Idahoan

• Idaho is known as the potato capital of the world. Taking a home-field advantage, Idahoan convenience potatoes are named for the state in which they are produced. Offering a wide range of instant potato mixes, you can enjoy Baby Red Roasted Garlic potatoes, Herb and Butter Mashed Potatoes and Hash Browns, all certified with the Idahoan name. Being "instant," Idahoan products require mixing with water or milk and butter and then cooking on the stove top or in the microwave.

Betty Crocker

• The Betty Crocker name has been around for generations. The company has expanded beyond the cakes and cookies for which Betty Crocker is best known. This brand has added an extensive line of instant potato products in its product list, everything from flavored mashed potatoes to au gratin and scalloped potatoes as well as potato buds and skillet potatoes, such as hash browns. Like other convenience potatoes, the Betty Crocker offerings require premixing with liquid to rehydrate them before cooking on the stove or in the microwave.

Ore-Ida

• You'll find Ore-Ida brand potatoes in the freezer section, separating them from the other convenience potatoes in the grocery store. Initially, Ore-Ida was best known for frozen French fries, but over the years has expanded their product line to include tater tots, hash browns and, most recently, mashed potatoes and potato side dishes. Ore-Ida products can be heated in the oven (French fries and tater tots), cooked in a skillet on the stove (hash browns) or popped in the microwave if you're extremely short on time. The Steam and Mash and Potato Sides products are made to specifically steam in the microwave to produce tender, flavorful potato dishes.

Hungry Jack

• The Hungry Jack brand has historically been associated with breakfast, producing pancake mixes, syrup and biscuits. Over the years, Hungry Jack has expanded their product line to include hash browns, mashed potatoes, casserole potatoes and a potato pancake mix. All of Hungry Jack's convenience potatoes are dehydrated products, requiring that you mix them with water or milk and in some cases oil or butter. The preparation is minimal, though, and some of the products, such as the hash browns, can be ready to serve in as little as five minutes. Other dishes that require baking, such as the casserole potatoes, will take a bit longer. But being ready in 30 minutes, they still take less preparation and cooking time than making the recipes from scratch, allowing you to serve an appetizing meal without spending a lot of time on it.