Does the thought of buying and cooking fish scare you?
Last week I was invited to attend the Kroger Easy for You! SEAFOOD event. Easy for You! SEAFOOD takes the hesitation out of buying, preparing and cooking fish at home. You simply choose your fish at the seafood counter and a seasoning. Kroger seasons the fish, seals it in an oven-ready bag and then you take it home and bake it according to instructions on the bag. At our event, Kroger demonstrated just how simple it is.
Then we were served bite-sized portions of the following:
- Atlantic Salmon with Sweet Bourbon and Butter and Cilantro
- Filet of Cod with Lemon Pepper and Dill
- Cajun Style Gulf Shrimp
- Tilapia with Rosemary Garlic Lemon Butter
- Chilean Sea Bass with Lemon Pepper and Dill
- Mahi Mahi with Pepper Steak and Cilantro Butter
- Bay Scallops with California Garlic and Thyme Butter
- Steelhead Trout with Lemon Pepper and Dill
- Red Snapper with California Garlic and Thyme Butter
Along with a sampling of the following accompaniments:
- Creamed Orzo Florentine with Sundried Tomato Cream
- Garlic Whipped Potatoes
- Shrimp and Dill Risotto
- Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Butter Sauce
- Tortellini with Roasted Red Pepper and Pesto Cream
- Creamy Polenta with Spicy Andouille Ragout
- Vegetable Medley with Balsamic Drizzle
And there was wine. We tried a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay, and a Pinot Noir – great pairings for fish. I gave the white wines a try, but barely choked them down. Still a red wine gal. Everyone seemed to enjoy the Oyster Bay wine pairings.
After understanding the process and enjoying the dinner, we were sent to the seafood counter in small groups.
At the seafood counter, you will see the new brochures for the Easy for You! SEAFOOD options. As always, you can still order your fish without these seasonings. However, this complimentary service takes the prep work out of the equation for you. Kroger’s brochure states just how simple it is: “We season and seal it. You take it and bake it!” This service is not yet available in all Kroger stores (if you are local to the Cincinnati area, our entire region should be offering this). Ask your seafood counter if you don’t see the brochures.
Inside of the brochure are some examples of pairings and sides to serve with the fish along with wine suggestions. You can choose one straight from the brochure or mix and match your own seasoning idea. We tried samples of a few that were not listed in the brochure, so you can also try one of the pairings I listed above. My favorites were the cod and the sea bass.
A quick note about the shrimp and sea scallops. I am used to them on the grill. When baked in the oven in a bag, the texture may not be as firm as you would prefer. They almost seemed boiled to me and although fully cooked and well-flavored, too soft on the outside. The Kroger seafood expert suggested following the instructions, but finishing those in a skillet on the stove top or on a grill for about 1 minute on each side to get that outside “grilled” texture if that’s your preference.
Overall, it was a great event. I have to admit, I had never purchased fresh seafood from Kroger in the past. However, I was excited to bring some fish home to bake it on my own and some accompaniments for the family to try as well.
The next day I baked my fish selections for lunch at home. And it really was simple. All I had to do was pierce the bag with a fork and place the bag on a baking sheet. You follow the baking directions according to the weight of the fish. In 22 minutes, we had a yummy sea bass and cod lunch. The girls tried a tiny bit, but Henry gobbled it up. Our favorite sides were the orzo, the tortellini and the vegetables. We were also given a take-and-bake loaf of bread from the bakery and some tiramisu cake to complete our meal at home. If you haven’t tried either of those, you are missing out on a treat!
Do YOU want to try Easy for You! SEAFOOD?
Enter to win a $20 Kroger gift card!
UPDATE: CONGRATS TO ANNIE FOR WINNING THE GIFT CARD!!
Leave a comment on this post answering one of the following questions and I’ll draw a winner Wednesday.
Do you normally cook seafood at home? If yes, what and how?
What is your favorite Seafood?
Which Easy for You! SEAFOOD pairings would you like to try?
{As mentioned above, Kroger gave me products and previously gift cards…but, as always, all opinions are MINE!}
We have made salmon and tilapia. I would like to try the sea bass.
Tilapia is my go-to fish usually!
