Archive for the ‘Marinara’ Category

Healthy Choice Grilled Chicken Marinara Cafe Steamer

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Healthy Choice Grilled Chicken Marinara Cafe Steamer - Ad

Healthy Choice Grilled Chicken Marinara Cafe Steamer

Looks: Are those even the same meals? The chicken pieces are deformed, the broccoli looks weak, the cheese is missing, and the sauce (which got mixed into the meal, by direction) was not the right color. 1 out of 5

Taste: It tastes about how it looks. Weak, without any standout flavors. The chicken tasted strange, like it was really ground chicken formed back into nuggets – not at all like “Grilled Chicken Marinara.” Very disappointing for what I’ve always seen as an upper-level brand. 2 out of 5

Posted in Broccoli, Cheese, Chicken, Frozen, Hall of Shame (Looks), Healthy Choice, Marinara, Microwave, Pasta, Penne | 3 Comments »

Digiorno Steak and Fire Roasted Vegetables Flatbread Melt

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Digiorno Steak and Fire Roasted Vegetables Flatbread Melt - Ad

Digiorno Steak and Fire Roasted Vegetables Flatbread Melt

Looks: While it’s not as bad as the TGIFriday’s Quesadillas, it’s still pretty far from what the box pictures. (Although, with this product, you can actually tell that it’s the same food.) The bread is much thicker and doesn’t brown the same, the filling is not as extensive, and the cheese is nowhere to be seen, at least not without unfolding the melt. 2.5 out of 5

Taste: Very good flatbread for being frozen and microwaved. It was soft, chewy, and not soggy or cold at all. The filling, although not as bulbous as the filling on the packaging, was very good as well. It would have been nice to have as much steak and vegetables as the box promised, and the discrepancy might be a deal breaker for some people. 4 out of 5

Posted in Cheese, Digiorno, Flatbread, Frozen, Marinara, Microwave, Peppers, Red Onions, Steak, Zucchini | No Comments »

SmartOnes Three Cheese Ziti Marinara

Saturday, September 12th, 2009

SmartOnes Three Cheese Ziti Marinara - Ad

SmartOnes Three Cheese Ziti Marinara

Looks: Much like the Healthy Choice Tomato Basil Penne, there is no way to cook this meal in a way that results in a dish like the one picture on the box without adding extra cheese (and some mint, I think). The picture on the box is also enlarged quite a bit, making the noodles appear larger than they actually are. 3 out of 5

Taste: SmartOnes frozen meals are generally a level above the competitors, but this one isn’t such a clear-cut winner. The ziti comes out a little over-cooked, and there’s no discernible cheese on the pasta since by the end of cooking, it has melted and been stirred into the sauce. It’s still a semi-filling meal, but not as tasty as the box would indicate. 3 out of 5

Posted in Cheese, Frozen, Marinara, Microwave, Pasta, SmartOnes, Ziti | 6 Comments »

Barber Foods Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

Barber Foods Stuffed Chicken Breasts - Ad

Barber Foods Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Looks: Even before cooking, all of the portions were split open on top, exposing the not-quite-the-right-red marinara filling. The chicken doesn’t have the same meaty mass as the box pictures, but the crust and chicken are the correct color, so it’s got that going for it (which is nice). Oh, and the plate pictured on the box would have to be at most four inches in diameter. 3 out of 5

Taste: Confusing. My tastebuds were like “Mmmm, I like these tastes,” but my mouth was like “Uhhhh, I’m not so sure about these textures.” The crust was flavorful and a little crunchy, and the sauce made up for the chicken’s dryness, but none of the textures meshed together. It was more like I was eating some breading and also some chicken and also some sauce that just happened to be sitting next to each other. 3 out of 5

Posted in Barber Foods, Chicken, Marinara, Oven | 7 Comments »