Main St Bistro Scalloped Potatoes Review
Author’s Note: These are my own unbiased opinions. I have no affiliation with Main St Bistro or Costco.
Choose joy. The kind that comes from po-ta-toes.
Did I buy the 2.5-pound slab of scalloped potatoes from Costco? Why, yes. I did. This cheesy brick of potatoey joy was on sale for $5.49. And even my mean little stingy wallet couldn’t say “no” to that price.
(Spell check says “potatoey” isn’t a word. But spell check is wrong, my friends. Spell check doesn’t love potatoes enough. Don’t be like spell check.)
Easy re-heating
The nice thing about these Main St Bistro scalloped potatoes is that they’re “pre-baked.” They literally look like they just came out of the oven — with browned cheese, and sort-of-crispy edges — right out of the cold package. I was honestly pretty impressed by the appearance.
The serving instructions include an option to oven heat these, or microwave them. In a departure from my usual oven preference, I chose to microwave mine. My AC is broken, and it’s 96 degrees in Florida. Too hot for the oven. Alas.
Anyway. Microwaving worked great! It takes 8-ish minutes to cook the whole tray. Mine emerged bubbling and looking freshly baked. Should be illegal.
Serving the potatoes
These scalloped potatoes are packaged in a black plastic tray, which isn’t my favorite. But it got the job done. If Main St Bistro would do a cardboard tray instead, I would be happier. Not that cardboard is ever irreproachable. But, ya know. You could easily transfer your potatoes to your own fancy-pants serving dish before heating and serving, for the best aesthetic.
I served my potatoes with thick slices of Costco Oven Browned Turkey Breast and freshly steamed asparagus. Easy, and satisfying.
Texture and flavors
These “funeral potatoes” are just the right firm-soft texture that makes them taste homemade, rather than squashed, processed taters. There’s a creamy, thick sauce that holds the layers together and keeps them in a tidy scoop.
I actually loved this sauce. It’s natural-tasting, and neither too oozy nor too gloopy. It coats the potatoes perfectly. Best of all, it’s made with real cream, sour cream, butter, and milk. The cheddar cheese is stretchy and plentiful, although it seems to exist only on top. The sauce features two additional cheeses: parmesan and romano, which add a slightly richer twang. No one skimped on cheese here!
I will add that there are few seasonings in the sauce; it doesn’t have a heavy garlic or onion flavor. But I didn’t mind that at all. There’s a gentle, savory taste that is satisfying. The potatoes do most of the talking here. And my stomach likes listening to potatoes.
I think the only thing I might add is some freshly chopped chives, as a garnish. Especially if serving at a nice meal.
(Looking for another crowd-pleasing, home-made-tasting side dish? Check out my review of Costco’s Deli Mac & Cheese.)
Ingredients in Main St Bistro Scalloped Potatoes
Here is my best attempt at typing out the ingredients, from the label:
- Potatoes
- Whole Milk
- Cheddar Cheese (Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes)
- Heavy Cream (Cream, Fat Free Milk)
- Butter (Sweet Cream [Milk], Salt)
- Sour Cream (Pasteurized Cultured Cream [Milk], Nonfat Milk Powder, Enzymes)
- Parmesan Cheese (Pasteurized Part-Skim Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes)
- Modified Corn Starch
- Romano Cheese (Pasteurized Part-Skim Cow’s Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes)
- Salt
- Onion Powder
- Dextrose
- Black Pepper
- Nisin Preparation (Salt, Nisin [a natural antimicrobial])
So, the big draw for me (besides the price) was the relatively clean ingredient list. I’m not a huge fan of Modified Corn Starch or Dextrose. But otherwise, these are pretty fab ingredients.
Nutrition Facts
A serving is 1/2 cup and contains 210 calories. You get 15 grams of fat (7 grams saturated fat) and 7 grams of protein. There’s 14 grams total carbohydrates, of which 1 gram is fiber and 2 grams are sugar (0 grams “added sugar”). There’s 20% your daily value of sodium per serving, and 15% your daily value of calcium.
More information from the label:
- Contains Bioengineered Food Ingredients
- No Artificial Colors, Flavors, or Preservatives
- Product of USA
- Keep Refrigerated
Price and Servings
The regular price for the 40 ounce package is $8.50 at Costco. Since there are 8 servings, that is $1.06 each. Extra fab.
How many servings did I actually get from my two and a half pound tray? Well, I was hungry, and I love potatoes. So, about 8. If you’re serving this with a bunch of other side items, you might get 10 servings. Depends on your crowd.
(For another budget-friendly side dish, check out my review of this cornbread stuffing, which is 89 cents and tastes at least as good as name-brand.)
Shelf Life and Leftovers
The “best by” date on my package allowed a couple months to consume. This is a fresh/refrigerated product, rather than frozen.
I covered my tray in foil and refrigerated the leftovers. It took me about 5 days to eat the tray. The leftovers reheat in the microwave nicely; they don’t taste much different than the first day. In fact, I like the way the cheese melts on the microwaved leftovers. Extra, extra fab.
Dramatic Conclusion
I would buy these again. Scalloped potatoes are a labor-intensive dish, and these taste “almost homemade.” The mostly-natural ingredients are similar to what I’d use to make my own recipe. These are perfect for serving big crowds, so I can focus on the rest of the meal.
In fact, I would feel confident serving these at major holiday gatherings, like Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Easter, or Christmas. If you scoop them into your own ceramic serving dish before baking, probably no one will know you bought ’em. Probably.
On my high-tech “Awesome-o-Meter,” these taters score a belly-patting “Yaaas.”
The End.
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