What's Good In The Supermarkets? (Excluding Aldi & Lidl)

Juran

Slemish Bakery cakes, made in Northern Ireland are really good. I find them in Joyces supermarket (Galway city and county). They are the only packaged cakes I ever tasted that taste fresh, light and not too sweet. I haven't seen them in Dunnes or Tesco.

HeidiHeidi

Muahahaha wrote: »

Ive been in two Tescos now a coupe of times looking for that chipotle paste but couldnt find it and one was an Exttra store where they normally stock everything. For those who got it was it stocked among all the Mexican stuff like the El Paso dinner kits and the likes? I found the Costena brand chipoltle paste in that section but there was no Tesco version beside it.

I saw it in a huge Tesco (Merrion) and it was in the vicinity of the mexican stuff and rices etc, it was up on the very top shelf so I only happened to see it by chance.

igCorcaigh

My favourite chipotle paste by far is the Gran Luchito brand:
https://gran.luchito.com/our-products/chipotle-paste/

I have not seen it in Tesco recently, but they did stock it at one stage.
I might have a look in SuperValu for it.

Toulouse

Muahahaha wrote: »

Ive been in two Tescos now a coupe of times looking for that chipotle paste but couldnt find it and one was an Exttra store where they normally stock everything. For those who got it was it stocked among all the Mexican stuff like the El Paso dinner kits and the likes? I found the Costena brand chipoltle paste in that section but there was no Tesco version beside it.

I got my Tesco version paste in the dried spice and herbs section (Tesco Rathfarnham)

Muahahaha

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I saw it in a huge Tesco (Merrion) and it was in the vicinity of the mexican stuff and rices etc, it was up on the very top shelf so I only happened to see it by chance.

cheers, thanks will be passing through Ballsbridge next week so will swing by there to try to find it

sporina

Muahahaha wrote: »

Ive been in two Tescos now a coupe of times looking for that chipotle paste but couldnt find it and one was an Exttra store where they normally stock everything. For those who got it was it stocked among all the Mexican stuff like the El Paso dinner kits and the likes? I found the Costena brand chipoltle paste in that section but there was no Tesco version beside it.

It was with the Thai Curry pastes etc.. in my local Tesco store (Cork)..
Maybe ask if you can't find it..

0lddog

Muahahaha wrote: »

cheers, thanks will be passing through Ballsbridge next week so will swing by there to try to find it

Careful now !
Last time I was in that store I got clamped :mad:
"in fairness" they did agree that they had made a mistake and took it off .

rubadub

Muahahaha wrote: »

Ive been in two Tescos now a coupe of times looking for that chipotle paste.

shows on the UK site, good reviews. The ingredients list is interesting and all normal stuff if you wanted a go at making one.

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/300808599

INGREDIENTS: White Wine Vinegar, Demerara Sugar, Tomato Paste, Onion Purée, Water, Dried Chipotle Chilli Flakes (7%), Balsamic Vinegar [Red Wine Vinegar, Grape Must], Garlic Purée, Rapeseed Oil, Salt, Smoked Paprika (3%), Chilli Powder (2.5%)

Frank Grimes

Toulouse wrote: »

I got my Tesco version paste in the dried spice and herbs section (Tesco Rathfarnham)

That's where it's located in Tesco Liffey Valley too.

sporina

Muahahaha wrote: »

Ive been in two Tescos now a coupe of times looking for that chipotle paste but couldnt find it and one was an Exttra store where they normally stock everything. For those who got it was it stocked among all the Mexican stuff like the El Paso dinner kits and the likes? I found the Costena brand chipoltle paste in that section but there was no Tesco version beside it.

Was in my local TS at the weekend and the chipotle paste is now with the peppercorns, etc.. tis worth looking around for it if not there..

Muahahaha

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I saw it in a huge Tesco (Merrion) and it was in the vicinity of the mexican stuff and rices etc, it was up on the very top shelf so I only happened to see it by chance.

I managed to get a couple of jars of it in that Tesco yesterday so thanks for the heads up. It was my first time ever in there after years of passing it, from the outside it doesnt look that big of a Tesco and then inside its sizeable with other shops there too.

Hopefully it is pretty smokey in flavour as the current batch of chilli I am on was made with Costena chipotle paste and I havent found it as smokey as the previous one made with the M&S version. I found the M&S version excellent but it comes in such tiny jars its only good for a single batch of about five or six portions of chilli.

HeidiHeidi

So how much of this stuff do you add to chilli??


I have a double portion in the freezer - teaspoon? tablespoon? half a jar???

M&S one sounds right up my alley, that'd be about my batch-cooking batch size.

Dizzyblonde

I found onion granules in Tesco this morning for the first time since Christmas

Muahahaha

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

So how much of this stuff do you add to chilli??

I have a double portion in the freezer - teaspoon? tablespoon? half a jar???

M&S one sounds right up my alley, that'd be about my batch-cooking batch size.

I cook chilli in batches of about 1.4kg using about 800g stewing beef, 400g mince and 200g of bacon bits. I use the chilli recipe over on the Cooking Club forum and that calls for a teaspoon of chipotle paste for every portion of beef browned in the pan. It just goes right in the pan at the end of browning and then you shake the pans contents so the beef gets glazed all over with the paste. So about 6 or 7 teaspoons of the paste in all to add to 1.4kgs of meat. It sounds like a lot but chipotle paste isnt all that hot, its use is more it to get a smokey flavour into a chilli. I used the Costena brand in my last batch in the same quatitues but it wasnt near as smokey as the M&S version Id used in the batch previous to that.

