If you love to cook, serving up store-bought dishes can feel like a bit of a cop out. While I know it would save me plenty of time (especially as I'm preparing to host Christmas this year), I'm always reluctant to offer guests anything that isn't homemade from scratch by my own fair hands – but since I spotted Ina Garten give store-bought ingredients her seal of approval, I'm starting to change my mind.
In a video posted just before Thanksgiving, Ina Garten revealed that – just like anyone cooking for a crowd – she's 'always looking for shortcuts'. And when it comes to staples like cranberry sauce, she combines a few store-bought finds with fresh ingredients, allowing her to 'hot rod' a dish so that it tastes like it was made from scratch. It's an ingenious trick, and it's really transformed my approach to menu planning and hosting.
