Hormel Compleats Cafe Creations Spicy Ginger Chicken

Distributed By:  Hormel Foods, LLC

Required to Prepare:  Microwave

280 calories per package

 This shelf-stable meal had been lingering in the cabinet for a while, so when I wanted a small lunch yesterday before my shopping trip, I decided it was time to use it.  These shelf-stable "Compleats" meals do have the advantage of being extremely convenient, with their very short microwave time (as they are being heated from room temperature instead of from frozen).  One minute in the microwave plus a one-minute stand time, and my small, quick and convenient lunch is ready to eat!

The flavor is a bit different than I had expected based on the name; the sauce is very rich, almost with a tomato-beef-stock flavor (although I don't think there is actually any tomatoes or beef in it).  The spice was noticeable but not overwhelming, which is to be expected for a mainstream product such as this.  The ginger, which I expected to be the top note in a light and crisp Thai-style flavor, instead becomes the base note in a deep and rich sauce.  Naturally the noodles are quite a bit softer than "al-dente," being in essence a canned pasta product, but I have to say I don't mind soft pasta in this context--I think it all comes together nicely, expecially with the water-chestnuts for a crispy textural aside.

I notice, though, that on the Hormel Compleats web page, this product is not listed anymore.  I think that's kind of a shame, as I rather liked it.  I don't imagine I could have singlehandedly "saved" the flavor from extinction, but if I had eaten it sooner, I might have at least been able to buy a couple more before they went away.

Now, it seems the only thing I can do is give it a posthumous happy-face. :)

Hormel Compleats Turkey & Dressing

Made By:  Hormel Foods
Tools Required:  Microwave, sharp object
290 calories per package

Rating:  :\

(Available online through Amazon.com)

Today my sweetie and I are having an extra-convenient lunch because we are caring for a new puppy!  We have added an eight-week-old German Shepherd to our family.  So far, we have enjoyed the two varieties of these Hormel Compleats meals we have tried; let's see if the third one follows the trend.

The preparation is exactly the same as the other Compleats meals, but I will repeat it here for convenience:  we remove the paperboard overwrap, poke holes in the film or otherwise make a steam vent, microwave for 90 seconds, then let stand for one minute. 

Upon removing the film, we are greeted with two discs of turkey meat on top of an oblong cake of dressing, with the balance of the tray filled with gravy.  I note that this one shares the unphotogenic qualities of the Roast Beef meal, so I moved the meat to one side and tried to stir up some of the dressing for a more representative picture.  The meat doesn't really seem like 'real' roast turkey (as if the shape didn't give that away), the texture is fairly soft--it's basically that chopped-and-formed turkey loaf product that gets served in school cafeterias around Thanksgiving.  The dressing does have some chunks of celery in it, but is otherwise pretty bland and uninteresting, and the gravy is of the 'canned' variety.

Probably about the most positive thing I can say about this meal is that it was fairly easy to eat with chopsticks.  The flavor wasn't awful, but I don't know too many people who get excited about lunchroom fare.  It just seems so much more plain and processed than the other Compleats meals I've reviewed, that I'm going to have to call this one a letdown.  :\

Hormel Compleats Roast Beef & Gravy

Made By:  Hormel Foods
Tools Required:  Microwave, Sharp object
220 calories per package

Rating:  :)

(Available online through Amazon.com)

Okay, I found something that is probably even more all-American than Roast Chicken Yakisoba--meat and potatoes!  Today I am going to try this Hormel Compleats Roast Beef & Gravy entrée.  The other Hormel Compleats meal I reviewed turned out to be pretty good, so I am interested to see if we can make it a trend.

Preparation consists of taking off the cardboard overwrap, poking some vent holes in the top film of the tray with our handy paring knife, and then microwaving for 90 seconds.  It doesn't get too much easier than that!  Unless, of course, you didn't bring a sharp knife... but even then, I imagine you could peel up the corner of the film instead and be just fine.  I give mine the optional one-minute rest time in the microwave, because I hate cold spots in my potatoes, and then we rip off the film and get ready to eat!

Well, it doesn't exactly photograph that well, but it did look okay in person.  Inside the tray, we find a couple of thin (1/8" or so) slices of beef on a bed of mashed potatoes, covered with enough beef gravy to finish filling the tray.  The meat has a surprisingly good texture; it is firm to the bite, yet tender and marbled well enough to separate easily.  The gravy has a nice homestyle flavor, better than most canned brown gravies; it tastes like a pan gravy you might make from roast beef drippings.  The potatoes are nicely firm as well, and  the flavor is nice; mixed with the gravy, they have that "pot-roasted" beefy flavor as if the potatoes were really cooked alongside the beef in your oven.

I thought this was quite good!  Hormel is two-for-two now; I am coming away with the impression that these Compleats meals are fairly high-quality convenience products.  They'll never replace instant noodles, of course, but this one has my recommendation.  :)

Hormel Compleats Chicken Alfredo

Made By:  Hormel Foods (USA)

Tools Required:  Microwave, Sharp object

Light Meal Size (330 calories per package)

Rating:  :)

(available online through Amazon.com)

When I started this blog a few months ago, my intention was to just write reviews about instant noodles.  I really love ramen and I think it has an undeserved reputation as being unhealthy.  The thing is, I love a lot of different foods, and I love experimenting with new foods.  I also love to write, and I especially love to write about food.  So, I think it was a mistake to limit myself to just one category.  There will still be ramen reviews, of course, since I still love ramen, but there will be a wide range of other things as well.  I guess that makes the blog name sort of a misnomer, but I am okay with that.

Anyway, today I am trying one of these shelf-stable Compleats meals from Hormel; I like the idea of a convenience lunch that doesn't need to be kept frozen (one of the many reasons I like ramen for lunch, too).  At first, the idea of 'fresh' chicken in a shelf-stable product felt a bit odd, but then I reasoned that if the same stuff were in a can instead of a vacuum-sealed plastic dish no-one would give it a second thought.

Because we are heating from room temperature, preparation is very quick, too; we cut a few vent holes in the film with a sharp knife, and then microwave for 90 seconds.  The film is a bit stubborn but I finally do get it peeled off, then after a quick stir just to make sure everything is mixed around well, I am ready to try it!

The pasta is a bit soft, but not bad considering this is pretty much a canned pasta product.  I was surprised that the chicken had a nice firm texture and grain, though; it seemed like pieces of actual chicken meat instead of the chopped-and-formed stuff.  The sauce has a nicely rich and creamy flavor, but it seems a little bit thin to me--a little too thick to call it a soup, but not thick enough to cling properly to the pasta and chicken.  I resorted to dipping my crackers in it to keep from wasting most of it; otherwise I think much of the sauce would have probably gotten left in the bottom of the bowl, even if I had been eating with a fork rather than my chopsticks.  Everything here is pretty well bite-size, though, so eating the whole meal with a spoon would certainly be an option.

Despite my slight dissatisfaction with the thickness of the sauce, though, this was a very pleasant meal, and I thought the portion size was reasonable for a lunch product.  It's nice to have another non-frozen option for a quick lunch!  I would have this again, and I will certainly be trying some of the other Compleats meals as well. :)