We Attended QVC’s Sold-Out Foodie Fest — Here Are the 3 Best Things That We Ate

This past weekend, some editors at The Kitchn attended the third annual QVC Foodie Fest. Yes, that QVC — the American television network and e-commerce platform that’s beloved for its live shopping programming. We have such fond memories of watching the home decor, clothes, and gadgets splash across our TV screens.

To celebrate its growing selection of food and beverage products, QVC hosts its annual Foodie Fest — a weekend-long event where people from across the country mingle with their favorite chefs and food brands. There are giveaways, meet-and-greets, tastings, and even a live taping of the show. 

QVC invited us to experience the event firsthand. (Naturally, we RSVP’d “Yes” immediately and were psyched to go.) We sampled a variety of products from dozens of vendors, previewed exciting new launches, and even had the chance to chat with some of your favorite celebrity chefs and QVC personalities. While there was plenty of delicious food, these were the three best items we tried — and yes, we’ll be ordering them from QVC.

These meatballs “embody everything a good meatball should be: tender, juicy, with the right balance of seasoning and the perfect touch of acidity from the rich, flavorful tomato sauce,” says Janette, our culinary producer. She and Ali, our associate groceries editor, both agreed that it was one of the best bites at Foodie Fest — so much so that they went back for more (even though both were so full).

The meatballs themselves are a family recipe passed down from Mama Mancini herself (her son Daniel was there!) and are covered in the brand’s classic marinara sauce. They are delicious on pasta, bread, or straight from the cup (we’ve tried all three). Customers can choose between beef and turkey meatballs, and while we haven’t tried the turkey ones ourselves, attendees equally raved about them.

Summer is practically here, and the only hot dogs we want to grill are the Kansas City Steak Co. All Beef Hot Dogs. The all-beef hot dogs “are one of [KC’s] most popular offerings,” according to Ralph Pallarino, chef and product expert. “They’re double the size of standard hot dogs and feature steak trimmings that make them much richer and way more delicious.”

He prepared two hot dogs for us, and we were speechless about how good both were. Seriously, Janette and Ali exchanged just one word: “Wow.” They are, in fact, giant — and the first bite had that iconic snap we look for in a good hot dog. 

Last, but certainly not least, the bite that surprised us the most was the Pork King Good Seasoned Pork Rinds. We have both had our fair share of pork rinds throughout the years, but none have tasted as good as these. We tried the Butterscotch and Sour Cream and Onion flavors. Janette “can’t get the butterscotch pork rinds out of [her] head.” 

It’s such an unexpected combination of flavors — sweet butterscotch paired with crispy, savory pork rinds that somehow works perfectly,” she says. “Pork King Good is nailing the snack game, and I’ll definitely be picking up more for my kids — and for myself.” It’s a snack worth trying, and one you also might end up ordering again and again.

Are you attending QVC Foodie Fest next year? Tell us in the comments below!