Join Me on an Adventure Through My Packet Collection

While originally intended for chicken nuggets, this sweet and sour sauce pairs even better with fries. Its apricot and peach foundation delivers an ideal mix of syrupy sweetness and tangy zest, perfectly complementing highly salted dishes. I always request additional packets during my visits to the Golden Arches, and I use them generously whenever I prepare fries at home.

I despise Rick and Morty (blame the fans), so amassing a stash of the discontinued “Mulan sauce” that sparked the Sauce Riots of 2018 brings me great joy. I’ll never eat it—though I might sell it for the right price. (This alternative actually tastes better, anyway.)

These are reserved for curly fries and the rare craving for an iceberg salad (topped with bacon bits and cheddar cheese). The Jack in the Box Buttermilk House Sauce is the ideal choice, though the other two can suffice in a pinch (McDonald’s ranch is my least preferred). I also keep these on hand for blog photo shoots, which require small amounts of ranch dressing more often than you’d expect.

While this packet’s contents hardly qualify as salsa, they are exceptionally delicious on greasy breakfast sandwiches or tacos featuring American cheese. Honestly, that’s their sole purpose.

I once had a larger supply of these, back when I frequented Taco Bell more often. Honestly, I wish they were all FIRE! because FIRE! is the superior Taco Bell sauce. Beyond using them with Taco Bell items—the foods these sauces are designed to complement—I enjoy using them to create Taco Bell salt.

I can’t recall the exact flavor of this sauce, but I distinctly remember disliking the Jack in the Box taco I once drenched with a similar packet. This lone packet acts as a visual reminder, ensuring I avoid repeating that culinary misstep.

I have a weakness for tangy, no-frills Louisiana hot sauce, and these small packets are ideal for stashing in a bag or lunchbox to ensure you’re never without. (I haven’t packed anything in months, but I remain hopeful for future outings! I must hold onto that belief!)

Individually, neither of these sauces stands out. The Bayou Buffalo is overly smoky and sharp, while the Sweet Heat is excessively sugary. However, mixing them creates a perfectly balanced dip that satisfies every flavor craving. It’s a natural match for fried chicken, but if you stockpile enough of these tubs, you can use this blend to glaze a tray of wings.

Popeyes’ jellies are exceptional on their biscuits and chicken, and I rarely use them for anything else. However, the honey sauce has broader applications. It’s not pure honey but a blend of honey, corn syrup, and other ingredients. I’ve noticed it dissolves more easily in liquids than real honey, making it ideal for cocktails that require honey syrup (like this one and this one).

This Cajun seasoning stands out for its tamarind inclusion, adding a unique sweet-sour twist uncommon in such blends. With enough on hand, you can incorporate it into gumbo or sprinkle it over potatoes (fried, roasted, or mashed being my top choices).

I can’t recall the exact origin of these packets, but I’m thrilled to have them! While I don’t have any unconventional uses for hoisin sauce—its traditional applications are excellent—I find it particularly shines as a BBQ sauce, especially with barbecued pork.

I frequently enjoy grocery store sushi because it’s satisfying, creates no dishes to clean, and keeps me light during afternoon recipe testing. Although I usually have a soy sauce bottle in my fridge, I reserve these packets for Soy Sauce Emergencies or use them to enhance my ginger and allium scrap infusion.

Unlike sushi soy sauce, these takeout packets don’t quite live up to their labels, but they’re still useful. Similar to the Popeyes sauces mentioned earlier, this intensely salty imitation works best when blended with its counterparts: Combine Chinese Hot Mustard and Sweet N’ Sour to create an incredibly flavorful, well-balanced dumpling dip.

Based on the dates on these packets, this fish sauce might be “expired,” but fish sauce doesn’t seem like something that goes bad. I’m unsure where Pok Pok gets this, but it’s extremely potent and highly fermented, which are ideal qualities for fish sauce. I also appreciate the branding. One packet is just the right amount to liven up a bland red sauce.

I ensure my home is well-stocked with ketchup by buying massive 10-pound pump bottles of Heinz from restaurant supply stores. While I seldom use it, my boyfriend is a frequent consumer, and I grew tired of shortages. This small packet—included as a “sample” with another Heinz bottle—is reserved for genuine Ketchup Emergencies. I’ve become too relaxed about our ketchup reserves, and I know a day will come when we run out, plunging the household into chaos. That’s when this little packet will save the day. (Though it might swell up before then, prompting me to toss it.)