Mealtime Magic: Store Brand Substitutions

I have been asked by Daymon Worldwide to share some recipes with you using store brand ingredients. Daymon is the private-label partner for many stores, including CVS, Cub, Kroger, Meijer, and Safeway.

I was sent two great recipes:

Baked Brie with Rosemary, Almond & Cherries
 (serves 4-6)
2 T chopped fresh rosemary

2 T chopped slivered almonds
2 T honey
1 brie cheese round

8 fresh cherries, pitted and chopped

crackers (of your choice)
Preheat oven to 400F. In a small bowl, combine rosemary and almonds. With a pastry brush (or knife), coat the sides of the brie with honey and dip into rosemary-almond mixture, pressing. Place brie on a sheet pan. Brush the top with honey and sprinkle with the remaining herb mixture. Place in oven and bake 20 minutes. Remove brie from oven and top with chopped cherries. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes until brie is soft when cut. Serve with crackers.

Mini Spinach & Feta Quiche Soufflé (serves 4-6)

Oil Spray

1/2 medium onion, diced
6-oz fresh baby spinach
4 large eggs

1/2 tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt & pepper

pinch cayenne pepper; pinch of tarragon
1-1/3 cups half & half
1/2 cup feta cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. Generously grease a mini cupcake pan. In a medium frying pan, sauté diced onion with a bit of vegetable oil (or cooking spray) over medium-high heat until translucent and tender. Add in fresh spinach and cook until just wilted. Set aside to cool for a few minutes. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper, tarragon and salt. Whisk in half & half, then stir in spinach-onion mixture. Pour quiche base into prepared pan. Top with feta cheese. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until center is set and the outside edge is golden brown. Let set for 5 minutes, then pop soufflés out and serve.

I was asked to prepare them using store brand ingredients from my local store. I definitely think that with most things, there is very little difference between private label and name brand products. When I was younger, I remember really not liking the store brand cereals and things from certain stores. However, I think that now they are just as good (and sometimes even better) than the name brand options. I tend to use private label ingredients a lot, because they are often cheaper (even with a coupon) than name brand products.

On behalf of Daymon and private label groceries, I invite you to try out the recipes, and if you haven't given private label products a chance, please do so - you will save money without sacrificing quality!

Disclaimer: I was asked to write this review on behalf of Daymon Worldwide and compensated for the ingredients need to prepare the recipes.