It's time to take another look at store brands. When we did a side-by-side comparison of canned tomatoes several years ago, the national brands won hands down. Not anymore!

Supermarket chains have improved the quality of both store-brand products and packaging to the point that they're now called ''private-label.'' And while the Private Label Manufacturers Association says they generally cost 5 percent to 20 percent less than name-brand products, we've seen savings as much as 25 percent.

In today's economy, a savings of even 5 percent matters, and lots of people are giving store brands a try. Some chains have introduced a second, ''premier'' house line, and even fancy gourmet-type groceries offer private-label brands.

Today's recipe for Fire-Roasted Tomatoes and Chicken over Ziti uses canned tomatoes, and if you don't happen to find fire-roasted ones, regular diced works great, too. We experimented with several private labels and national brands, and were equally satisfied. We'd love to hear about your experiences with these products -- either positive or negative. E-mail your comments to tellus@kitchenscoop.com. For another flexible canned tomato-based recipe, visit www.kitchenscoop.com.

Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross' latest book is Cheap. Fast. Good! Their website is www.kitchenscoop.com.

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