I am a fairly dedicated Kroger shopper--so much so that a
few of the cashiers know the next upcoming recipe on my blog around the same
time I do! While I shop for brand name
sale items at a number of local stores--I buy a lot of Kroger store brand items
and offerings from the chain’s gourmet food line, Private Selection. I was first introduced to the Private Selection brand last Christmas and explored a variety of Private Selection appetizers, pizzas, and desserts for our
annual New Year’s Eve party. This year,
I had the opportunity to check out a few more of the brand’s offerings: Private Selection Bleu Cheese Stuffed Olives,
Water Crackers, Private Selection Pasta Sauce, Private Selection Sliced Cheese
and the Private Selection Costa Rican Tarrazu coffee. How did these Private Selection gourmet foods
stand up to our review?
Private Selection
products are available in several varieties. We chose Bleu Cheese stuffed olives--but,
could have opted for jalapeno or garlic stuffed olives as well. We chose a Blue Marbled sliced cheese, and a Arrabiatta spicy marinara sauce from the available pasta sauce options. I was surprised by the variety available--there
was a range to suit different tastes.
How did the Private Selection line of gourmet foods
taste? The water crackers were a
wonderful hit with flavorful cheese balls during the holiday.
We also enjoyed them as bases for spicy
crab meat appetizers and Buffalo
style dips.
The blue cheese stuffed
olives were best served chilled.
Their
unique flavor became quite a conversation starter on the New Year’s Eve buffet.
The blue marbled cheese also packed a lot of
flavor and complemented shaved turkey, ham and roast beef equally well on
mini-sandwiches.
The pasta sauce offered
a nice, fresh flavor that we enjoyed alone over cooked pasta as well as in our
recipes, like
spinach lasagna roll ups with tofu marinara.
I was
not; however, a fan of the
Costa Rican Tarrazu
coffee--I was expecting something stronger and more flavorful and found it a
little disappointing.
It was better than
most store brand coffees--but, not comparable to my other favorite brand name coffee
brands.
How are Private Selection product prices? Private Selection products are pricey for
store brands--but, to put their price into perspective--their ingredient lists and product offerings are not
generally available as store brand options. I will admit--I wouldn’t pay $3-$4 dollars
for store brand stuffed olives unless the quality rivals brand name
products. For most of the Private
Selection items we sampled, the ingredients and quality earned the price tags.
Would we buy these Private Selection products again? I would definitely buy Private Selection
products again--especially the cheese and stuffed olives. They offer quality comparable to brand named
items at a slightly lower cost. The
product line is a great way to incorporate creative, gourmet foods into last
minute parties and food centered gatherings.
Most of the products are conveniently ready to serve or simple to
prepare. We enjoy Private Selection
gourmet foods and would encourage you to give them a try.
To learn more about the Private Selection line of products available from the Kroger family of stores, visit the
Private Selection website.
Disclaimer: I received complimentary samples or discount coupons for the Private Selection items reviewed here through my activities as a BzzAgent. As always, all opinions are my own and are not influenced by items received or brands reviewed.
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