Ever walk down the aisles at the store and wonder… “Wouldn’t it be easier and taste just as good to use the pre-cooked side dishes from my favorite grocery store?”
Don’t. Make your own. Unless, you don’t mind settling for sides that are less than okay.
Case in point:
Cauliflower Au Gratin with Gruyere Sauce and Parmesan Breadcrumbs
Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries and Pecans
Trader Joe’s Ready to Use Turkey Gravy
Again, don’t. Just… no. In very little time, you to peel, cube, and roast a couple of sweet potatoes, drizzle with your own maple syrup or sprinkle on brown sugar, and this will taste WORLDS better, the texture will be FAR superior, and you will spend maybe a third of the price. As for the cauliflower– well, it didn’t taste bad (neither did it taste good), but the vegetable was buried under about three times as much crumb topping as needed. Oddly enough, both packages of sides seemed under cooked, even though I followed the directions for time and temperature.
The gravy. Ummm… what to say. Not much turkey flavor, not horrible, but I wouldn’t buy it again or use it again. Ever. This product simply does not taste good. I’d rather mix up the McCormick’s envelope from the seasoning section of the supermarket. I would drink up a pot full of gravy from a straw, and I will not touch the Trader Joe’s gravy with a ten foot pole.
I love my Trader Joe’s stores, and rarely find something I dislike, or dislike this much. I’m glad I gave these a try, it was worth the price to try something new, and gratifying to know that a simple home made recipe is so much better. Save yourself the scratch. Make simple sides from scratch.
Got a Little Time to Cook? Simple Recipe Suggestions:
AllRecipes.com Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Thyme and Maple Syrup
Got a Little More Time to Cook: Still Somewhat Simple Suggestion:
branching out... on a limb 