Recipes for “Heinz” Ketchup and Other Favorite Grocery Items

Chances are good you’ve noticed the price of ordinary grocery items beginning to soar. The Wall Street Journal is reporting these food items are getting more costly in 2022: Mac and Cheese, Ketchup, Mayonnaise, Mustard, Soup, Coffee, and snacks. And don’t assume it will stop there.

Mondelez International Inc. announced in January 2022 it would be was raising prices across cookies, candy, and other products sold in the U.S. by 6% to 7% . General Mills Inc. and Campbell Soup Co. said followed suit with their price increases that also took effect in January.

Kraft Heinz Co. told retailer customers that it would raise prices across many of its products including Ketchup, Jell-O pudding and Grey Poupon mustard, with some items going up as much as 20%.

It’s time to get ahead of the curve by stocking up on these items if and when they go on sale again, but even better: Learn to make ordinary grocery items ourselves to cut the soaring costs.

Heinz Ketchup

During the height of the pandemic, we were surprised to discover the U.S. experienced a ketchup shortage. Not kidding. Ketchup! And specifically, our favorite brand, Heinz. Honestly, Heinz Ketchup is about as common a product as any in the Hunt refrigerator (funny, I know because well … Hunt’s) and our supply never reaches its best by date!

To make a spot-on amazing copycat version of Heinz Ketchup:

You’ll need:

✅ tomato paste

✅ light corn syrup

✅ white vinegar

✅ water

✅ white granulated sugar

✅ salt

✅ onion powder

✅ garlic powder

(full printable recipe below)

Panera Mac and Cheese

For the moment, let’s try to forget boxed Kraft Mac and Cheese. Its price is has already begun to soar, according to the folks at Kraft. Sure it’s great option for the kiddos but as long as we’re talking about cooking from scratch at home to save money, let’s shoot for the moon.

Everyone has their weakness—mine happens to be macaroni and cheese and in my opinion, it’s hard to beat Panera’s signature Mac & Cheese. But that $9.69 price tag for a single serving is hard to swallow.

Everything in me has been determined to figure out how to make this myself at home, and for more like $.80 a serving. And now that’s exactly what I do—as often as I dare.

This Copycat Panera’s Mac and Cheese Recipe is, in my opinion even better than Panera’s. It’s smooth and creamy thanks to a secret ingredient that may make some of my dear readers wince.

In a word: Velveeta.

I know what you’re thinking, but if an ingredient or technique makes a dish taste better and gives it a heavenly texture, I am all for it. The key lies in how much Velveeta you use—only a very small amount. That is the secret to this mac n cheese’s velvety smooth texture. Otherwise, it will get lumpy, even slightly gritty depending on your white cheddar. I don’t know why.

I promise you, people will go nuts for this Mac & Cheese. Just don’t mention the V-word. It’ll be our little secret.

You’ll need:

✅ dry macaroni

✅ butter

✅ flour

✅ evaporated milk

✅ heavy cream

✅ sharp white cheddar

✅ Velveeta cheese

✅ black pepper

✅ dry mustard powder

(Full printable recipe below)

Blue Cheese Dressing

The best brands are found in the refrigerator section of the supermarket. And they are not inexpensive! You can make blue cheese dressing even better and cheaper yourself—better than the refrigerated and the bottled options.

You’ll need:

✅ sour cream

✅ mayonnaise

✅ Worcestershire sauce

✅ dry mustard

✅ salt

✅ garlic powder

✅ ground black pepper

✅ blue cheese

(Full printable recipe below)

 

More Resources

Check this popular Everyday Cheapskate post:

15 Quick and Easy Recipes to Make the Best Salad Dressings From Scratch

 

Surprise! Free Download

More than 150 recipes for rubs, dips, sauces, soups, gravies, salad dressings, baking mixes, and more are in our exclusive eBook, Make Your Own Mixes: Easy do-it-yourself recipes and instructions to duplicate your favorite commercial mixes and seasoning packets.

For a limited time, my eBook, Make Your Own Mixes is a Free Download just for you, as a bonus for reading all the way to the end! MakeYourOwnMixes download.

 

Stay Tuned

You can be sure that this is only the beginning of the discovery for how we can make ourselves the food items we’re now paying others to make for us, when we can do it cheaper, better, and faster. Are you with me? Then stay tuned. Don’t miss a single Everyday Cheapskate post!

Bonus

First published: 12-27-21; Revised & Updated 3-18-22

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