Bonnie: I discovered Alexia Foods’ frozen Select Sides when reviewing products for Supermarket Sampler, my current syndicated column now in its (gulp) 25th year.

It’s one product that both Carolyn (my junk-food loving co-author) and I actually liked. This line of All Natural Alexia Select Sides combines potatoes and veggies and a packet of seasoned herbed-and-spice-infused olive oil. To prepare, thaw the oil in a bowl of hot water for just a couple of minutes, heat that oil in a skillet, add the veggies and sauté for 8 to 12 minutes to create one of the four tasty sides that include Roasted Red Potatoes & Baby Portabella Mushrooms, Roasted Red Potatoes & Harvest Vegetables, Roasted Red Potatoes & Italian Inspired Vegetables and, our favorite, Chipotle Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Vegetables.

Other than disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate — considered safe and added to the veggies to prevent discoloration in the potatoes — the ingredients are ones you’d use at home.

The Chipotle Sweet Potatoes is my favorite flavor for a couple of reasons: Nutritionally, it’s the best with only 160 calories, 6 grams fat, a minute 190 milligrams sodium, a hefty 5 grams fiber and lots of vitamins and minerals from the sweet corn, red bell peppers, black beans and sweet potatoes. It also tastes best, although like the rest of Select Sides, it would benefit from a bit more seasoning kick.

Bryan: Sweet potatoes! Though I am a fan of the Alexia Sides, I am a much bigger fan of the sweet potato itself. In fact, I rejoice and celebrate almost everything sweet potato. “The most under appreciated ingredient,” I have called it for years, and to my delight this wonderful root vegetable has continued to gain traction on menus around the country. The possibilities are endless: deep fried sweet potato fries with a sprinkle of cinnamon, boiled mashed and whipped with butter and garlic, fire-roasted and topped with spices… the equally savory and sweet nature of it creates endless appeal and use.

As I do hold it so beloved, I take particular offense to the butchering of the dear tuber. Sweet potatoes, like their distant cousins the potato (they’re not as closely related as you might think), are particular to the methods of cooking you employ. Though there are many great ways to cook them, steaming is not a method I promote or enjoy (unless a precursor to mashing). My first fear when hearing of the frozen Alexia roasted sweet potatoes was that I would have to destroy their beautiful texture in my microwave. The horror.

Nothing of the sort with this frozen side, and as such, they won me over. Though you’ll have to put a bit more time into the preparation compared to a normal frozen dish, your additional efforts will be well rewarded with a surprisingly homemade-tasting accompaniment to your next meal. Alexia’s unique twist (and saving, sweet potato grace) lies in its flavored oils, intended to be used to sauté the ingredients, rather than to sog-steam them in the zapper.

A welcome change amongst a cavalcade of predictable-tasting, frozen bagged foods.

Eric: Frozen vegetables have never been my go-to as an addition for any meal. Most options are either just a strange combination of vegetables, or are of a quality that I can do without; most often the latter. The reason I can tout Alexia as a great choice isn’t due to the quality of the frozen sweet potatoes, or the other vegetables – it’s all about the herb-and-spice infused oil that it is accompanied by. Most prepacked frozen vegetables go straight from the freezer into the microwave without a second thought; Alexia forces you to find a skillet and practice your cooking skills.

Now before running out to sample the Alexia product(s), keep in mind, I’m only putting my stamp of approval behind the roasted sweet potato and vegetables variety. I always say, “not all products are created equal,” and that also applies to a product line.