The Best Store-Bought Sauce Mix Is Made By An Iconic Seasoning Brand

Store-bought sauce mixes are convenient and quick when you haven't got the time to rustle up a batch of gravy or Alfredo from scratch. Plus, with their lengthy expiration dates and slimline size, they make awesome pantry staples to store neatly in baskets and drawers. Requiring little more than a splash of water (or a dash of milk and butter), they're perfect for when you haven't got the time to hit the grocery store for extra seasonings and herbs. However, select a mix that doesn't cut the mustard and it can ruin your plans for a dinner where the sauce was supposed to be the star of the show. In our opinion, the best store-bought sauce mix that won't leave you in the lurch comes from the iconic seasoning brand McCormick. Hitting the top spot in Tasting Table's list of 14 store-bought sauce mixes, we loved the spice and flavor of the enchilada sauce that comes in a vibrant red sachet.

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To make a batch of this smoky sauce, all you need to do is add it to some tomato sauce and water before bringing it to a boil and simmering for five minutes. Featuring chili pepper, cumin, and garlic we found it to be aromatic and mildly textured with little bits of onion. Unlike some enchilada sauces that can have a grainy consistency, this sachet of the good stuff was smooth and had a great viscosity upon following the instructions on the packet.

Use your McCormick's enchilada sauce inventively

While McCormick's winning sauce mix is supposed to be used as a zingy topping on a dish of chicken, back, bean, or beef enchiladas, you can use it in several other inventive ways. For example, it makes a quick dip to pair with a bag of tortilla chips, can sub as a spicy pizza sauce, and can even moonlight as a braising liquid for meats (it's perfect for complementing the sweet and smoky notes of the spicy adobo that features in birria, lending it a Tex-Mex twist). You can even drizzle it into the stuffing for grilled cheese or add it to your morning serving of huevos rancheros.

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The worst store-bought sauce mix in our ranking was Pioneer country sausage flavor gravy mix. We found it to be overly seasoned with fennel and the texture was simply too thin, even though we attempted to thicken it over a burner. The only thing it had going for it was the skillet breakfast casserole recipe on the back. Perhaps if we had made it with milk instead of water it would have had a more palatable flavor and texture, however, we'd advise you to try the Pioneer country gravy mix instead. Ranking at number nine on our list, it had the perfect texture.

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