What food is not worth making yourself as shop bought tastes just as good?

[spookysal]

Which food do you always make as it tastes better?

And which do you buy as their is no difference in taste?

I'm thinking of making bread sauce for example, but considering is it worth it?

[crispsarenotoneofyour5aday]

Bread sauce definitely best made fresh on the day in my opinion. However, having faffed around making home made cranberry sauce would definitely NOT bother again. My lot also can't tell the difference between lovingly homemade christmas pudding and the Tesco Luxury one so won't be doing that again!

[NotQuitePerfect]

Agree with all that, crisps. Mince pies are better from the shop too. Not that I have EVER made my own, but my MIL's are always too 'vinegary'. Suspect she uses cheap mincemeat

[lljkk]

Shop things are a lot saltier than I'd make, usually. Lots of shop-made things I can't stand the salty taste.

Shop biscuits are just so cheap, though. And yogurt. And bread. I can't match the price at all.

[spookysal]

I've already made the christmas pud! Hope it wasn't a waste of effort.

Was also considering making cranberry sauce so glad I started this thread now!

I bought pigs in blankets today from M&S. I was going to make them but then I thought what's the point? It's going to taste of bacon and cocktail sausages no matter who has made them!

I do make my own mince pies though, with mincemeat I made last year. I don't think it tastes vinegary! I do cheat and use shop bought pastry though

[minesapackofminstrels]

I made stollen one year but it was a hassle and shop bought taste so much better.
Bread sauce worth doing yourself.
Did Xmas pud last year but I think I might prefer shop bought. Doing it again to make sure.
Xmas cake so much better homemade. Last year I bought an M and S one in the sale as I'd polished off ours and fancied more but it wasn't a touch on mine.
Note to self; if being greedy and having more than one Xmas cake, eat the shop bought one first
Shop bought and homemade mince pies are so different I think it's hard to compare them. I like both but would not consider one a replacement for another iyswim.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

We buy an expensive Christmas pudding (usually Duchy) as making one costs a lot anyway and is a faff. The Duchy one or the 'Finest' ranges etc are as good if not better than homemade anyway.

Mince pies - agree that shop bought and home made are so different that they are not really comparable. Greggs are the best shop ones though, after many years of research. Sainsbo's Taste The Difference ones good too.

Roast potatoes have GOT to be homemade - don't understand why anybody would buy frozen.

And I buy meringues because I just can't make them, however I try. The M&S ones are nicely chewy.

[INeedThatForkOff]

Sorry but I'd prefer shop-bought pud over home-made!

[mathanxiety]

Stollen, and pannetone.

I always make my own cranberry sauce as shop sauce tastes far more of sugar than sharp cranberry flavour imo. First time I made it I used the whole packet of cranberries and we had a huge bowl of it and more cranberry loaves and muffins than anyone had bargained on well into the new year. It keeps forever in the fridge.

[steben]

Agree with roasts - will be doing from scratch alongside most of dinner however I am considering buying m and s ultimate mash...Very lazy but worth it I reckon

[BigusBumus]

Bread sauce is lovely home-made using Delias recipe. Also the good thing is you can make it a week before and freeze it and thaw it on the day!!

[twinklesparkles]

Puff pastry
Spring rolls
Garlic bread
Crisps

:)

[rainbowinthesky]

Homemade cranberry sauce is far better than shop bought and easy to make.

[wonkylegs]

Cranberry sauce is easy and really nice to make on the day. TBH Christmas is the one time when I make everything from scratch bar a stollen & turkish delight which my dad usually gives me.

[DeckTheHallsWithBoughsOfJolly]

I like my cranberry sauce better than shop bought. Made it today. Took about an hour I think. Tastes lovely :)

I buy humous as I made it once and it was grim.

My home made curry is much better than shop bought, but I buy stir fry sauce in the supermarket.

[Skiffen]

Hummus
Pesto

[LRDtheFeministDude]

Cured salmon! My mum had a go at making cured fish one year for starters and it was quite nice but not that nice. She really fancies smoking her own salmon ... I don't get it!

My SIL makes delicious stollen, but I gave it a go and it was useless, so I'd rather buy.

Also boozy puddings like trifle/tiramisu never seem worth the faff.

Not quite the same but I don't get why you'd buy non-peeled sprouts unless you have a martyr complex as they are barely any cheaper and take hours to do. And you end up with fingernails stinking of cabbage, lovely.

DH tried to make turkish delight from that Sarah Raven book last year and it was Not Good. It tasted like cow hoof (gelatine) and smelt like rose water.

[DeckTheHallsWithBoughsOfJolly]

We are having shop bought frozen roast tatties this year. They are in goose fat and brilliant. A finest range I think.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Trifle dead easy to make and a million times better than bought.

[LRDtheFeministDude]

Mine always seems to be either too dry or too boozy, never in the middle.

[QueenoftheHolly]

Do make bread sauce it's loads nicer - I think it could be frozen?
Don't bother to make hummus and not attach magi mix lid properly as it's faffy and nowhere near as tasty.
Brandy butter probably isn't worth it if you find a nice one.

I never never never chop onions now as I just buy ready chopped bags & keep in freezer. No smelly hands, watery eyes, wastage etc & always to hand.
Honemade shortcrust pastry is abit nicer, & cheaper but I could not BA to make puff pastry.

[DeckTheHallsWithBoughsOfJolly]

I don't even know what bread sauce is. I don't think we really have it in NE Scotland

[LRDtheFeministDude]

I love bread sauce. It's basically breadcrumbs with creamy milk and lots of bay/nutmeg. It sounds horrible but it is really nice.

My gran made the most delicious rum butter (sadly I never asked her for the recipe and it's too late now), but I've just found Waitrose do a really yummy double cream with rum and plums in, and it is to die for.

[DeckTheHallsWithBoughsOfJolly]

Actually, that sounds wonderful LRD

[LRDtheFeministDude]

It is!

I love all Christmas food.

[bedmonster]

Eurgh, never eaten bread sauce and doubt I ever will - sounds revolting!