The 8 Store-Bought Products Our Allstars Pass Off as Homemade

Our top home cooks' go-to products from Aldi, Costco, Kroger, and more.

If you're not familiar with the Allrecipes Allstars, you should be. They're not only an incredibly talented crew of 100+ brand ambassadors, social media influencers, registered dietitians, and grill masters, but they're also home cooks like you and me. Put briefly—they're what we all aspire to be in a home cook.

That's why, when they dish on the store-bought products they swear by—the ones they always keep on hand, and maybe even pass off as homemade—we listen. They recently shared their favorite Costco buys for summer, and now we've got even more products they keep stocked all year long. From Kroger's best-kept secret in the hot foods section to a Costco casserole not one but two of our Allstars serve on their holiday tables, these are our Allstars favorite store-bought shortcuts.

The 8 Grocery Store Products Our Allstars Swear By

Publix Fried Chicken Wings

Allrecipes Allstar Ashley B. has a secret to crispy chicken wings that don't require any frying. Actually, they don't require any cooking at all, because they come from the Publix deli hot food section. "Pre-fried perfection every single time. You can even freeze them, and reheat them in your air fryer and they taste like the day you picked them up."

She adds, "I do make my own sauces, or use bottled!! So easy!! And everyone goes nuts." Now that's genius, and a store-bought secret no one would suspect.

Sam's Club Rotisserie Chicken

It's no secret we love a rotisserie chicken, especially the famous one from Costco. Well, Paula R. swears by the Sam's Club chickens, "They’re juicier, bigger, more tender, and cost less than baking one myself. Can’t beat $4.99!" And did you know you can buy just the rotisserie chicken breast from Sam's Club? We have TikTok to thank for that little tip.

Pre-Made Pizza Dough

This tip from Allstar Tracy G. is downright brilliant. Pizza dough is not only incredibly versatile (and a favorite of Jennifer Garner!), but also the ideal weeknight shortcut to cut down on dinner prep time. You can, of course, make your own, but Tracy shared a tip that will fool anyone into thinking it's homemade, even when you sneak in the store-bought dough.

"I do make my own but in a pinch people assume it is homemade because I put it in a bowl to rise again," she shares. Letting it rise again makes it just as light and fluffy as the homemade stuff.

Rao's Marinara Sauce

It's no secret that we love Rao's Marinara sauce at Allrecipes—it even took home the top sauce spot in our Community Choice Awards this year. Plus it was voted "Best Tomato Sauce That Could Pass As Homemade" in our Best Jarred Tomato Sauce taste test, so it's no surprise that people are passing it off as their own. But Brenda V. shared even more brilliant uses for the crowd-pleasing sauce. "I use it with spaghetti, in lasagna, and I've even made pizza with it. I even used it as a base for minestrone!"

Pillsbury or Kroger Pie Dough

Home cook Will B. writes, " I do want to perfect pie dough someday, but for now I have a solid store-bought solution. I don’t tell people it’s homemade, and if asked I share that my pie dough is Pillsbury or the Kroger house-brand pie dough." In our tests, Pillsbury's pie crusts were crowned the Best Roll-Out Dough, noting it was, "very easy to work with," making it super versatile. Will adds, "It’s super easy and consistently good for my chicken pot pies or rustic French apple tarts."

Aldi BBQ Sauce

Barbecue sauce is a staple in the summertime, but who has time to make it?! Store-bought shortcuts are all about knowing when to pull them out, and which ones to buy. Luckily Rosanne R. shared her go-to sauce that, "tastes exactly like my homemade sauce!" That would be none other than Aldi's BBQ sauce. For more of our favorite store-bought sauce picks, check out our BBQ sauce taste test.

Costco Scalloped Potatoes

Not one but two of our Allstars admitted to passing off the Main Street Bistro Scalloped Potatoes from Costco as homemade on their holiday tables. And that would only be possible if they tasted as good as homemade—which these certainly do.

Sarah S. raves, "They rival the best homemade scalloped potatoes." Carol M. adds, "I bought [them] for Easter dinner and warmed them up in a casserole dish. They were amazing and nobody even questioned it." Now that is the true test of a store-bought product, and nobody has to be the wiser.

BJ's Panera Mac & Cheese

You don't have to trick your family into thinking something is homemade for them to enjoy it. Sometimes store-bought products just need a little zhuzh-ing to shine. Michele M. has the best 'semi-homemade' tip for mac and cheese, "When I don’t feel like making it from scratch, I buy BJ's containers of Panera Mac and Cheese, pour them into a dish, put breadcrumbs and butter on top, and bake for 15 minutes." She is quick to add, "I don’t necessarily pass it off but I never tell my secret."