Tricia recently posted…Kroger Easy for You! Seafood
We don’t cook much seafood at home because I can’t stand how the smell stays in the house! We recently found battered cod fillets at SAMs that are great!
I’ve got to say that it was better since it was cooked in the bag. You could still smell it, but it didn’t stick around too long!
Tricia recently posted…Kroger Easy for You! Seafood
I have to admit, I don’t make much seafood besides shrimp. Seafood intimidates me!
We don’t cook fish often at all, so this looks easy and tempting! We’ve done tilapia in foil packs in the crockpot, but that’s about it.
I never thought to cook it in the crockpot!!
Tricia recently posted…Questions I Answer in the Middle of the Night
We love salmon . . . wait, I love salmon and hubby tolerates it. ha ha To help him enjoy it more, I sprinkle brown sugar on top of salmon fillets and either bake at 425 for 12 mins or grill. The brown sugar caramelizes and gives it a great flavor.
That sounds delicious! I’ll have to try it.
Tricia recently posted…Questions I Answer in the Middle of the Night
I rarely cook fish but would love to try more varieties. I would love to try their salmon.
We’ve been ordering the Atlantic salmon with the sweet bourbon glaze for over a year upon recommendation from our favorite Kroger meat counter guy in Sharonville. We love it but I had NO idea of all the other easy seasoned seafood options! (Guess I should have asked him!) I find seasoning seafood the hardest part of cooking it here at home? So glad I read this and now know!
Lots of yummy options for you!
Tricia recently posted…Questions I Answer in the Middle of the Night
Wow – I what a neat idea!! I’d love to try all of them but first up would be the mahi mahi. We have about 10 lbs of mahi in our freezer now and I have no idea what to do with it – can I buy the oven bags myself and seal/bake our fish?
You should definitely ask your seafood counter people. I bet they would definitely help you out!!
Tricia recently posted…Questions I Answer in the Middle of the Night
My husband fries up fish he catches and I this wonderful! We should buy more to cook up…the kids just love it!!
Mmmmm…I love seafood but my husband doesn’t so I really don’t make it! I grew up with seafood on the grill! which helps with the smell. I agree I don’t like the way it makes the house smell…..I am all about meals that only involve poking with a fork though!!!!!
I haven’t cooked seafood in a long time. Josh seems to have developed a late in lif allergy. I think I need to try it again. Sounds yummy and my favorite has always been tilapia.
We do crab cakes a lot. My kids decided they liked popcorn shrimp so the first time we had crab cakes I told them they were “shrimp cakes” because I knew they’d balk at “crab”….I get them at Kroger. I finally told them the truth after ten times serving. I make tilapia for fish tacos but prefer cooking outdoors also. Popcorn shrimp is eaten like chicken nuggets here (but breaded hardly seems like healthy….)
Brian is allergic so we don’t cook it at home!
Hi Tricia, I saw your blog via my neighbor, Jen W. and I think we met at the pool last summer. 🙂 I love that Kroger has this option and can’t wait to try it. Tilapia is the fish I buy most often. My in-laws give us walleye that they catch frequently, too.
I make tilapia the most and bake it with some seasonings. I make shrimp and salmon occasionally too.
I don’t cook seafood at home- it scares me. I would love to try the steel head trout. My husband would love it!
I cook all my fish outside on the *copy kat George Foreman* grill (with removable, dishwasher safe grills). Reduces the fish smell in the house.
We don’t normally cook fish at home because Chris doesn’t like it. But we eat a ton if shrimp and calamari and crab cakes!!
We usually bake tilapia if we have fish. I’m hoping to try the Kroger seafood prep. I’ve heard good things about it!
I usually cook salmon in the oven!
We have tried the whitefish with lemon pepper. What is another way to prepare this delicacy. Wife doesn’t like hot spices.
I love to grill or broil salmon with fresh ginger, garlic, lemon and pepper.
Family is trying to eat more fish after husband just had triple bi-pass. Never bought fresh fish, only frozen. My food 4 less just began the take and bake and I am very excited about it. We like spicey so am looking forward to a little help on the spices!
Can you purchase the bags to cook seafood in
I’m not sure. If there is a Kroger near you, ask!