That same recipe in the Cooking Club forum calls for a chipotle paste by a brand called The Cool Chile Company. I used to buy that for years as it was always available in Fallon and Byrne but sadly they no longer stock it and Ive never seen it anywhere else. They are a UK based chilli company but I dont think they can sell online into Ireland now with Brexit which is a shame as it was a very smokey paste that really elevated a chilli.

sporina

Muahahaha wrote: »

I managed to get a couple of jars of it in that Tesco yesterday so thanks for the heads up. It was my first time ever in there after years of passing it, from the outside it doesnt look that big of a Tesco and then inside its sizeable with other shops there too.

Hopefully it is pretty smokey in flavour as the current batch of chilli I am on was made with Costena chipotle paste and I havent found it as smokey as the previous one made with the M&S version. I found the M&S version excellent but it comes in such tiny jars its only good for a single batch of about five or six portions of chilli.

your welcome (ahem ahem).. think I was the 1st to mention Tesco Chipotle Chilli Paste on here..

hope you like it..

con747

I gave up looking for the Tesco chipotle paste and bought this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Santa-Maria-Chipotle-Cooking-Paste/dp/B078GW6FC5/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=Santa+Maria&qid=1618606332&sr=8-3 and made a lovely pasta meatball dish with it today. I found it nice enough to do for my next few dishes that needs it.

heldel00

Dunnes Tomato relish.
I'd eat a bucket of it.

odyssey06

Staffords tiger cob bread.

Makes a great base toasted for bruschetta type foods or prawns

Surreptitious

heldel00 wrote: »

Dunnes Tomato relish.
I'd eat a bucket of it.

I have some of that in the fridge, it is very tasty.

caviardreams

Has anyone tried the meals made easy "fresh" pre-prepped meals in tesco? The ingredients look good for pre-prepared stuff and there is 20% off the range atm. The chicken & veg soup and chicken & pasta bake caught me eye!
https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=300808208

I wonder who manufacturers them for them?

odyssey06

caviardreams wrote: »

Has anyone tried the meals made easy "fresh" pre-prepped meals in tesco? The ingredients look good for pre-prepared stuff and there is 20% off the range atm. The chicken & veg soup and chicken & pasta bake caught me eye!
https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=300808208

I wonder who manufacturers them for them?

I've had the Lasagne from that range and it's nice. A lot of sauce, juicy tomato flavours. V similar to be Supervalu own brand fresh lasagne tbh.
M&S lasagne is beefier.

Avoid the 'Hearty Food Company' stuff in Tesco, very little beef in it.

Surreptitious

On that note I got a fresh lasagne from my local Supervalu a while back and it was unreal. Very full of meat and flavour, no skimping on ingredients. It was one of the nicest I've tried.

Muahahaha

Are the Supervalue lasagnas own brand, must give them a try. I love lasagna but its a fair bit of effort to make and Ive never come across a good shop bought one, the ready meal ones always seem to be lacking in meat and cheese

odyssey06

Muahahaha wrote: »

Are the Supervalue lasagnas own brand, must give them a try. I love lasagna but its a fair bit of effort to make and Ive never come across a good shop bought one, the ready meal ones always seem to be lacking in meat and cheese

This is the Supervalu own brand one for €3
https://shop.supervalu.ie/shopping/product/1528431001

Some stores e.g. Killester also do their own fresh ready meals, they are €4+. Lasagne, cottage pie, beef stew, curries etc

Surreptitious

The one I had was different. It was large and it was made in that store. It was in a foil container with cling film on it and a sticker with the date etc.
Some stores make stuff instore, some don't. It wasn't cheap, maybe 6/7 euro but it was nice. I don't recall the price actually that's just a rough guess. It was definitely over 5 anyway.

Muahahaha

yeah was wondering if it was packaged SV own brand or the ones made in some stores. My local has a deli and I think they make some things instore so will have a look out for that lasagne. Though it could vary how good they are from store to store, some would be awful sticklers for the portion control.

Have bought the own brand Aldi lasagne before and apart from being a sloppy mess there was next to no meat in it and the cheese was some cheapo cheese sauce. Its cheap but definitely a case of you get what you pay for.

Surreptitious

The Cully and Sully lasagne is good. Not as nice as the store made Supervalu one but still tasty. The Carroll's lasagne is inedible imo

caviardreams

The Pembroke Ladle (Donnybrook Fair branded for supervalu) one is nice but pricey: https://shop.supervalu.ie/shopping/product/1669683000 Loads of beef in it iirc


I see they have a signature tastes one too - 27% beef: https://shop.supervalu.ie/shopping/product/1723150000

Surreptitious

The signature taste one should be good. Tesco Finest Lasagne is delicious too, but it is very rich and filling.
So I would rate:
Supervalu
Cully and Scully
Tesco Finest

odyssey06

Surreptitious wrote: »

The Carroll's lasagne is inedible imo

It's a mystery how this is on the shelves of so many supermarkets and shops... haven't heard a good word about it from anyone!