Alternative uses for ready made foods

It's another busy week for all of us which usually means another busy week trying to get the family around the table. 

Food manufacturers have recognized the need for pre-prepared food to meet our busy schedules by providing a host of things that we can use to prepare meals fast and easy.  We can make our own spaghetti sauce, for example – or we can buy it ready made and ready to heat and serve. 

As  good and convenient as many of those ready made foods can be, here are a few Food-Eze ideas for using pre-prepared foods in ways you may not have considered and which will let you vary your menu – fast and easy.

Jar Spaghetti Sauce:

• Pizza Sauce 
• Quick soup starter
• Add to meatloaf instead of ketchup
• add on top of fish then bake

Fresh Pesto Sauce:

• Add to mayo for a great sandwich spread
• add to tuna salad to liven it up
• toss into a pasta salad

Pilsbury fresh "pop" biscuits:

• Roll out and fry for a quick elephant ear
• drop into fryer for quick homemade donuts
• roll and stuff into a calzone
• place on top of chicken pot pie mix then bake for chicken and dumplings

Chicken Fritter Strips:

• Toss in buffalo wing sauce for a spicy kick
• slice them up for a crispy chicken salad
• put in tortilla with lettuce for a healthy chicken wrap
• cut up and put over rice with your favorite sauce for an oriental twist

Ready Made Salad Mix:

• Obviously quick salads
• Add to wraps
• Taco salads

Orange, Lemon, Apple Juices:

• Orange and brown sugar for carrot glaze
• Use in marinades
• Use for dressings

Sauce and condiment must haves:

• BBQ
• Ranch
• Mayo
• Dijon Mustard
• Sweet Relish
• Dill Relish
• Quick Sauces and Glazes.

This list could go on and on, but don't look at this list as a replacement to meals you already make, use these ideas to cheat on a night when you need to, or to spur your own creativity.