The Only Store-Bought Yeast Rolls You Should Buy, According to a Food Editor

Holiday meals at my parents’ and my grandparents’ house meant lots of dishes. Ham, whether honey or country-style, was often involved, and the requisite turkey made an appearance at Thanksgiving. There were multiple vegetable sides with plenty of carbs (mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing) and entirely too many desserts, especially after a huge meal like that. 

One must at every holiday dinner (and every family dinner, for that matter) was bread on the side. Sunday suppers often meant hot cornbread or freshly made biscuits, but holiday meals were different. They called for rolls. Buttery, yeasty, fresh-from-the-oven rolls. 

My mom made homemade rolls a few times for Thanksgiving over the years, and they were delicious, but she finally realized: “Sometimes you can’t do it.” The solution, she says, is clear. “If you can’t get it all done, Sister Schubert lets you take that one thing off the list.”

Why My Family Loves Sister Schubert’s Rolls

I called my mom up to talk rolls. I have many lovely memories of eating warm Sister Schubert’s yeast rolls at the dining room table. They come in this aluminum tin, all nestled in together, and can go straight from the freezer into the oven. They emerge smelling bready and delicious with golden brown tops. I would slather them with butter and, honestly, house them.

My mom explained why our family got so into these rolls: “When you get to Thanksgiving and Christmas and you’re trying to do a whole bunch of things, sometimes you can’t [make rolls]. It’s the same taste as a homemade roll.”

We think that my grandmother was the first to discover them at the supermarket around 30 years ago. They quickly became a staple, hiding in freezers until enough family gathered that warm rolls were needed. They’re even good leftover, stuffed with leftover ham if you have it.

Our love affair continues to this day. My mom says she’s had countless conversations about planning family meals with her sister (my aunt), saying she can bring this and she can bring that. Almost every time, without fail, my aunt says, “And I’ve got a package of Sister Schubert’s rolls in the freezer!”

If you can’t bring yourself to make homemade rolls for Thanksgiving this year, don’t sweat it. Let Sister Schubert handle that part so you can worry about more important things. As my aunt says, “You just need to keep some of those in your freezer. Because you never know!”