Welcome to this week’s Try Me Tuesday. I took a little hiatus as the holiday are just so hectic and it gets a bit hard to keep up with everything. My resolution was to get back on track... which means the Try Me Tuesday is back.
As a reminder...each week I will grab a new set of products and test them out. I’ll put the Publix brand up against a national brand product and report back.
I know many times I struggle with what brand to choose. Often a sale or a coupon/sale combination make that an easier decision…but what about those times when you need an item and there is not a sale? Do you grab the house brand or pay more and get the national brand? More importantly, is there really a difference in taste?
This week we tried Publix Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing.
Publix Chunky Blue Cheese: Serving Size 2 Tbsp, $1.83
Calories - 150
Total Fat - 16g
Sodium - 250mg
Total Carb - 2g
Dietary Fiber - 0g
Sugars - 1g
Ingredients: Vegetable Oil (Soybean and/or Canola), Water, Distilled Vinegar, Corn Syrup Solids, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Blue Cheese (Pasteurized Milk, Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Contains Less than 2% of: Egg Yolk, Salt, Modified Food Starch, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Sodium Benzoate and Calcium Disodium EDTA as Preservatives, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 60, Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate, Dried Garlic, Yeast Extract, Spice, Sodium Phosphate.
Ken's Chunky Blue Cheese: Serving Size 2 Tbsp, $2.97
Calories - 150
Total Fat - 16g
Sodium - 290mg
Total Carb - 1g
Dietary Fiber - 0g
Sugars - 1g
Ingredients: Soybean Oil, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Blue Cheese (Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Salt, Sugar, Contains Less than 2% of: Cellulose Gel and Cellulose Gum, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Natural Flavor, Sodium and Calcium Caseinates, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate and Calcium Disodium EDTA as Preservatives, Dried Garlic, Polysorbate 60, Dried Onion, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Yeast Extract, Spice, Beta Carotene, Sunflower Oil.
RESULTS
- Publix - 0
- Ken's - 2
This week only Jake and Jim were the taste testers and Jeb and I aren't fans of this type of dressing. Of course they are huge fans and I made a batch of meatballs so they had to have their beloved dressing...so this was a good week to give this one a try.
Both thought that the dressings were very similar in taste. Jim commented that they were extremely similar but the Publix brand had a slight "zing". He says it wasn't a bad thing...just different than the Ken's dressing. Both guys said they'd happy finish both bottles at some point provide I kept making the meatballs 
Now from a price standpoint there's a big difference. The Ken's dressing is over a buck more than the Publix version. Now, you guys know that Ken's dressing will go BOGO on occasion and we see coupons as well. That will change the price dramatically. So...this week the winner is the Ken's Dressing. But I think when you need dressing and there's not a sale, you would be very safe getting the Publix brand.
Have you guys tried both? What did you think?