McCain Crispy Sweet Potato Fries & Back to Normality Campaign

I was recently invited to join the McCain 'Back to Normal' campaign. McCain have launched the campaign to help families get back into the full swing of the school routines and mid-week dinners during term-time. 

Holly Bell has created lots of interesting recipes using McCain frozen products on her blog Recipes From A Normal Mum which provided lots of inspiration. Check out this inventive Baked Tortilla made using McCain Home Chips. I make a chorizo and egg tortilla quite often but I would never have thought to use chunky chips instead of potatoes - I'll be trying this out for sure!

McCain Crispy Sweet Potato Fries: I actually had no idea that McCain made sweet potato fries and I couldn't wait to give these a go, especially as my kids are big fans of baked sweet potatoes. Luckily I found the McCain Sweet Potato Fries easily in my local Iceland. They're easy to make too. After 18 minutes they were ready, with a light crispy coating but still very soft inside.

After looking through the recipes I knew I had to try the Garlic, Lemon &  Sweet Chilli Chicken with McCain Sweet Potato Fries. This recipe is so quick to make and is really flavourful for such a quick recipe. It was a complete hit with all the family and they've already asked me to make it again soon! 

McCain Home Chips: As well as the McCain Sweet Potato Fries I also gave the McCain Home Chips a try for those busy midweek meals. My kids enjoyed a soft taco with home made beef chilli, fresh tomato salsa, carrot spaghetti and some chunky McCain Home Chips. Very filling after a busy day!

McCain Ready Baked Jackets: Even though I was skeptical of this product when it was first released it's quickly become a mainstay in my freezer. It's the ultimate healthier fast food when I'm pushed for time. Another quick mid-week meal sorted - leftover chilli with McCain Jacket Potato and salad. Super tasty and ready in no time at all. 

Thank you to McCain for their Back To Normal pack which included some fab kitchen items! 

Grocery Gems Review: McCain Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

RATING: 9 out of 10.

Buy them again?: Yes - already have!
Purchased: Iceland.
Price: £2.00p for 500g.

PR samples. 

New McCain Roasted Garlic Wedges

I was recently sent a few packs of the new and limited edition McCain Roasted Garlic Potato Wedges to review. They're described as being made from specially selected potatoes and seasoned with roasted garlic for an added punch of flavour. 

Even before I had opened the packet to put them on a baking tray, I could smell the appetising roasted garlic from these wedges. They are unmistakeably garlicky! Once cooked they had a lovely golden colouring and appearance, consistent across all the wedges. The texture was crispy on the outside but still fluffy on the inside. The garlic flavour in these is just wonderful too, it has the robust and slightly sweet flavour of a roasted garlic, without being too overpowering. These are definitely the ideal potato wedges for serving up in a big bowl with some dips - they are especially gorgeous with extra garlic mayo on the side! 

Grocery Gems Verdict: McCain Roasted Garlic Potato Wedges

Rating: 9 out of 10

Purchased: Available at all major supermarkets.

Price: £2.00 (currently on half price £1.00 offer in Tesco).

Review: Birds Eye Mashtags

I wish I had posted this review on the first of this month as I'm sure many would have believed these Mashtags were clearly an April Fools joke. But no, these are most definitely real.  It's official. Social Media is taking over the world - one potato product at a time.

#BeforeOven.

The Mashtags (or should that be Mas#tags?) are shaped into five of the most popular social media symbols -  heart, smiley face, asterisk, @ symbol, and of course the hashtag.

#AfterOven.

They're easy to cook, just 15 minutes in the oven, and taste just like potato waffles. They also bear more than a passing resemblance to McCain Smiles, but are less aimed at kids, and more at the generic "Social Media Generation". Whoever that means. Plus, I just checked and there is actually a hashtag on Twitter just for the Mashtags, which in a moment of stunning originality is #mashtags. 

Grocery Gems Verdict: Birds Eye Mashtags

RATING: 7 out of 10.
Buy them again?: #maybe
Nutrition (per 100g): 159 calories.
Purchased: Asda.
Price: £1.00p (offer price).

New McCain Special Roast Potatoes

I was recently sent a few packs of McCain Special Roast Potatoes to review. They're described as being made with the best quality King Edward Potatoes and basted in beef dripping for a sumptuous taste and texture - great if you're planning an Easter lunch for the whole family or simply for a weekday meal with a difference. 

I used them to accompany a quick midweek meal of roasted red pepper chicken drumsticks with steamed broccoli. The potatoes were all of a good size, with a few smaller or very big ones in the mix too. They take 30-35 minutes to cook in the oven. The texture was excellent, crispy on the outside but still fluffy and tasty on the inside. The beef dripping coating gives them a very traditional and authentic flavour that would go very nicely with a meat roast and lots of gravy. Overall I was impressed with these McCain Special Roast Potatoes and they certainly help to take some of the work out of making a roast dinner. I'd love to see a vegetarian version available too, perhaps with olive oil instead of the beef dripping. 

The McCain Special Roast Potatoes are available in Asda and Tesco at an RRP of £2.50.

Grocery Gems Verdict: McCain Special Roast Potatoes

Rating: 8 out of 10

Vegetarian: No. 

Purchased: Sent for review, available at Asda and Tesco.

Price: £2.50.

Review: NEW McCain Quick Cook French Fries & McCain Waffles

McCain have released a Quick Cook version of their classic frozen French fries which are ready to eat in only 5 minutes. Seeing as I love french fries (who doesn't?) I was super happy to be asked to put them to the test!

The McCain Quick cook French Fries are made from specially selected potatoes, and prepared with sunflower oil. The instructions are simply to preheat the oven, place the fries on a baking tray and bake them for 5 minutes.

I have to admit I was slightly sceptical about whether the fries would be ready in that short amount of time, but not only were they perfectly cooked, they were also absolutely delicious. They're certainly much tastier than the usual results achieved from frozen French fries, which are often too dry and crunchy. These Quick Cook French fries were golden, crispy, but still with a thin core of fluffy potato.

A similar product has been available across the pond, called McCain "5 Minute Fries" and I'm so glad to see the idea has made it's way over here. They're just perfect for accompanying a quick meal, like an omelette or sandwich - lovely hot fries on the side that are ready in minutes.

I was also sent some new McCain Waffles to try. At first I didn't realise that McCain didn't already make frozen waffles, as there are already a few brands and supermarkets who make boxed varieties. I haven't bought any potato waffles for a while now, so I was curious to see whether the McCain version could rekindle my kids' interest.

Made from quality potatoes, the McCain Waffles are then shaped into fun grids. They take 15 minutes to cook in a pre-heated oven. The result was extremely tasty and I was pleased to see that the kids ate them all up and both thoroughly enjoyed them. The McCain waffles have a lovely golden crispy coating, and are not pale and hard like some potato waffles can be. I'll definitely be buying these again in future!

Grocery Gems Verdict:McCain Quick Cook French Fries & McCain Waffles

RATING: 9 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Purchased: Available at all major retailers.
Price: Quick Cook French Fries: RRP £2.50, Waffles: RRP. £1.20