For this Thanksgiving-prep edition of Supermarket Sleuth, we're looking at products that will give you a head start on fixing the biggest meal of the year.

The Sleuth loves cooking Thanksgiving dinner because a.) a lot of the work can be done ahead, and b.) no one in her family ever wants to vary the menu, which means no thumbing through cookbooks trying to find creative recipes for side dishes.

In most homes, Turkey Day is a carb-laden affair, including two varieties of potatoes -- white and sweet -- along with dinner rolls. (For this week's column, the Sleuth tried to include the new varieties of steam-in-the-bag green beans, but none of the ones tested got an A grade.)

We did find a fabulous new product from Ore-Ida, the potato people: Frozen potatoes that you steam and then mash yourself. You can dress them up however your family likes them, while saving the time that you would spend on peeling and boiling (or baking, for sweet potatoes.)

And if you serve bread instead of (or in addition to!) dressing, Pillsbury's frozen dinner rolls are a lower-calorie, lower-fat option than biscuits or crescent rolls. Another nice feature is that you can bake exactly the number of pieces you expect to serve.

ORE-IDA STEAM 'N MASH

Price: $3.69 for a 24-ounce bag

Nutrition(per ¾ cup, russets): 80 calories, 0 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 260 mg sodium (11 percent daily value).

Nutrition (per ¾ cup, sweet): 90 calories, 0 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 30 mg sodium (1 percent daily value.)

The verdict: This is one of our absolute favorite new products: A convenience food that doesn't mess with nutrition. What you've got are cut, partially cooked potatoes in a bag -- that's about it, except for a bit of sodium in the russet variety. The potatoes can be microwaved right in the bag (no Bisphenol A, according to the company website), or if you're squeamish about that, there are directions about how to microwave them in a bowl instead.

After steaming, mash them and add your own favorite seasonings. They're indistinguishable from homemade -- and a lot faster to make. (There are flavored varieties as well, which we did not test.)

Grade: A+

PILLSBURY DINNER ROLLS

Price: $2.49 for 10 rolls

Nutrition(per roll, white): 80 calories, 0 g fat, 160 mg sodium (7 percent daily value), 0 g fiber.

Nutrition(per roll, wheat): 90 calories, 1 g fat (2 percent daily value), 160 mg sodium (7 percent daily value), 2 g fiber (6 percent daily value).

The verdict: These freezer-to-oven rolls bake up hot and crusty -- just how we like them. The whole wheat variety has two grams of fiber, and Pillsbury doesn't play games with that ''whole grain'' designation -- the first ingredient is, indeed, whole wheat flour.

Grade: A

The bottom line: These are products to be thankful for!

Have a product you want tested? E-mail glehman@MiamiHerald.com

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