Prepared Foods showcases new entrée and side dish products for foodservice in January 2019.

Campbell’s Foodservice, Camden, N.J., introduced a macaroni and cheese for school foodservice. The company says it crafted “a recipe designed to maintain a velvety, creamy texture from the time it’s prepared to when students line up for lunch.”

“We’re so excited to introduce our new mac and cheese as Campbell’s first Child Nutrition labeled product for schools,” says Taly Salamon, director of breakthrough innovation at Campbell Soup Company. “We chose to offer mac and cheese because it’s a classic comfort food kids love. When we tried competitive products, we noticed significant opportunity to improve product flavor, texture and hot holding time.”

Salamon says the new offering features real cheddar cheese and whole grain-rich macaroni, is 25% lower in fat and saturated fat than the top-selling competitive product on an ounce-per-ounce basis, fits with USDA requirements to limit sodium in school meals, and provides an excellent source of protein and calcium. 

In addition to these nutritional attributes, the Child Nutrition serving size of Campbell’s mac and cheese is 50% larger than products typically offered to kids at school while delivering 2oz equivalents of meat/meat alternate and 1oz equivalent of grain and maintaining an appropriate calorie content.
“We consider market trends when we launch new products,” adds Salamon. “Meal customization is a hot trend, and we offer recipes for build-your-own mac and cheese bars that empower students to customize their meal by adding their choice of toppings.”

Idahoan Foods LLC, Idaho Falls, Idaho, expanded its foodservice line with new Idahoan Rustic Homestyle Russets Mashed Potatoes. The company’s premium line includes those items with lumps and/or lumps and peels to deliver “scratch-style” texture the company says.

Idahoan Chef David Macfarlane, director of Culinary National Accounts, says the new product (billed as “Rustic” on packaging) features russet potatoes with lumps and peels. It also is lightly buttered and seasoned. Product comes in a 28oz package, packed eight to a case.

“This product is an industry game changer,” says Macfarlane. “Idahoan Rustic Russets will change people’s perception of dehydrated potatoes and convert them to believers in the ‘Fresh Dried’ process that only Idahoan can deliver.”

Other offerings in the mashed potatoes line include Homestyle Mashed Potatoes (lumps only) as well Baby Reds and Golden Selects, each with lumps and peels. All products are gluten free and contain no MSG or partially hydrogenated oils, BHA or BHT.

“From the farms of the Snake River Valley, our unblemished potatoes have lumps and peels that enhance not just the nutritional value per serving but deliver a beautiful depth of flavor that only 100% Idaho potatoes can,” Macfarlane adds. “Idahoan Rustic Russet Potatoes deliver the very finest potatoes available from Idaho. Our state-of-the-art, fresh-dried technology captures the perfect flavor and texture from the most sought after American potato.”

Already known as a national leader in refrigerated prepared side dishes, Reser’s Fine Foods, Beaverton, Ore., now takes aim at the entrée market with two new products—flavored wraps and street tacos—in its Don Pancho Mexican foods line.

“Street tacos have increased on menus by 17% in the past year alone, according to Datassential. It’s no secret why. Consumers are looking for both street-food inspired dishes and snack-sized portions. Street tacos also are an excellent answer to this, introducing customers to new flavors, while keeping the portions and price points approachable,” notes Jessica Truhan-Oliver, associate food service trade marketing manager for Reser’s Foodservice. 

She adds, “Our Don Pancho Street Tacos are made using the Puentes founding family tradition—using the best ingredients and authentic recipes for flavorful, pliant and durable tortillas that come in Flour, Corn and Golden-blend, which provide solid foundations for an operator’s other ingredients. We tell operators, ‘The only limit to what you can serve in our street tacos is your creativity.’”

Specifically, the Street Taco line includes 4in yellow Corn street taco tortillas, 5in Flour street taco tortillas and 5in Golden Blend street tacos.

Reser’s related new line involves flavored, soft, 10in wraps that are ideal for finished presentations as wraps, burritos, quesadillas or soft tacos. Wrap flavor varieties include Ancient Grain, Hatch Green Chili, Spinach & Kale, Sriracha, and Tomato Basil. 

Originally appeared in the November, 2018 issue of Prepared Foods as Culinary Creations: Plant to Plate.