Whether you have trimmings of pigs in blankets, honey parsnips or even a Yorkshire pudding, no roast dinner is complete without a piping-hot pile of roasties.
But a delicious crispy potato can be tricky to perfect, so its no wonder many cooks buy them premade.
So do you need to pay a premium for perfect potatoes this Christmas?
Consumer giants Which? blind taste-tested 11 frozen tatties from leading supermarkets and big brands to see which was the tastiest treat to go with your turkey.
In first place was Aunt Bessie’s – at £2.38 per kg – which were praised for their delicious flavour, golden colour and crispy texture while Aldi’s Four Seasons Roasting Potatoes at just 75p per kilo came in second and were named the best budget option
Meanwhile, Morrisons Roast Potatoes, at 99p per kg, were a miss with judges noting they had a soggy texture and weak flavour.
1. Aunt Bessie’s
£2.38 per kg
Big-brand Aunt Bessie’s produced the top-scoring roast potatoes this year, after rating well for flavour, texture, aroma and appearance.
Their golden colour and tasty flavour impressed the Which? panel, as did their crispy exterior and soft fluffy potato centre.
Aunt Bessie’s are sold at most big supermarkets so you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a pack, but at £2.38 per kg they are also one of the most expensive roast potatoes on test.
Big-brand Aunt Bessie’s produced the top-scoring roast potatoes this year, after rating well for flavour, texture, aroma and appearance (left) Meanwhile, Aldi’s ultra-cheap roasties scored slightly lower but their delicious flavour and crispy texture was still a hit with our tasters (right)
Which? tasters liked the enticing golden colour of Sainsbury’s roast potatoes, but the flavour didn’t impress as much as that of the highest scorers
2. Aldi
75p per kg
Meanwhile, Aldi’s ultra-cheap roasties scored slightly lower but their delicious flavour and crispy texture was still a hit with our tasters.
Plus, they only cost 75p per kg which is great news if you’re catering for a crowd this Christmas.
3. Sainsbury’s
£1.39 per kg
Which? tasters liked the enticing golden colour of Sainsbury’s roast potatoes, but the flavour didn’t impress as much as that of the highest scorers.
More than half of the panel felt the flavour was too weak. The tasters also felt they could be a little crispier, but the inside texture was nice and soft. Overall they’re still a tasty option.
4. Asda
£1 per kg
The texture on the inside of Asda’s roast potatoes drew plenty of fans, and they cost less than half the price of a pack of Aunt Bessie’s.
However, they didn’t score as highly as some of the other spuds because 58 per cent of the panel thought the flavour was too weak and 45 per cent thought they weren’t crisp enough.
JOINT 5th. Bannister’s Farm Farmer’s Roasting Potatoes and M&S Jersey Royal
£1.88 per kg & £4.17 per kg
Bannister’s and M&S were pushed down the rankings by their average flavour, appearance and texture, which is particularly disappointing from M&S as they are the most expensive on test.
However, if you like a fluffy roastie you might still enjoy these, as both impressed with their soft potato centre. Bannister’s are also one of only two gluten-free roast potatoes on test.
Bannister’s Farm Farmer’s Roasting Potatoes are available from Ocado or Tesco. M&S Jersey Royal Roasties are available from M&S (in-store) or Ocado.
The texture on the inside of Asda’s roast potatoes drew plenty of fans, and they cost less than half the price of a pack of Aunt Bessie’s
Bannister’s (left) and M&S (right) were pushed down the rankings by their average flavour, appearance and texture, which is particularly disappointing from M&S as they are the most expensive on test
7. Co-op Crispy Roast Potatoes
£1.33 per kg
Most of the Which? tasters thought the soft centre of Co-op’s roast potatoes was just right.
However, they were let down by their average aroma and soggy exterior.
Some of the panel also felt Co-op’s spuds looked pasty. If you shop at Co-op, and don’t mind spending a bit more, you’re best off picking up a bag of Best Buy Aunt Bessie’s instead.
8. Tesco Roast Potatoes
75p per kg
Tesco’s roast potatoes impressed with their lovely texture on the inside, but half of our tasters felt they were too dry and 61 per cent thought they weren’t crisp enough.
They are joint-cheapest on test though, so if you shop in Tesco and you’re trying to cut costs, they could still be worth a try.
Most of the Which? tasters thought the soft centre of Co-op’s roast potatoes was just right (left) Tesco’s roast potatoes impressed with their lovely texture on the inside, but half of our tasters felt they were too dry and 61 per cent thought they weren’t crisp enough (right)
Iceland may be known for its frozen food, but its frozen roast potatoes proved fairly underwhelming in the Which? taste test
9. Iceland Roast Potatoes
£1.10 per kg
celand may be known for its frozen food, but its frozen roast potatoes proved fairly underwhelming in the Which? taste test.
They were let down by a bland flavour and some found the outside lacked crispiness, although the texture of the centre was pleasant.
10. Lidl Harvest Basket Roast Potatoes
75p per kg
Lidl offers some of the cheapest roast potatoes around, but don’t let that tempt you.
Their weak flavour, pasty colour and soggy texture meant these potatoes were rated as one of worst of the bunch.
Lidl offers some of the cheapest roast potatoes around, but don’t let that tempt you (right) Which? tasters found little to admire in Morrisons’ roast potatoes. The soggy texture was rated worse than the other roasties we tested (along with Lidl’s) and around half of our panel felt the taste was too weak.
11. Morrisons Roast Potatoes
99p per kg
Which? tasters found little to admire in Morrisons’ roast potatoes.
The soggy texture was rated worse than the other roasties we tested (along with Lidl’s) and around half of our panel felt the taste was too weak.
You’ll probably want to pile on the gravy to cover up these miserable spuds.
Lisa Barber, Home Products and Services Editor at Which? Magazine, told FEMAIL: ‘No roast dinner is complete without a piping-hot pile of roasties doused in gravy, but cooking a festive feast for guests can be a lot of unwanted stress on what should be a joyous occasion.
‘If you want to take some of the faff out of cooking Christmas dinner, having a bag of spare spuds in the freezer might be the key to making sure you spend more of the day with the family instead of in the kitchen.’