The $1.25 Dollar Tree Find That I’m Stocking Up On

I cook from scratch as much as possible, but I never pass up a good kitchen shortcut. When it comes to convenience foods, finding options that add value beyond feeding us is rare (and often incredibly pricey). So when I discovered that Dollar Tree was selling Ben's Original 10 Medley rice blends, I was keen to try them. 

Heat-and-eat rice packs are an effortless way to round out a meal. Ben's Original has an advantage in the nutrition department thanks to an ingredient list that includes whole grain brown rice, barley, beans and/or legumes, and veggies. Each pouch boasts anywhere from 11 to 14 grams of fiber, a generous 39 to 50 percent of the daily recommended allowance. 

For just $1.25 per pouch, they're one of the rare grocery finds that is genuinely cheap, versatile, and nutritious—basically, the holy grail of quick meal solutions.

Why I Love Ben's Original 10 Medley Rice Blends

On our busiest nights, dinner is a beautiful mess of whatever I can throw together between work deadlines, lessons or sports, and homework help. And these rice blends really help! They typically sell for as low as $2.62 at other retailers and come in four flavors: Caribbean Style, Chinese Style Five Spice, Tomato & Herbs, and Smoky Southwest. 

Dollar Tree's standard price point of $1.25 is far lower and the only flavor I haven't seen in its stores (yet!) is the Caribbean Style. I recently picked up the Chinese Style Five Spice, a spice-forward blend with bold notes of ginger, star anise, white pepper, fennel, cinnamon, and cloves, and the Smoky Southwest blend, which leans into earthy Tex-Mex flavors like cumin and chili peppers. 

How I Use Ben's Original 10 Medley Rice Blends

The five spice blend made a great base for a quick protein bowl lunch for two. The spices have a lot of oomph, so I liked pairing it with bright ingredients like cucumber salad. Leftover grilled chicken and drained chickpeas rounded out the meal. It would be a hearty backbone to crisp-tender Chinese green beans or compliment spiced pulled pork. 

Since we already eat a lot of Mexican-style foods, I knew the Smoky Southwest blend would be an easy sell if incorporated into one of our usual meals. I can also see myself adding heft or cheating the prep work for other mainstays, like burritos and burrito casseroles, taco salad, and chipotle meatballs, or as a fortifying base for tortilla soup or chilaquiles. 

With a range of flavors, these rice blends can fulfill almost every desperate dinner (or lunch) scenario you can imagine. They can be stuffed into bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, and squash, mixed into stews and soups, added to salads, bowls, and wraps, or eaten as a solo side.

And, of course, a pouch is ready in just 90 seconds. It's the kind of smart, budget-friendly shortcut I only wish I'd discovered sooner. 

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