8 Grocery Store Products that are Better than Homemade (really)

Rao's Marinara Tomato Sauce Photos : Courtesy of Rao's

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.

Rao's Marinara Tomato Sauce

($9/ 32oz jar)

This marinara sauce is on the pricy side compared to other jarred sauces, but with the freshest-tasting tomatoes, basil, and spices, it's worth every penny. It tastes just like the sauce your grandmother used to make (or would have, if your grandmother ran the most difficult restaurant to get into in New York City).

Photos : Courtesy of Pepperidge Farm

More from Bon Appetit:  Mac and Cheese 15 Different Ways 11 Great Cakes to Bake

Pepperidge Farm Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets

(20 in package for about $6)

Flaky puff pastry is one of the most time-consuming and difficult things to make well from scratch, requiring a delicate hand and a careful attention to temperature. And after all those hours of folding, rolling, and chilling, sometimes it up and defies you, and ends up a chewy, doughy mess. Skip the manual labor and uncertainty and head directly to your supermarket's frozen section. Follow the instructions on the package, and you'll have perfectly buttery, crispy layers, every time (and your afternoon back).

Photos : Courtesy of Isigny Ste. Mere

Isigny Ste. Mere Creme Chantilly

($5 can/available at Costco)

Whipped cream is the ultimate indulgence and guilty pleasure, so when you give in to the urge, don't waste your guilt on some non-dairy, chemical imitation. If you don't have time to whip your own (which is still best, by far), try this creme chantilly, made with real cream and sugar.

 

Photos : Courtesy of Tate's

Tate's Chocolate Chip Cookies

$5

If you like your chocolate chip cookies crispy, few off-the-shelf brands can compare to Tate's thin crunchy cookies with big chocolate chunks. You'll be able to taste the ingredients like real brown sugar, butter, and milk chocolate (and nothing chemically) just as well as if you had mixed them up yourself. (If you are a fan of chewy cookies, I'm afraid you are out of luck, for now. With "soft-baked" cookies you can always taste just a soupçon of whatever preservatives are keeping them that way.)

 

Photos : Courtesy of Uncle Dougie's

Uncle Dougie's Chicago Style Chicken Wing Marinade

($4, 18oz.)

As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes a store-bought product is even better than homemade. The combination of tanginess, spiciness, and sweetness in this sauce, which is made from all-natural ingredients, combine to make it a nearly perfect chicken wing sauce. Try as you might, I think you'll be hard-pressed to make a better-tasting wing sauce at home (that also tastes good on steak and pork, too!)

Photos : Courtesy of Simply

Simply Lemonade

($3.50/ 1.75L)

There's nothing on a hot day like an ice-cold glass of tangy, refreshing, lemonade, but it loses some of it's luster when it has that gross bottled taste. Luckily, the good people at Simply have mastered the art of putting lemonade in a bottle without putting bottle in the lemonade. It's the perfect mix of sour and sweet, with just the right amount of pulp. It tastes just like you squeezed it yourself, but without any of the elbow grease.

Marie Callender's Frozen Chicken Pot Pie

Photos : Courtesy of Marie Callender's

($4)

I'm a sucker for a homemade pot pie, but many of the frozen ones end up having soggy veggies, chewy chicken, slimy crust, or overly salty sauce. After tirelessly tasting my way through the frozen aisle, though, I found Marie Callender's has none of the above, and is actually very tasty. The pastry puffs right up, and the ingredients are perfectly cooked and surprisingly fresh-tasting.

Photos : Courtesy of Whole Foods

Whole Foods Pre-made Pizza Dough

($3)

If you like making pizza at home, get thee to Whole Foods and buy their pre-made pizza dough. It's leaps and bounds better than any I have ever made myself, and is made fresh in the store every day, so it contains only natural ingredients and no yucky preservatives.

 

More from Bon Appetit:

25 One-Bite Appetizers

Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich Guide

16 Easy Meatless Mains

17 Chocolate Desserts