and tend not to be interested in ones that only have crust on top.

Re: Convenience Foods

chickenbutt — Wed, 12 May 2021 21:28:53 GMT

@QVCkitty1 wrote:
@chickenbutt wrote:
@QVCkitty1 wrote:
What is your favorite convenience food. Mine is Uncle Ben's Ready Rice. It is 90 seconds in the microwave and no pot to clean. It comes in many flavors, but I stick with plain brown rice and it comes out right every time. I get mine at Amazon I a box of 12 and it is cheaper than the store.

Is this rice like that Minute Rice product, or is it more like regular rice? Just curious, as I keep rice on hand most all the time (white, brown, and wild), but some of them do take a while to make and you need to plan a bit ahead.

I cannot think of a convenience type product that I use outside of some frozen things I keep on hand like Lean Cuisine. Sometimes I have a DiGiorno pizza on hand, as well.
@chickenbutt , I haven't tried the white varieties, but the brown rice is just right, not at alllike minute rice.

Thank You!

Re: Convenience Foods

Carmie — Wed, 12 May 2021 21:31:52 GMT

I don't really use many convenience items, but I do buy Milton's cauliflower pizza ( gluten free). It is delicious. I confess to buying Goya Red beans and rice...high in sodium, so only occasionally, and Don Pepino pizza sauce.

Re: Convenience Foods

godi — Wed, 12 May 2021 22:20:48 GMT

Does peanut butter right outta the jar count? I also like the ready pasta that you put in microwave for 90 seconds. Most the the things posted here are all great.

Re: Convenience Foods

Sweetbay magnolia — Wed, 12 May 2021 23:01:53 GMT

Rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, and then there is the store brand stuffing in a box. Southeastern Mills gravy mix, too - country gravy, chicken gravy, brown gravy. Nuke some frozen veggies and there's a meal for DH.