Ina Garten has built an entire culinary empire around three little words: “store-bought is fine.” But as it turns out, not everything gets the Barefoot Contessa’s stamp of approval—and she’s more than happy to draw the line.
During a lightning round on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Ina was put to the test: which grocery shortcuts are actually worth it…and which ones belong nowhere near your kitchen?
Some answers totally track:
Marinara sauce? Only if it’s good quality.
Sourdough bread? Absolutely.
Bottled lime juice? Immediate rejection.
“Fresh lime juice only,” Ina said, shutting it down. “You can’t buy it anywhere.” Colbert agreed: “The little squeeze thing—that’s terrible. You’re torturing yourself.”
The surprising “yes” is hiding in your pantry
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But the real surprise came when stuffing mix entered the chat.
Instead of using it for its intended Thanksgiving destiny, Ina revealed she turns packaged stuffing mix into something far more interesting: a savory bread pudding. And honestly? It’s genius.
“Get the bagged stuff,” she said. “It’s already seasoned, it’s already cubed, it’s toasted. All that’s done.”
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That’s exactly why it works. Traditional bread pudding—sweet or savory—often starts with bread cubes left to stale or dry out in the oven. That way they that can soak up a rich custard without falling apart. Stuffing mix basically does all that prep for you.
It’s pre-toasted for structure, pre-seasoned for flavor, and ready to absorb whatever you throw at it. Translation: you skip multiple steps and still end up with something that tastes like you meant to do it this way.
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Ina’s version leans savory and a little fancy (because of course it does): think leeks and cremini mushrooms cooked down with a splash of sherry—already sounding like something you’d order at a very chic brunch.
Then comes the magic. She combines it all with the stuffing cubes, folding everything into a custardy mixture of eggs, cream, stock, and plenty of Gruyère before baking it until golden.
As Ina would say, how good does that sound? Answer: Very.
The result is golden, rich, and deeply comforting—like the best part of Thanksgiving stuffing, but with main character energy.
And the best part? No one knows you started with a bag.
“It’s just a savory bread pudding,” Ina said. “Nobody even knows there’s a bag of stuffing in there.”
The takeaway: not all shortcuts are created equal
Which is kind of the whole point of store-bought is fine: not cutting corners—cutting out the parts that don’t make or break the dish.
So yes, you can keep your boxed stuffing mix on the shelf year-round. Ina would approve.
Just…maybe grab a fresh lime while you’re at it.
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