I was practically heartbroken when I realized that I got the date for H-E-B Plano’s ribbon cutting wrong. I read November 2nd in the first paragraph and went my merry way thinking that was the ribbon cutting and dreaming of skipping through the aisles of H-E-B Plano — my H-E-B. But the store opened yesterday and I’m happy to report the crowds aren’t nearly as crazy as they were for Frisco.
An H-E-B subreddit reports that the store is handling the crowds well. “Shopping carts aren’t piling up, the lines at each register aren’t longer than 2-3 people, and the aisles are actually walkable,” a member of H-E-B’s cross-functional team says. (As I understand it, the CFT team floats between departments to help overflow tasks.)
For those still leary of the crowds, or who have simply forgotten how to grocery shop ever since Wal-Mart+ began a monthly delivery membership, H-E-B has a solution. H-E-B Delivery. As I write this on Wednesday night, I can look forward to my H-E-B delivery coming in the morning. Surprisingly, there were plenty of slots open and it only cost $5.
Last month when the Frisco store opened, I wrote 7 Things to Buy at H-E-B’s New Frisco Store. I’m back to offer five more categories of H-E-B exclusives to try. Caution, this list is spicy.
1. That Green Sauce
What is that green sauce? Well, it’s That Green Sauce. H-E-B’s sauce started the craze with its spicy blend of jalapeños and poblanos. This creamy green sauce is similar to the sauce you’ll find at Pollo Regio or an authentic taco stand, but it’s not tomatillo or salsa verde. It comes in mild (one flame) and medium (two flames) with a hefty kick of spice. The Twitter World is already asking when the three-flame version is coming.
“People fell in love with it and began pouring it on tacos, eggs, fajitas… everything,” the bottle reads. Browsing food blogs, I found home cooks that put it on everything from baked sweet potato fries and chips, to pizza and even tofu.
Some enterprising Texans even sell the stuff secondhand — A whopping $22 for a two-pack on Amazon or $45 for a pack of three on eBay. But now North Texas, you can buy it yourself for $4.38. Who knew true love could be so affordable?
2. H-E-B Salsas and Dips
We haven’t seen this commercial in North Texas, but south of us, H-E-B’s recent Salsa Night commercial with the Houston Astros is earning rave reviews. The Astros’ Alex Bregman, Lance McCullers Jr., Jeremy Pena, and Jose Altuve star in this ode to H-E-B’s variety of salsas. Delish. And the salsas look good, too.
By my count, the grocer carries 24 varieties of salsas:
- There’s “That’s Salsa Bout Texas,” a mild to medium heat blend that’s thin and coats the chip.
- Hit the other side of the sauce spectrum with “Thick N’ Chunky” sauce in organic and select ingredients varieties.
- “Select Ingredients Medium/Hot Serrano Salsa” is refrigerated and reminds one fan of Chuy’s popular salsa fresca.
- Their line of “Specialty Series” salsas include Habanero, Chipotle Garlic, Roasted Taqueria, Smokey Citrus, and Green Chile Tomatillo, and are in line with the variety of salsas you’ll find at Central Market.
- H-E-B also carries some exclusive home-grown Texas brands that fans rave about, including “Mark’s Good Stuff Lone Star Certified” salsas and Whataburger “Picante Sauce”
And in case you were wondering what’s the difference between picante versus salsa, it comes down to consistency. Picante sauce contains finely chopped ingredients, which gives the sauce a thin, dippable consistency. Salsa contains chunkily chopped ingredients that are well-suited for scooping.
3. Texas Heat Trail Mix
This one’s a little controversial, but if you’re a fan of spice, H-E-B Texas Heat Trail Mix is right up your alley. Some fans say it’s too spicy; others say it’s not spicy enough. One guy wants it without the cajun peanuts; one girl complains that her mom just leaves her the pretzel sticks. In any case, this firey blend contains cajun peanuts, roasted salted corn kernels, green little pepitas, sesame sticks, pretzel sticks, and chili crackers.
But by far, my favorite thing about this Lone Star lovely is the “off-label use.” H-E-B’s social team offered this tip: Sprinkle some Texas Heat Trail Mix on top of a southwest salad to add a really great crunch and unexpected spice. Genius.
4. H-E-B Select Ingredients Trail Mixes
H-E-B wins when it comes to variety. There are traditional favorites like “Hit the Trail” with peanuts and raisins, “Hit the Tropics” with dried papaya, pineapple, and banana chips, but H-E-B also has some fun combos.
- There’s “Berry Orchard” with dried cherries, cranberries, blueberries, and raisins.
- “Morning Bite” trail mix with blueberry-flavored cranberries, granola, banana chips, and maple-glazed pecans.
- A Limited Edition “Spiced Apple Cider” mix with cinnamon yogurt pretzel balls and apple-flavored pecans.
- “Dill Pickle” trail mix with pumpkin kernels, pretzels, rice and wheat squares covered in a tart dill pickle seasoning.
- Even “Vindaloo Inspired” trail mix with roasted chickpeas, fried green peas, corn sticks, and cashews.
5. What’s on Your H-E-B Grocery List?
Now, dear Daltxrealestate.com reader, help me round out this story. What are your favorite H-E-B finds, or what foods have you heard a buzz about? The tip about That Green Sauce came to me from our Executive Editor Joanna England. Come 10:01 a.m. today, when that magic red vehicle parks in front of my Plano home, I’ll report back with some of my new favorites.
