Archive for the ‘SmartOnes’ Category

SmartOnes Macaroni & Cheese

Friday, September 25th, 2009

SmartOnes Macaroni & Cheese - Ad

SmartOnes Macaroni & Cheese

Looks: The sauce is a bit thicker than pictured (you can’t make out the individual noodles as well), and it’s a little lumpier too. 3.5 out of 5

Taste: SmartOnes is definitely the top of the heap when it comes to microwave meals. This dish avoids all of the traps that microwave macaroni usually falls into: the noodles are properly cooked; the cheese sauce isn’t gummy, but it isn’t watery either; and while it isn’t “bursting with cheese flavor” as the box claims, it does have a cheese flavor. 4 out of 5

SmartOnes Ravioli Florentine

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

SmartOnes Ravioli Florentine - Ad

SmartOnes Ravioli Florentine

Looks: You see how on the box, there’s one ravioli that’s cut open to show off the filling? You see how the one that I cut open fluffs up too to show the substantial filling? No? Yeah, that’s because there’s not nearly enough filling to get it to stay open like that. Other failings: the herbs look nothing like the fresh sprigs on the box, and the sauce is… lacking in texture, to say the least. 1.5 out of 5

Taste: Better than it looks. (SmartOnes meals are usually decent, so this isn’t surprising.) The filling is a dry ricotta mix, and the ravioli noodles have a decent bite to them. 3.5 out of 5

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

SmartOnes Creamy Rigatoni with Broccoli & Chicken

Friday, August 28th, 2009

SmartOnes Creamy Rigatoni with Chicken & Broccoli

SmartOnes Creamy Rigatoni with Chicken & Broccoli IRL

Looks: Not too far off – 4 out of 5

Taste: Not bad either – tastes like the box would have you believe it tastes. 4 out of 5