Idahoan Buttery Homestyle Mashed Potatoes

I assume the cup version tastes similar to this bag version, but the bag feels much classier, anyway. So I got this because it was 8 servings and I wanted a backup for Thanksgiving in case the real potatoes didn't pan out. But they did, so I made this all for myself at home with turkey/corn leftovers. It was way too much potato. It actually went well with greens + jalepenos, so that's a good option for a starchy meal for quar times (or post-quar times, even). They do have a buttery taste but it isn't overwhelming or fatty tasting. They do also have a bit of artificialness to them, but it doesn't bother me much, although it is noticeable, especially without gravy. All the more reason to gravy boat! These are so cheap/fast to make that I can't knock 'em too much. And whatever labelling issues I had with the cups wasn't present here!

Overall
Cost: 7/10
Taste: 6/10

Hanover - Candied Sweet Potatoes

I miss the old canned yams of my childhood (alas), but these are an OK substitute, albeit much more annoying to prepare and slightly less tasty, and more firm. As a side dish in a small amount, they are a welcome addition to a holiday meal, but on their own they're very ehhhhh. So plan wisely, friends!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Mrs. Smith's Pumpkin Pie

As with all pies, this is like 3200 calories, but hey, it's the holidays! Plus I shared it with my family, of course. I think it was pretty tasty, and a good texture -- mine just happened to have a weird "old animal fat" taste to it for some reason. I'm guessing somehow there was a turkey or gravy spill that I didn't observe, otherwise there's something very weird in Mrs Smith's home. Without that taste, though, this was solid. So I would get it again!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Pillsbury Grands! Butter Tastin' Biscuits (with Flaky Layers)

Apparently this is a different product than the butterMILK biscuits, although I would argue both versions are butter tastin'. I got these because they were the only flaky layer biscuit in stock for Thanksgiving, and I have no complaints. They seemed pretty indistinguishable from the other flavors of this style biscuit. I accidentally left them in the oven too long (the stress of parents visiting!) but even though they were very overdone, they didn't char or honestly taste bad at all. Good for leftovers too. Delicious, bad for you, easy to cook. Quality product!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 8/10

Weis Turkey Gravy

There's a small set of grocery items that are Holy Grail items; hard to find but the only canonical version of that thing to me/my family. This gravy packet is one of them. It's the only good turkey gravy out there! Plus, no soy protein. God bless this local grocery gravy packet. 

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 8/10

Mrs. Smith's Original Apple Pie

Mmm, pie. I bought this for myself, but when my parents came over for Thanksgiving I felt obligated to make this pie, lol. That's probably for the best, since since 1/8 is like 400 calories or something. The tragedy of pie. Anyway, this tasted to me exactly like the little wedges of pie you get from Burger King, which I can't get anymore due to allergies but which I remember fondly. So this is tasty but not really "gourmet" feeling. In fact, I thought it tasted better cold than warm! Rare for a pie.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Butterball Boneless Frozen Savory Herb Turkey Breast Roast

Turkey ball! My dad picked this out, and I was worried it'd be nasty and itchy like the Jenny-O turkey breast was. But this was an improvement, even though it felt a little "school lunch meat product" vs actual "holiday turkey!". The texture was very Moist, which maybe is good, but was a little disconcerting. Still, cover it up with enough festive sides, and it serves its purpose. There were even tiny bits of fat, which I liked, even though I miss the dark meat. We didn't use the included gravy pack, so no comment on that. (But I bet it's gross!!!)

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Dean's Sweets - Chocolate Turkeys

Aw, these are so quirky and festive. Their cuteness makes them a little bit impractical to eat, though. 

The dark chocolate one was very firm chocolate, and tasted like a classic dark chocolate, with a cherry-ish note throughout. I'm no dark choco gal but if you're a classy type, you'd like it. If only there were a white choco turkey! A good size treat. 6/10

The milk chocolate variety was much softer to bite into, and it tastes better too! Perhaps too much choco for one serving, but it was nice, like an easter bunny probably is. 7/10

Overall
Cost: 3/10
Taste: 7/10

Stove Top Turkey Stuffing

A classic for a reason, stove top stuffing is so easy to make (add water, butter, and like 5 minutes of time) and tastes consistently good. Plus, it makes a lot. The downside is that you're eating a bunch of buttery processed carb, but hey, 'tis the season. It's obviously not as good as most homemade stuffing, but since you'll find it in Thanksgiving-themed foods ("the gobbler"[wawa], "the bobbie"[capriotti's]) around the globe, it's good that it's good. I made it with much less butter than recommended (1 tbsp instead of 4), which did have a big effect on the taste, but was still fine. This makes a great base for turkey, potato, corn, etc. Happy holidays! :)



Overall
Cost: 8/10
Taste: 7/10

Giant Eagle Candied Yams

This is the pinnacle of candied yam. I'm not sure what my childhood yam brand was (I know it can't be these, because we didn't have Giant Eagle by me) but these taste just like it. Way better than Bruce's or whatever the common canned sweet yam is. This is the perfect holiday side dish. It goes great with ham, turkey, and rolls, and the sauce is so sweet and lovely but not in a gross way like some yams. The yams are so soft and dense and not really potato-y at all, which is what I want. You can smush them down into a little yam mush if you want. And they're so easy to cook! I really wish I had a Giant Eagle nearby just for these. The flavor is slightly pie-spicey, I suppose (cinnamon? nutmeg?) and a with a lot of thin, sweet sauce. It isn't syrupy or cloying at all. Long live these yams!

Overall
Cost: 7/10
Taste: 8/10