By Taylor Sutton, MS, RD
United Supermarkets’ Lifestyle Desk
Our top 3 shortcut hacks to simplify the hosting experience are sure to take your planning time down and increase the quality of your day. While these ingredients have been around for quite some time on the supermarket shelves, let’s not forget about them when planning for festivities. Let’s talk through a few!
Pre Chopped fresh herbs are a must! While we love both dried and fresh herbs (and our Dietitian Taylor will usually double up and use both most days), there is something special about how food tastes with fresh herbs and how it quickly wows your guests. It’s that little bit of “extra effort” that no one needs to know you didn’t do. You can find these pre-chopped herbs in the produce section, just be sure to use them quickly so they don’t spoil!
Broth is a game changer. Have you ever cooked dried rice, beans, or pasta in a broth instead of water and noticed that the smallest of changes had a huge impact on flavor? Cue in this hack if you haven’t already. Homemade broth is the real game changer, that is, if you have the time to make it. So head down the ready-made broths and stock aisle.
Our favorite is to find an unsalted or lower sodium broth. Whether you are using it to pressure cook your turkey, make grandma’s homemade dressing (or stuffing), or using it for leftovers as the base of a soup it’s big on flavor and low on sodium which allows you to control what’s going on nutritionally.
Freezer vegetables are a must year round, but especially during the holiday season! We said it last year and we’ll say it again, utilize your freezer! Frozen vegetables are picked at peak season leaving the fresh produce not as full flavor as its freezer counterpart.
Not only is it about flavor this time of year, but it’s about saving time and money. Steamable bags are great for their convenience of not heating up the stove to manage another pot, and not dirtying up another dish. Find where you can add value to your table with things like cauliflower mashed potatoes, already seasoned bags of vegetable blends, or a fun twist on a classic. Here are a few our favorite quick hosting hacks!
“RECIPES”
DESSERT: LARGE PUMPKIN PIE
Using a cookie cutter, hollow out individual portions of pumpkin pie. Add to a dessert dish and dollop with whipped cream
TIME: 10 minutes
SIDE: CARROTS
2 packages Signature Farms Carrots
Elevate it: drizzle of maple syrup, a dash of cinnamon and pomegranate seeds
TIME: 8 minutes
SIDE: ROOT VEGGIE BLEND
2 packages Tommy’s Root Vegetable Blend
Elevate it: garnish with parsley and blue cheese
TIME: 8 minutes
SIDE: CAULIFLOWER MASHED POTATOES
2 packages Green Giant Cauliflower Mashed potatoes
Elevate it: Garnish with parsley and cracked black pepper
TIME: 25 minutes
SIDE: BUTTERNUT SQUASH
2 packages Stahlbush Island Farms Butternut Squash
Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
Elevate it: garnish with Parmesan cheese and parsley
TIME: 25 minutes
