I’m going to start this out by saying that Gardein Home Style Beefless Tips are amazing. I love these things! I remember the first Gardein product I tried (I think it was the cutlets in their Tuscan Breasts). I wasn’t terribly impressed, mostly due to the texture. I expected it to be a little bit firmer. Now, in hindsight, I probably overcooked them. If you cook Gardein products too long they will kind of turn to mush.

Steak tips are another one of those foods I never ate before I was a vegetarian. I’d probably tried them once or twice, but I wasn’t going to order them at a steakhouse or shop in the meat department and buy them. But when I saw veggie versions of these I had to try them. I don’t know why I’m so much more fascinated with fake meat than the real thing.

I liked them right away. They’re just so good. To me, they have the perfect texture as long as you cook them according to the package directions. I heat up a cast iron skillet and then give it a little spray of oil. But watch out—if you use too much oil in the pan they’ll turn out kind of gross. I made that mistake once.

They will stick, but to me that’s part of the good taste. I like to sear them on the outside. They get a bit crisp, but stay moist and tender in the middle. I just watch them and keep them moving around the pan until they’re done.

These do taste meaty, for lack of a better word. But I don’t think they taste like beef as I remember it.

I love these with a good steak sauce, like A.1. Unfortunately, this brand does have one ingredient I’m not terribly comfortable with: potassium sorbate. They use it as a preservative. At least it doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup. I just love how A.1. tastes so much that no other brand works. I have tried Whole Food’s 365 brand steak sauce and it doesn’t even come close.

This is a quick weeknight favorite for me. I’ll pop a potato in the oven when I get home, knowing that in about 75 minutes it will be baked to perfection. Then all I need is a vegetable like green beans to complete the meal. They’re also excellent with baked beans. (My favorite canned variety is Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans, but they’re loaded with sugar.)

I grab a bag of these beefless tips nearly every time I go grocery shopping. They have no dairy or eggs. I also love the fact that Gardein uses a healthy “ancient grain flour” mix made up of kamut®, amaranth, millet, and quinoa. They’re an excellent source of protein, the calories and fat are reasonable, and the sodium isn’t bad at all. You’ll find them in the freezer section, near where veggie burgers live. They’re quick, convenient, and delicious. These Gardein Home Style Beefless Tips are one of my absolute mealtime favorites!