I Had To Tell Somebody- Banquet

[Zee09]

Originally Posted By: PimTac
Every family experiments with a good or a brand.

Anyone here old enough to have eaten Chun King chow mein with the two cans taped together? Or the all time classic, Franco American spaghetti in a can?

Some things are better left on the grocery shelf. Potted meat anyone?


Yeah I'm as old as dirt. I remember that stuff. I ate it. Spam-yuck!!!
The Franco stuff was nasty. But Banquet historically made the worst of the worst.
Chunky soup used to be good but now it is horrible. Maybe it's old age???

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Originally Posted By: Kira
I'll TOTALLY try that burrito you mentioned.


It’s all about the place. I’ve had some places load one side up with rice and steak, while the other side was filled with sour cream and everything else. I haven’t had this problem often, luckily, but it definitely puts a damper on my cheat night!

I also like the grilled stuffed burritos.

The chicken soft tacos are also good.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted By: Zee09
Originally Posted By: PimTac
Every family experiments with a good or a brand.

Anyone here old enough to have eaten Chun King chow mein with the two cans taped together? Or the all time classic, Franco American spaghetti in a can?

Some things are better left on the grocery shelf. Potted meat anyone?


Yeah I'm as old as dirt. I remember that stuff. I ate it. Spam-yuck!!!
The Franco stuff was nasty. But Banquet historically made the worst of the worst.
Chunky soup used to be good but now it is horrible. Maybe it's old age???



I was around before Chunky soup. At that time Campbell’s didn’t have all those varieties of condensed soups.


On the other hand, some things were good. The original Cup of Noodles that had meat and egg in it besides the vegetables. Cheap too. Or there was the Swanson’s TV frozen dinners with aluminum trays and foil. Dessert was interesting.

And of course, Jiffy Pop. As fun to make as it is to eat. It was gawd awful popcorn.

 

[aquariuscsm]

The reviews are hilarious!

 

[Fsharp]

I had a Hungry Man dinner recently and it was pretty good. A couple pieces of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, and a brownie. A little salt and pepper and it was definitely edible.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: PimTac
Or there was the Swanson’s TV frozen dinners with aluminum trays and foil. Dessert was interesting.


Remember the ones that had the little brownie? That was the best part of the meal!

 

[aquariuscsm]

Spaghettios with meatballs are awesome!

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: Kira
But, every once in a while you find yourself in Nowhere'sville, USA and a open fast food joint is a gift from God.


Hey, you know the rules, no religion!

Although saying a gift from the corporate bigwigs that decide on fast food locations doesn't really roll off the tongue.

 

[andyd]

Down on Pearl st in the Financial District used to be the Liberty Diner . A breakfast and lunch place. Worked 5AM - 2 pm. Before the guy left. he put 4 turkeys in to roast. You could get sausage and bacon eggs and home fries. Everything else was turkey dinners or some other iteration of turkey. The line was often to High st if you got there late. Long gone along with the whole block now.

 

[Quattro Pete]

I think I developed high blood pressure from eating all those Hungry Man dinners back in the day. They used to have 2000+ mg of sodium back then.

 

[9050lx]

Used to make a sandwich with the Banquet salisbury steak (and gravy in the pouches). I loved those things as a kid, but then I also loved fried bologna sandwiches.

 

[Toy4x4]

Chef Boyardee Raviolis were the go to thing as a kid when on road trips or getting firewood. Tried a can a few years ago for the heck of it and had to have a few Tums for dessert.

 

[gman2304]

Originally Posted By: 9050lx
Used to make a sandwich with the Banquet salisbury steak (and gravy in the pouches). I loved those things as a kid, but then I also loved fried bologna sandwiches.
. I must admit that I still like a fried bologna sandwich occasionally. Burnt around the edges with a slice of tomato from the garden with mayo on toast.

 

[WiskyBadger]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Originally Posted By: Kira
I'll TOTALLY try that burrito you mentioned.


It’s all about the place. I’ve had some places load one side up with rice and steak, while the other side was filled with sour cream and everything else. I haven’t had this problem often, luckily, but it definitely puts a damper on my cheat night!

I also like the grilled stuffed burritos.

The chicken soft tacos are also good.

Beefy Mini quesadillas are where it’s at. They’re like a dollar and I love them.

 

[JustinH]

HEB has a rotisserie chicken for $7.

Sams club or Costco both have even better ones for $6 I think.

I get one about once a week for a Lazy dinner, and serve it with a tossed salad or microwaved vegetable.

Not a fan of TV dinners.

 

[daves87rs]

Man, those are nasty...

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: Kira
The true irony is that this kind of chow is quite affordable.

Taco Pronto was a stand alone Mexican place on Albany, NY's Western Avenue which was AAA+.
Fresh, honest ingredients.

Another joint was "Chicken Ranch" in NYC. They made sandwiches and salads. So singular their dozen stores were.
'Twas so easy to communicate and get your money's worth. Honest. They folded.



We try to go to local places when we can. If we share a meal, it’s really not that much more than fast food, AND it’s more of an appropriate, healthy portion. Ok, maybe the fried taquitos aren’t any healthier, but you know what I mean.

A couple of FANTASTIC places (I’m talking restaurants now, not sandwich shops, although they are reasonably-priced) have folded recently. One German place had literally the best breakfast I’ve ever had in my entire life. I’m a bit of a pessimist and usually find at least something wrong with each meal, but this place blew me away, especially for the price! The cost was average for one meal, but the leftovers were good for another two! We planned to go again a couple of weeks later, on a whim, and it was shut down!

Major bummer. I wonder if we should have gone more often (not likely, since we cook fresh meals at home - cheap!) or if they could have charged more (or reduced portion sizes) to stay afloat. I never did look it up, so maybe they chose to close down (also unlikely).

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
I think I developed high blood pressure from eating all those Hungry Man dinners back in the day. They used to have 2000+ mg of sodium back then.


They still do!

The only frozen dinners that are mildly tasty and won't kill you with sodium and preservatives are Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice. I'm guilty as charged for eating a lot of those two during the week for lunch since I can get them for $1.99 on sale. It's better than any fast food, that is for sure.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: JustinH
HEB has a rotisserie chicken for $7.

Sams club or Costco both have even better ones for $6 I think.

I get one about once a week for a Lazy dinner, and serve it with a tossed salad or microwaved vegetable.

Not a fan of TV dinners.


The Rotisserie must be a lost leader or at cost option. They're $4.99 at both Costco and BJ's and I believe they're 3 pound chickens. If you look at the ones the regular supermarkets sell for $6.99 or $8.99, they're more like 2 pounds or under.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359
The Rotisserie must be a lost leader or at cost option. They're $4.99 at both Costco and BJ's and I believe they're 3 pound chickens. If you look at the ones the regular supermarkets sell for $6.99 or $8.99, they're more like 2 pounds or under.
And I prefer the smaller ones. The bigger ones typically have a lot more fat on them which I end up tossing.