[DemforBush]

Interesting list, though I would differ with the writer that most of those products are better than homemade. Better than the competition, probably. I've eaten Marie Callender pot pies, and they are quite good. Lots of veggies and nice chunks of white meat chicken. But I've made much better in my own kitchen. Probably ditto on Rao's sauce. I'm sure it's head and shoulders better than most jarred pasta sauces (what IS it with most brands putting high fructose corn syrup in pasta sauce, anyway?) But a really good marinara (or even better, Italian 'red gravy') isn't all that hard to make.

I admit I'm totally on board with the premade pizza dough at Whole Foods, though. I can cook most anything, but I tend to be something of a train wreck when it comes to making yeast doughs/breads, LOL.

[Baynative]

No list is complete without a Costco Rotisserie Chicken

...

[buccaneer81]

Homemade Italian sauce is incredibly labor intensive to clean up after (I was married to an Italian family once. It’s worse than washing dishes in a restaurant.)

[stylin19a]

can't make a twinkie at home

[UB355]

Funny we made very good chucked pot pie using the Puff pastry. Much better than the frozen store bought .

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Greatest frozen food ever:

[perfect_rovian_storm]

Yeah, I’m sorry to say that if they think that stuff is better than what I can make in my kitchen, they haven’t eaten in my kitchen.

Ever since the finale of My Kitchen Rules (an absolutely AMAZING AU TV show), I’m going to try my hand at making puff pastry. Until now, it’s been one of those things that we always accepted buying in. But I do enjoy a challenge. :D

If they think that jarred sauce can compete with my marinara, they’re on crack. Ditto the whipped cream and the pot pie. Pizza dough is pretty easy to make. I did learn from a NYC pizza shop owner though.

[NWFLConservative]

Boston Market stuff is hard to beat. Their rotisserie chicken and mashed potatoes are fantastic

[An American in Turkiye]

Try as I might, I cannot duplicate the epic goodness and mouthwatering deliciousness of SKYLINE CHILI! Any Freepers out there love a good three way? Only lovers of this magnificent blessing of the gods will understand what that means.

[Jeff Chandler]

No matter how hard I try, my aerosol cheese spread is never as good as the store bought kind.

[Jeff Chandler]

Seriously, though, you will NEVER make whipped cream as light and airy as canned. Tastier, yes, but you cannot compete with nitrous oxide for fluffiness.

[Daffynition]

May I suggest Charlie Van Over's pizza dough recipe. It's no fail. The food processor does all the work.

His french bread recipe only takes 45 seconds to mix in a Cuisinart. Perfect bread. So easy; follow it to the letter.

[Moonmad27]

Trader Joe’s chicken enchiladas, scones, bean and cheese burritos — or pretty much everything from TJ’s.

[Daffynition]

I disagree with the author, right out of the gate Patsy's sauce is better than Rao's. Patsy's wins Test Kitchen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAZTRYWzeOg

[magslinger]

Canned pumpkin. Mrs Mag and I made pumpkin pies from scratch one year. They were about this much better (Magslinger holds his finger and thumb 1/64th of an inch apart) than those made with canned “pumpkin.” With all of the extra work involved, forget it.
There is a local bakery that makes topping ready pizza crusts that are better than anything in a grocery store and most pizzerias.

[freejohn]

Not sure if my entry will fit this post but I just had to give a BIG "Thumbs Up" to P.F. Chang's Chinese dinners.
I was a "No Way" will I eat anything that comes from a grocer and is in a box or bag 'but' .. This stuff is as good as you'll find in any Chinese restaurant!

There is also plenty for a party of two.

In most stores the bags go for over nine dollars but Walmart will have them for around seven dollars from time to time.

PF CHANG

[bigbob]

Except for the Marie Callendar pot pies I’ve never even heard of any of that crap. But there’s one thing that just about any store-bought beats the homemade kind, and that’s hard liquor. And you don’t go blind or wonder what happened to the lining of your throat either.

[Kirkwood]

Carmel corn

[Jim from C-Town]

I make my own Pizza dough and it is way better than any premade dough.

The key to good dough is patients. You can not rush the steps.

Besides I only use honey in the dough instead of sugar to activate the yeast. Something about it makes the dough just exquisite. A real simple and fun thing to do is to make your own pizza at home with the family. It is cheap and the kids love it. I estimate that I make three pizzas for way less than $5 total.

My Pasta sauce is pretty darn good too, fresh from the garden tomatoes. The idea of spending $9 on a jar of pasta sauce is STUPID.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

I’ve yet to have a good homemade can of Spam.

[Dems_R_Losers]

I agree with the Simply Lemonade. That stuff is fantastic! So is the Simply Limeade.

My fave is Trader Joe's Gyoza (pot stickers.) Safeway makes good ones too. I would never attempt to make those myself. I serve them with homemade fried rice. TJ's are $3.59 for a bag, enough for 4 of us.