Favorite PREPARED canned, frozen or jarred foods.

[steve(thelil)]

Jimmy's recent post in what are you eating about picking up a frozen pizza after many years -and being reminded of how much they can taste like cardboard - reminded me that I've wanted to start this thread.

Sometimes walking through a supermarket I can't find a single frozen (or canned or jarred) dish that I could get psyched to eat for dinner. [Part of that is that I refrain from buying frozen fried chicken or chicken wings due to its amazingly high levels of fats, calories, carbs and chemicals. On the other hand, since I don't, maybe I'm unaware that frozen fried chicken and/or chicken wings suck(s)]


Not being much of a cook and very often dining without Jan (who is), it would be great if on occasion I could heat up a meal of prepared food that
1) you can actually find at a good supermarket that
2) actually tasted very good. (In other words, I'm not soliciting suggestions for some item that can only be found at a specialty shop in Santo Domingo, DR. or Wally's Wacky Foods in Peoria.)

One good tasting frozen food that comes to mind is

Kashi Frozen Entrees
Chicken Pasta Pomodoro
Chicken and roasted vegetables over whole grain pasta and topped with fresh tomato garlic basil sauce, parmesan cheese and Kashi® 7 Whole Grain Flakes.


It tastes pretty good and it is low fat and very low calorie, with high fiber. If I have some in the fridge, I add a little spicy pasta sauce to it.

Any other nominations?

[tippy]

Jarred peanut butter (which probably doesn't fit so much under your category of "prepared"). And I used to buy frozen taquitos from Whole Foods, which my friend amusingly refers to as Neimann Marcus, but I od'ed on the taquitos. It's not that they are super fantastic or anything, but they are a simple and satisfying quick meal. I've also tried packaged Indian cuisine - though I stay away from the ones with cheese because I can't get past the concept of non-refrigerated, I assume dehydrated cheese - which will suffice in a pinch. They are expensive enough though that a person might just save the money and get a real meal.

[Jimmy Cantiello]

Speaking of prepared foods and taquitos, I love El Monterey brand taquitos.

[bigtiny]

When I was a kid, in my house the Banquet pot pie and frozen TV dinners were common. But my favorite was the Patio Mexican TV dinner. Beef Enchiladas, mexican rice, refritos (which aren't bad frozen actually) and little taquitos. I thought they rocked. I wouldn't go near one with a 10 foot pole today.

I still eat a bit of canned tune, though I tend toward the white albacore in water.

I used to really like Underwood Deviled ham and chicken, but I haven't eaten any in years.

I used to regularly eat Chef Boy Ar Dee raviolis right out of the can.

I still enjoy a can of Campbell's Bean with Bacon soup on a cold winter's day.

Other than the soup and tuna though, I don't go near any of this stuff. Way too much salt and too many chemicals for me....

bigtiny

[bluenoter]

 

[stonemonkts]

For lunch you can't beat the convenience and taste of Lean Cuisine.

http://www.leancuisine.com/products/...?ProductID=303

[tippy]

I always liked lean cuisine too.

[bluenoter]

I know that (thelil) asked about dinner options in particular, but . . .

This product line has no nitrites, etc. And at one of my supermarkets (a Giant), it's perennially on sale---

Did you know that the Hormel® Natural Choice® line is the first nationally distributed line of all natural sandwich meats with zero preservatives and no artificial colors or flavors?

This is because all of our meats are preserved using High Pressure Processing (HPP), a cutting-edge, USDA-approved, all-natural process that doesn’t require preservatives. Instead, intense cold water pressure protects food against bacteria, while maintaining freshness and enhancing flavor.

Our Deli Sandwich Meats are also low in fat and trans fat free, with no added nitrites or nitrates and no MSG. These meats are also gluten free.

This is the only variety I've tried. Admittedly, I'm the world's only Jew who doesn't know from deli, but I find it to be yummy---

[Pete C]

Tasty Bite Indian food
Progresso Pasta e Fagioli

[Ron Thorne]

All of Amy's products are terrific, taste great, and are pure. It's a family-owned and operated business, since 1987. We always have some Amy's natural or organic products in our house. Their frozen dinners are really excellent. They're not cheap, but they're a good value since the ingredients are pure. The product line has really grown in recent years.

The meatless meatloaf (Veggie Loaf) is a killer! Unbelievable texture and wonderful flavor. Very pure, too. Also, the Vegetable Lasagne is really amazing, as are the Indian dishes.



