Fine Dining, Finally at Home

Customers are dining in – in their own homes

All the greats fall under this category – pizza, pasta, shrimp, and salmon are just a few meals that consumers have consistently splurged on over the years. Yet they’re still craving more, now skewed toward refrigerated and frozen goods which are less impacted by recent price increase as per IRI findings. It’s a great opportunity to grow your brand by experimenting and offering them more. Let’s dive into what consumers are interested in:

Lasagna

The sky’s the limit with lasagna – traditionally layers of pasta piled high and filled with melty cheese, ground beef or chicken, and mixed veggies. Now, you can bring a world of fun, fulfilling flavors to this familiar dish – like a Tex-Mex twist with layers of Mexican Crema and Salsa Verde, or a warm, velvety Bechamel sauce with its roots in French, Italian, and Greek cuisine. Make lasagna an any-occasion meal – like, why not for breakfast? Replace the pasta with crispy hashbrowns and layer them with scrambled eggs, cheese, and ham, then finish it all off with a smooth, rich Hollandaise sauce. We bet your customers will be calling for more!

Pizza

People’s love for pizza remains strong, with 22% of frozen-food sales coming from this category. It’s nearly everyone’s first choice – yet pizza has outgrown simple tomato-based sauces with toppings of cheese and pepperoni, now to include more exotic flavors like Butter Chicken, Basil Pesto, or Sundried Tomato Pesto. Consumers also often look for a dipping sauce to complement their premium-pie preferences, as evidenced by the rise of tangy ethnic sauces like Gochujang, Jalapeno Cheese, Unagi, Hot Garlic, and so much more.

Chicken

Naturally neutral-tasting on its own, chicken carries sauces, marinades, and drizzles so well the flavors seem to burst in your mouth! Turn to our sauces to crank up the creativity in refrigerated ready-made chicken meals, and deliver homely vibes with a taste of adventure. For instance, complete pulled-chicken tacos with cups of Cilantro Lime Crema and a tangy Tomato Salsa. Or formulate a favorite for all ages: creamy, rich chicken Alfredo Sauce pasta. Explore authentic Asian flavors, too – start with a Thai Yellow Curry served with rice, or General Tso Chicken paired with sautéed mixed veggies. Boost purchases of pre-packed, chopped salads for a quick, light lunch, by including dressings that range from traditional Caesar and Ranch to fusions like Coconut Lime Crema or spicy Buffalo Ranch, or even a simple Garden Herb Vinaigrette. Just tear the pouch, mix with the greens – and voila! Ready to eat.

Beef

Think of this staple for large family meals or summer BBQs, now with bigger and bolder tastes! Hamburgers’ simplicity leaves room to venture into unique flavors and fusion combinations, like our custom-flavored Peri-Peri Aioli, smoky Hickory BBQ sauce, or luxurious Truffle Ketchup, with its earthy, sweet notes that add depth and character to the build. For a rich, satisfying meal, offer fan-favorite meatballs with value-add pouches of Italian Marinara Sauce or creamy, umami Swedish Meatball sauce, complete with fresh egg noodles or rice. Speaking of meatballs – you can even turn meatballs into a poppin’ party app by adding a Spicy Peach Glaze – guests will be asking for seconds in seconds! As a hot lunch or a refrigerated prepared sandwich, shaved beef deserves spicy Horseradish with Caramelized Onion Aioli or a simple Au Jus to dip into. And, while consumers are still busily working in a hybrid mode, be sure to offer easy dinner solutions like Greek marinated beef kebabs with a fresh, herby Tzatziki sauce – Mediterranean magic, right in the center of the plate!

Seafood

Ride the seafood wave, as consumers continue to wade into this category more eagerly than ever. Shopping for fish and seafood has always meant hunting for additional ingredients to make it a meal – but we can help you turn the tide in your customers’ favor. We enable you to curate cooking sauces, dressings, and dips for complete seafood lunches and dinners. By adding marinades or finishing sauces to the product package, you’re helping customers simplify meal planning and save on product purchases. Which sauces for which seafoods? Well, how about pairing salmon with an Asian-inspired Ginger Soy glaze, or a Tandoori marinade to bring flavor notes of India? Our White Wine Butter sauce easily elevates either lobster or shrimp to a fine-dining experience. Steer traditional beef-burger customers to try fish burgers or tacos instead, topped with a tropical Pineapple Salsa that lends the meal sweetness and mild heat. For everything from a holiday to a home date night, try offering mixed-seafood bakes with squid, shrimp, crab, and lobster, plus the flavor match made in heaven: Garlic Herb Butter sauce. Double down by using the sauce drippings as a dip for the seafood. Finally, consider offering customers a surf-and-turf night, with bacon-wrapped scallops as the “surf” side and a Cajun Cream sauce for some serious Southern flair.

It’s easy to offer one-stop shopping for a first-rate foodie experience, with our delicious value-added sauces, dips, dressings, marinades, and drizzles. Together we can give consumers unlimited options to explore globally inspired flavors and ingredients, and continue to help expand the boundaries of their palates and food comfort zones.

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