One potato, two potato, three potato, four. Oh who has time to peel potatoes, boil, and then mash them these days? Not your average family of five. They are on the go with after school activities and parents are constantly hunting for great tasting, wholesome ways to feed their families in a jiffy.
The instant potato war has gone from potato buds and flakes that need milk, water and butter to reconstitute them to the newly improved, microwave ready, instant potatoes.
My family moves in the fast lane and providing my family with something edible on the busiest days of our lives with a well rounded meal, (not the usual drive through fast food joints) led me to search for the ultimate heat and serve mashed potato.
The first brand of heat and serve mashed potatoes was Bob Evans Sour Cream and Chive. I thought having the sour cream and chive already in the potatoes would save even more. As my family dug into their evening meal, devouring the meat and vegetables, but leaving the potatoes behind. Basically the family made the murmuring of something doesn’t taste right with these potatoes. I tried them and agreed, the sour cream and chives wasn’t working with the potatoes. They tasted like the bud potato flakes I used, they had a preservative taste. Mark down – no Bob Evans Sour Cream and Chive heat and serve potatoes.
I don’t give up easily. Next came Reser’s Fine Foods Sensational Sides Creamy Mashed Potatoes. For one half cup of potatoes you get 150 calores about seven grams of fat and eleven percent of your potassium for the day. Ready in four minutes (by microwave). Once again putting mashed potatoes less packaging on the table, the results for the family were a bit better than the sour cream and chives venue. Most of the potatoes were eaten but no real comments of joy and pleasure.
I went back to the Bob Evans counter the next time I was in the super market and picked up the Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes and thought I would give Mr. Evans another try, after all he has a successful line of ready made products. I served the original mashed potatoes with meatloaf and fixings. My family ate the potatoes and the meatloaf along with their vegetables and as I cleaned the last plate and put it into the dishwasher and hit start, my family happily trotted out to the family mini van and climbed in for an evening of after school sports.
Although the Bob Evans potatoes were good, I had spied one other brand in the super market while I had picked up a dozen eggs the week before. Simply Potatoes by Crystal Farms. I steered clear of the sour cream and chive and chose the Traditional Mashed Potatoes. As I picked the package up, I realized the holder with the spring didn’t have anymore in it, I wondered why?
I chose to serve the Simply Potatoes with oven baked chicken drumsticks and green beans with a side of table salad. Another quick meal in under 30 minutes (chicken drumsticks came from Schwan’s fine line of heat and eat meats). I placed the drumsticks on a platter, the green beans and potatoes in bowls and walked the meal out to the family table. The family dug in and devoured everything. One member of the family pondered when I had time to clean, peel and boil potatoes to have mashed potatoes that night. Another family member was smiling and making an ‘mmmmm’ sound. Yet another, scrapped the plate clean and asked if there was more. Home run. I had found the perfect heat and eat ready made mashed potatoes.
I went back the next week to grab a couple more packages of the Crystal Farms Simply Potatoes – Traditional Mashed Potatoes, but only one package was available. I searched for a store clerk, the question on hand was – where could I find more?
The clerk’s explanation, they run out every week. She told me what day they come in on the truck and wished me luck the next week. I went back to the Bob Evan’s display and picked up a package of their Original Mashed Potatoes making a mental note that I needed to hit the store on the day the Simply Potatoes Traditional Mashed Potatoes came in on the truck.
You could almost fool a crowd with the Crystal Farms Simply Potatoes Traditional Mashed Potatoes. Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes are a close second. But I haven’t found another heat and serve, ready to eat mashed potato better than Crystal Farms Simply Potatoes Traditional Mashed Potatoes for the same price.