Amy's great foods will be found in the health/natural food section of your market.

I have never eaten anything made by Amy's kitchen that I didn't enjoy. It's not bland, even though it's very pure and healthy. That's certainly not the case much of the time, at least not in my experience.

Everything in their product line is vegetarian. They also have a gluten-free group of offerings. Patti & I are not vegetarians, yet we love these products and have used them for many years.



They also offer 8 different Veggie Burger choices and 16 Pizzas. And, 17 varieties of Burritos & Wraps. This is one of my favorites.



Another ...



Check out Amy's website and take a look at their Family Story and see their extensive product line. Click below.


Amy's Kitchen

[Mike Schwartz]

Off to the penalty box Ron, OR the new favorite condiments thread

[Ron Thorne]

Oops. Sorry, I didn't see the condiments thread.

I've moved it and I'm contrite.

[Ron Thorne]

Tasty Bite Indian food
Progresso Pasta e Fagioli

Pete, I agree that Tasty Bite has some very tasty offerings, but we've noticed that there is a wide discrepancy among their products in terms of levels of Sodium and Saturated Fat, for instance. You really need to look at the labels very carefully.

This very yummy entree, for example, is very high in fat.

[ran]

I'm not really into any frozen type of food(s). But I recently came upon a childhood favorite. The frozen Chicken Pot Pie , from Stoffers. So I got a couple of them and the first time I looked behind the box on how to prepare them , I saw the micro way and the oven way. For what ever reason I don't like my food zapped , so if given the choice , I'll always put it into the oven , knowing that it will take longer.

Having had that extra time while it's in the oven gave me a chance to read the other part of the box. 650 fucking calories , almost put me into coma just reading it. I had two and ate the one , it was really , really fucking good.

[Jimmy Cantiello]

Ran, can I have the other one?

[Jimmy Cantiello]

Btw, whenever I buy prepared foods, which isn't very often, I don't ever worry about sodium, chemicals or preservatives, etc. I go with it and embrace the wonderfully unhealthiness but totally deliciousness of what I'm about to experience.

[Valerie]

Trader Joe's has tons of good frozen food!

[hornplayer]

I've tried just about all these things once, and having done so, have never eaten them again.

Recently discovered DoCanto's Best Burgers -- an all veggie burger with only good things in them that actually not only taste GOOD but also has the right texture of a hamburger. I do have a box of them in the freezer. The real though, is I'd rather just come home and have a scrambled egg when I don't feel like cooking.

[Dr Dave]

Peanut butter.

[Mike Schwartz]

Peanut butter.

Prefer these.....get PB once in a while but not often

[Dr Dave]

Prefer these.....get PB once in a while but not often

Never seen sunflower seen butter. I'll look...

[steve(thelil)]

Oh, thanks for your help. Next time I want a quick, easy meal, I'm definitely making it Sun Flour Seed Butter.

[Mike Schwartz]

Oh, thanks for your help. Next time I want a quick, easy meal, I'm definitely making it Sun Flour Seed Butter.

Cashew is the bomb too!
Adds a nice twist to the decades of PB.

[clinthopson]

Itralian yellow fin tuna in olive oil - it actually tastes like tuna
Trader Joe's green olive tapenade, crunchy salted p-nut butter (Donna likes the Almond one), fresh berry preserves
King Oscar teeny sardines
Superior Markets home style tortilla chips - beats the hell out of all the rest
Wagner's shortbread cookies

And, of course

Tullamore Dew

[Mike Schwartz]

Don't trust and don't buy canned meats.
These are usually in the pantry along with sardines.

[Jimmy Cantiello]

Don't trust and don't buy canned meats.
These are usually in the pantry along with sardines.

Mike, certain types of meat are hard to find fresh. Just sayin'.

[mjb]

Not sure if these fit here but they do somewhere

[Mike Schwartz]

Mike, certain types of meat are hard to find fresh. Just sayin'.

Don't get between Jimmy and a meal, even if it snuffs out a child's dreams

[Ron Thorne]

mjb,I love Claussen Kosher Dill Pickles, too! In fact, I'm having one with my lunch, along with some DeLallo Pepperoncini.

[jaz4life]

Bubba's Pickles in the refrigerated section.

Trader Joe's Frozen Pork Pot Stickers, (good with a sauce of soy sauce & honey). Yum. I brown them in alittle olive oil & then steam them for a few minutes...