7 Frozen Sides That Taste Homemade, According to Shoppers
If you are looking for a great hack to prepare a semi-homecooked meal in a hurry, head to the freezer section of your local grocery store and pick up some frozen sides. There are so many easy-to-prepare sides that will go well with whatever you are cooking, including burgers, steak, chicken, or seafood. What are the best options? Here are 7 frozen sides that taste homemade, according to shoppers.
Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Tater Tots
Ore-Ida Tater Tots are bite-sized, cylindrical pieces of grated and seasoned fried potatoes. They were actually invested by the founders of the potato-centric brand in 1953 as a way to use up leftover slivers and shavings of potatoes from French fry production. “Best use of “leftover potato shavings” ever,” a Redditor declares.
Alexia Sweet Potato Fries
Alexia Sweet Potato Fries are a shopper favorite. “So good! They really hit the spot when I’m craving fast food,” says a Redditor. “My wife and I like the Alexia Crinkle Cut Sweet Potato fries. We find that the regular cut ones are a little bland so we usually have to add a little more salt to them, my wife adds Cayanne powder. But the Crinkle Cut Sweet potato fries come with a little bit of black pepper so it adds a nice flavor to them. On these we don’t feel like I need to add salt or anything at all,” says one.
Trader Joe’s Spicy Spuds
Trader Joe’s Spicy Spuds are a newish fan favorite. “Really good! Little kick balanced nicely with the like and Parmesan. Added some of the tri-color frozen peppers to round it out,” a Redditor says. “I buy them everytime I go because they are delicious in breakfast tacos or as a side with dinner,” adds another. “They are perfect in a breakfast burrito. They get super crispy in the air fryer and although they aren’t that spicy they are seasoned so perfectly and are extremely flavorful! I also used them in a breakfast bowl with scrambled eggs and feta cheese and it was fantastic,” a third chimes in.
Stouffer’s Spinach Souffle
Stouffer’s Spinach Souffle is an old-school creamy baked vegetable casserole that is one of the brand’s original dishes, dating back over 60 years. “I will say that I’m a fan of the Stouffers Spinach Soufflé… it’s actually very good,” a Redditor says. “It does taste better than it looks. It’s just not a very photogenic food. Not Instagram ready as it were,” another adds.
McCain Smiles Potato Shapes
McCain Smiles are fun, smiley-face-shaped frozen potato bites made from seasoned mashed potatoes, featuring a crispy, golden exterior and a soft, fluffy interior. They spark serious nostalgia for many shoppers. “My mom would get them rarely, so it was our special treat. I was shopping when I found them, didn’t even know they’re still going strong. Reminds me of childhood and my mom 🙂 Makes me very happy!” a Redditor says.
Cascadian Farm Organic Hashbrowns
A fan favorite for a breakfast side? Cascadian Farm Organic Frozen Hash Browns. They are grown organically and Non-GMO certified, and super easy to cook up.
Grown in Idaho (Lamb Weston)
Lamb Weston Grown-in-Idaho fries are the most highly hyped on Reddit. Customers maintain that they are fluffy, hand-cut style, and what most restaurants use. “Grown in Idaho Hand Cut Fries come out amazing in the air fryer,” a Redditor maintains. “I recently started getting these and omg I love them! I order online from Walmart and saw it labeled as a best seller so I gave it a try. Never going back. And you’re right , the air fryer is the way to go,” another says.