Udi’s Whole Grain Hamburger Buns Review and “Supper” Quick Sloppy Joes

I admit I’m happy when I get to make sourdough bread and other goodies from home.  We generally live an unprocessed life, but sometimes you don’t have time to make your own and sometimes you just need a break from the kitchen. So we follow the 80/20 or the 90/10 rule- we eat unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods 80-90% of the time and we don’t worry about the rest.

When I have to purchase baked goods at the store, I don’t want to pay good money for GFCF products with the texture of cardboard and the density of something akin to a rock.  I want something that I will enjoy eating.  I’m not willing to pay $6-7 for something I have to choke down and the kids refuse to eat. So for a long time, we avoided any commercially-produced GFCF baked goods.

Celiac makes life decidedly different, no matter what you do. If you’re going to be going out and eating in a social situation, sometimes you want something that looks ‘normal’ so you can avoid having ‘the conversation’ with strangers you meet at social events. While I’m an outspoken advocate of celiac disease, I don’t want to have to educate people on it every time I go somewhere. Explaining a digestive disease to a complete stranger isn’t my idea of a good time. Sometimes, I just like to forget that it exists and enjoy some social time while feeling normal.  Having Udi’s hamburger buns makes that possible for me.

Udi’s Gluten-Free recently contacted me and offered to send me some of their products so that I could review them. I was thrilled because Udi’s is already my preferred brand of baked goods. Any time we’re having people over or we’ve been invited somewhere that involves grilling, I take along a pack of Udi’s hamburger or hot dog buns.  The kids are happy because they’re getting a bread that is soft like wheat bread and looks like what their friends are eating, and the family members who reject gluten-free are less grumpy less difficult happ(ier) because they see the kids getting something that looks normal to them. I’m happy because I’m not getting grief from anyone.

Udi’s Whole Grain Hamburger Buns come four to a pack and their Classic Hot Dog Buns come 6 to a pack.  Now, you and I both know that the texture and feel or most gluten-free bread on the market are more akin to paper products or building materials than to wheat bread. But Udi’s breads stay soft and never take on the cardboard texture and weight.  Udi’s rolls are soft and light and they toast beautifully.  I always toast their buns before using them for hot dogs, burgers or sloppy joes, because it adds just the right amount of satisfying chew.  Until I tried Udi’s, I hadn’t found a GFCF bun or roll on the market on which I was willing to spend money.

When we go to the store, Udi’s is the only brand of baked products my kids ask for.  That says a lot.  If I need to buy bread (or cookies or buns), they automatically ask for Udi’s.  The Udi’s Chocolate Chip Cookies are a whole ‘nother level of amazing.  They are, hands down, my favorite cookie on the market.  We pick up a pack of them on occasion as an extra special treat.

Udi’s Whole Grain Bread makes great french toast or sandwiches.  Udi’s included a loaf in the box they sent me, and I used it to introduce my children to the wonder of grilled cheese slathered in butter.  I used a cheese replacement for my son and even his sandwich came out fabulous. They were amazed.  So amazed, in fact, that they got up before me the next morning and finished the loaf off by making grilled cheese sandwiches themselves.  I got up at 6:30 in the morning to find they had already cooked and eaten breakfast and the rest of the loaf had disappeared! Because we rarely have sandwiches, my kids have romanticized loaf bread, and they’re still talking about those sandwiches days later.

I greatly appreciate that their products are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility and their allergens- dairy, soy, nut- are clearly labeled. Because my son still reacts to dairy, I’m always disappointed to see so many GF brands that have milk in them.

I am also appreciative that Udi’s products aren’t full of preservatives and they don’t have a months-long shelf life. They have no artificial flavors, colorings, preservatives or other synthetic additives. They will go bad if you leave them out, as food should. I don’t want something that sat on a shelf for months in a warehouse before I purchased it.

You can connect with Udi’s on Facebook and Twitter.

How I Use Udi’s Multi-Grain Hamburger Rolls

Occasionally, I find myself stuck in a bind with no meals in the freezer.  Since eating out isn’t an option, I will grab a pack of Udi’s Multi-Grain Hamburger Rolls and make this “Supper” Quick Sloppy Joe recipe that my kids adore.  It’s a super-quick recipe because it only takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.  I called it Super Quick Sloppy Joes, only to have my daughter rename is “Supper” Quick because it makes a great dinner that’s quick to get on the table!

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Shared at My Humble Kitchen, Rattlebridge Farm, The Shabby Nest, Real Food Forager, Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, Time Warp Wife, Chef in Training, Growing Home, Whole New Mom, Raising Homemakers, We Are that Family, and The Nourishing Gourmet.