Review of Idahoan Premium Bacon and Ranch Red Potatoes

My wife decided to cook the various already-opened packages of chicken wings we had in our freezer and threw them in the slow cooker for dinner last night. She needed a side dish to go with them and, after consideration, decided to prepare the box of Idahoan Premium Bacon and Ranch Red Potatoes we've had in our pantry for the past few weeks.

This is a product she purchased because it was on sale and she thought it looked interesting. I, however, have always been hesitant to make them because I'm just not that big of a fan of boxed potato products. But, after trying these last night, I do have to admit they exceeded my expectations.

There were a couple things I found I liked about this particular product. The first was, even though the potatoes came from a box, it wasn't as obvious as the plenty of other boxed potato products we've purchased in the past. I credit the ranch seasoning in the potatoes for this because it did give the potatoes a nice flavor I wasn't really expecting.

I also liked the quantity of bacon in the potatoes. This, again, was something I really wasn't expecting from a boxed brand and figured the potatoes would only have a scarce amount in them. However, the bacon was surprisingly noticeable and the potatoes were much more enjoyable as a result.

My only real complaint with this product is it had to be made in the oven, it didn't come with instructions for a more convenient method, such as making them on the stove top or in the microwave. This, in itself, isn't a huge deal and, after trying them, I can understand why they would want to make sure you baked the potatoes. However, since most of our evenings are crunched for time, this is not a product that would be the first on my list as a side dish, simply because it will take longer to make.

It's not the most convenient side dish out there but, if you have the time to make the potatoes in the oven, it is worth picking up a box. I definitely would consider making this purchase again.

My Grade: B