$2 Woolworths and Coles item caravan owners are stocking up on: 'Awesome for camping'

When you need to cook on a budget, certain staples can make your dollar stretch further. Simple items such as beans, pasta and rice are cheap and easy to cook, making them popular meal foundations for many shoppers.

These items are also great for anyone camping or caravanning as they are non-perishable and don't require fancy equipment to cook. Now, another unlikely hero has entered the conversation, and while it's certainly divisive, there is no doubt it is also extremely popular - and not just among the camping community.

Canned potatoes - which can be purchased for $2 from both Coles and Woolies - recently ignited a lively conversation online after content creator Oh So Busy Mum enquired about people's experiences with them.

Shoppers divided over $2 canned potatoes

The replies were a mixed bag with as some people never knew tinned potatoes existed (I was one of them), people who didn't think that $2 was that much of a bargain when fresh potatoes are inexpensive, people who urged everyone to support Aussie potato farmers instead and others who were longtime fans of the product.

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"Have you tried these tin potatoes? They are seriously the best and cheap at $2!" she wrote. "I add them to a bowl with a bit of salt, pepper, oil and garlic, and cook them on the BBQ. They come out CRISPY and so good. We had a freak storm come through our suburb and wipe out power lines, so with no power, it’s a BBQ dinner!"

More than 1000 comments soon appeared on the post with one theme quickly becoming clear - these bad boys are perfect for a quick and tasty meal on the road.

$2 Woolies and Coles product a hit with campers

"We use them during our caravan travels, cheap, easy to store & yummy," one person raved of the pre-cooked goods.

"These are awesome for camping! Shove the open can in the coals until all the water evaporates and they're ready to go. So delicious and so easy," another said.

"I take these camping!!!! Honestly the best!!!," was yet another reply on the post.

"We cook these on the bbq when we go camping, so convenient!," someone else added while another said, "Use them when travelling with the Motorhome. Mainly on the bbq with fried chopped onion."

"We used to always have these for dinner when we holidayed our caravan as kids," someone else recalled.

"Use them camping and make a potato salad type side dish with leftover ham/bacon, red onion, lil tin of corn etc," read another suggestion while someone else wrote, "They are delicious we fry them in butter sometimes a little big so I half then I add a bottle of mushroom sauce like chicken tonight sauce seriously the best served with steak especially if camping."

$2 grocery item not just for campers

Now, if the idea of cooking on an open flame while only having the sound of cicadas and your own intrusive thoughts is not on your bingo card, you can still enjoy the carby goodness of the canned taters.

While there were plenty of shoppers who said they simply could not get on board with the idea of tinned potatoes, many more shared ideas for what to do with the $2 pantry staple

"They’re great smashed in muffin tins with cheese garlic and bacon and baked. I did them with Brie and cranberry as well so delicious," read one suggestion.

"These are the bomb! I fry these up with bacon mushrooms tin tomatoes onion and zucchini, put some Worcestershire sauce and some chicken or steak," was another recipe idea.

Recipe suggestions for canned potatoes

The suggestions just kept coming with tips such as:

"Add them to the cauliflower bake (frozen) from Aldi and they are a winner."

"So good! Put Maggie seasoning on them and then BBQ."

"These are delicious in the airfrier with a light parmesan and garlic dust."

"My danish family eat these l the time- butter and brown sugar in a pan and then add these. HEAVEN!"

"Cut them up smaller chuck them in a bowl add egg mayo, freeze dried parsley, boiled eggs cut up, red onion and it's the best potato salad I've eaten."

And, "2 x tins of these potatoes mixed with a packet of french onion soup mix and 200ml of thickened cream - baked in the oven."

Warning over canned potatoes

Aside from all of the hype, however, these handy canned carbs do come with a warning from several shoppers - and the can itself.

"DO NOT heat them in the microwave unless you want to spend an hour cleaning the microwave!," one person cautioned.

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Just don’t cook them in the microwave as they explode after about 30 seconds," another person said. "Found that our 20 years ago when I needed potatoes in a hurry. Never again."

To be fair, it does say on the can that the potatoes are not suitable for microwave heating or frying so you can't say we did't warn you!

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