I Drive 45 Minutes Just to Get the Best Target Groceries

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Exterior of a Target store with red and turquoise triangle designs — Photo:
Shutterstock/Allrecipes

Any Target fan will tell you: There’s no such thing as a bad shopping experience at the bullseye-laden retailer, from the distinctive welcome of the big red spheres outside to the free coffee refills inside at Starbucks and scoring deals on favorite products. But they’ll also let you know that not all locations are created equal when it comes to grocery shopping. Some Target stores sell a few fresh groceries (like dairy products and minimal frozen items), some have a limited grocery selection that mainly consists of non-perishable goods, and others carry everything from fresh produce to high-quality meats.

I moved from a metropolitan area in the Northeast to Central Florida several years ago. I was a little bummed to learn my closest Target, about 15 minutes away, was very limited on which grocery items it carried. There’s a slightly better Target about 30 minutes from me, but the holy grail of Targets—full of fresh vegetables and the latest grocery products—is a 45-minute drive from my home. Target describes my favorite location as having an “expanded grocery” section, but I describe it as the most fun Target to visit when I want to shop for exciting grocery finds for my family of four at an unbeatable price.

Among the best products I toss in my cart at this Target location are the retailer’s own brands. From Favorite Day to Good & Gather, I’ve discovered some Target-brand products on shopping trips to this far-away destination that always end up on my must-buy list when I shop there. Here are the 10 products I always stock up on when I make the drive to, arguably, the best Target ever.

01 of 10

Good & Gather Fresh Soups

Soup is among my ultimate comfort foods, but I’m not a huge fan of canned varieties. When I don’t have time to make homemade soup, these Good & Gather fresh soups ($4.99) always hit the spot.

My all-time favorite variety is a seasonal chicken and wild rice soup that seems to disappear in the spring and summer, but both the chicken noodle and creamy tomato basil varieties are also comforting and delicious. There’s even a lobster bisque variety, which would be the perfect accompaniment to a steak dinner or a hearty salad.

02 of 10

Good & Gather Olive Tapenade Hummus

The hummus offered at Target is as delicious as any I’ve made at home from scratch, and much less messy. The Good & Gather brand makes varieties like red pepper and traditional, but my favorite is its Olive Tapenade Hummus, made with chickpeas, black and green olives, lemon, and garlic.

It’s priced at $3.49, about 50 cents less than the popular Sabra brand, and is perfect for dipping everything from pita chips to carrot sticks. I’ve been known to stock up on more than one container in a shopping trip, as it goes fast in my house.

03 of 10

Good & Gather Kettle Chips

Good & Gather Kettle Cooked Chips in Sea Salt & Vinegar flavor at Target — Terri Peters

Kettle chips are my favorite salty snack, but many name-brand varieties can be expensive at around $5 per bag. Enter Good & Gather’s kettle chips, which run just $1.99 for an eight-ounce bag and taste exactly like pricier versions.

My go-to variety is the sea salt and vinegar flavor, as the tanginess and saltiness of the flavor complement the crunchy chips perfectly. I’ll also snack on a bag of parmesan garlic kettle chips and pick up a bag of the mesquite barbecue flavor to bring to cookouts and get-togethers.

04 of 10

Good & Gather Charcuterie Bites

A perfectly-elevated adult Lunchable, these Charcuterie Bites from Good & Gather make a fabulous mid-day snack and are great for tossing into lunch boxes when you’re short on time. My favorite variety includes pepperoni, green olives, and Gouda cheese, but Target stocks packs that offer salami, ham, crackers, and more.

Priced at $2.99, I always stock up on a few of these pre-packaged charcuterie plates. Both my kids and I love grabbing them on the go, rather than spending twice as much for a snack at our local coffee shop.

05 of 10

Good & Gather Sparkling Water

At $3.29 per eight-pack, Good & Gather’s sparkling water is often less pricey than brands like Waterloo or La Croix. The brand also offers flavors I’ve not seen elsewhere, like a blend of Mandarin and yuzu and a caffeinated cherry cola variety.

My family goes through a lot of canned sparkling water, both as a way to stay hydrated during the day and as a cocktail or mocktail mixer in the evenings. Finding delicious flavors of bubbly water at a reasonable price is worth the drive to Target in my book.

06 of 10

Favorite Day Whipped Cream

I don’t always give my coffee an indulgent boost, but when I do, it’s with this whipped cream ($3.69) from Favorite Day. My favorite flavor, marshmallow, is the perfect way to top coffee flavored with some cream and sugar-free s’mores syrup.

My tween daughter loves the strawberry flavor and puts it on everything from freshly-sliced strawberries to hot chocolate. There’s even a seasonal spring peach jelly bean flavor, which I’ve yet to try, but once I find it in my local store, I know I’ll add it to the collection in my refrigerator.

07 of 10

Good & Gather Chopped Salad Kits

I toss one of these chopped salad kits from Good & Gather together several times a week to accompany the main course I’ve made for dinner. The sweet kale and Caesar varieties are my family’s go-to choices, but with blends with flavor profiles mimicking avocado toast, Nashville hot chicken, and Asian cuisine, there’s truly a salad that pairs well with every meal.

At $3.99 each, these chopped salad kits are perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, tossed with a grilled protein or as a side dish. And, the fact that all the ingredients you need are together in one package cuts down on the amount of salad dressing bottles and crouton bags taking up valuable space in my kitchen.

08 of 10

Good & Gather Simmer Sauces

Another weeknight dinner hack in my home are simmer sauces ($3.29) made by Good & Gather. I often default to the tikka masala variety, tossing some cubed, cooked chicken breast into the mix and serving it over basmati rice.

But these simmer sauces do not end at Indian cuisine: The green curry and creamy lemon and garlic flavors are favorites in my home, too. Simply add a protein, rice, and vegetable, and you’ve got a fast and flavorful meal, perfect for any budget.

09 of 10

Good & Gather Pre-cut Vegetables

Bag of Good & Gather Shaved Brussels Sprouts at Target — Terri Peters

A must-have Target produce item for me is its packaged, pre-cut vegetables. From broccoli florets to shaved Brussels sprouts, on nights when I need some help saving time in the kitchen, these affordable, bagged veggies are the ultimate ingredient.

At around $2.99 per bag, I’m more than happy to let someone else do the chopping and washing on evenings when I need to get dinner on the table fast. But my favorite way to use the brand’s shaved Brussels is to sautée them with some bacon grease and eat them as a hash brown alternative at breakfast.

10 of 10

Good & Gather Broths

Box of Good & Gather Tuscan Soup Starter Chicken Broth with other broths on the shelf behind at Target — Terri Peters

Why use boring chicken or beef broth when you can use an elevated version at an affordable price? For $2.19, Target sells Good & Gather flavored broths, which range in variety from ramen broth to Tuscan-seasoned.

In my house, we use ramen and pho broth to make pre-packaged noodles, and I’ve upped my chicken tortilla soup game with Good & Gather’s tortilla broth. Each variety is perfectly seasoned and saves time and effort in the kitchen.

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