Marie Callender’s Country Fried Chicken and Gravy

December 19, 2006 | Reviewer: Nicole

Marie Callender's Country Fried Chicken and Gravy

Price: $2.00 (sale at Giant)
Serving: 1 meal, 16 oz.
Calories: 500
Fat: 32%, 21g
Sodium: 66%, 1590mg
Protein: 24g
Carbs: 17%, 52g
Fiber: 28%, 7g

Marie says: At Marie Callender’s, our classic country fried chicken is always served with homestyle gravy, corn on the cob, and greamy mashed potatoes made with real butter.

Nicole says: Preparation of this meals was rather labor intensive. You know how you usually return to your desk if a meal needs to cook for more than 3 or 4 minutes? This needs to cook for 6 1/2 minimum, but you can’t leave. You are locked to the microwave. First, you separate the gravy packet from the meal and slit the top, then you have remove the chicken from the heating tray. Finally it is time to cook - corn and taters only, for 3 minutes. Then you replace the chicken, put the slit gravy packet in a separate bowl, and heat for an additional 3 1/2 to 4 minutes. Bah humbug. A two-dish microwavable meal??

However, it is awesome that you get to spread your hot gravy over the chicken patty and mashed potatoes at your discretion - there is a sufficient amount for both, and gravy lovers like me will want to use it all.

The corn is a bit dry but buttery and sweet. The mashed potatoes are definitely “Inspired by Grandma” in the sense that they are not as smooth as most - a bit of chunkiness means homemade. The chicken breading is a bit too moist and soggy and peels off easily, but it still has an acceptable texture. The chicken tastes like…chicken. The gravy - yum. It’s lightly spiced with pepper and definitely makes the flavor for the chicken and mashed potatoes. I can’t say they’d be completely bland without, but they are YUMMY with.

This meals was a tasty, reasonably filling deal for $2.50. I rarely feel this way immediately after eating a frozen meal, but I really wish I had bought more of this one while they were on sale. I will certainly be on the lookout. 66% RDA of sodium may be a bit much for someone trying to be healthy, but if you’re looking for a good size (but not too big) and tasty lunch (or dinner - maybe add a roll?), I recommend Marie Callender’s Country Fried Chicken and Gravy.

comments

4 Responses to “Marie Callender’s Country Fried Chicken and Gravy”

MaryAnne on December 19th, 2006

I’m glad your review is positive because the photo isâ€¦ less than appealing. I wonder if it is possible to make frozen fried chicken crisp. I would definitely deduct a star for the complicated microwave heating process. Isn’t the point of frozen meals to make things easier? In that time I could have cooked a piece of chicken, microwaved some frozen corn, made a baked potato AND it would be fresh and not covered in goo. That’s right, I said goo. Also, it wouldn’t be made entirely from salt.

I must say, even if you aren’t watching your health, you still shouldn’t be ingesting an entire drum of salt (this goes for you too Hungry Man!). It’s kind of like how you shouldn’t eat a stick of butter for breakfast or drive without a seatbelt or lick a public toiletâ€¦. For the life of me, I can’t figure out what all that salt is doing in there. I understand preservation, but how come other meals can have less salt?

My grandmother ate these “meals” for years and now she has a pacemaker. Mmhmm. Proves my point, right?
Abi Jones on December 19th, 2006

Keep in mind that Nicole is a gravy-lover. I am a gravy-hater. Looking at the photo above makes me shudder.
Colleen on December 20th, 2006

That is indeed a gravy parade.

I’m impressed with the caloric numbers though. Thats a huge 16 oz meal there, it looks humongous, and maintains 500 calories. For that portion of food, its the on around the same calorie-per-oz scale as lean cuisine. 7 grams of fiber is nice too.
But as was mentioned, that sodium is out of this world. I want to know too why it is that these frozen meal companies are going nuts with the salt shaker.
Stouffer's Country Fried Beef Steak | HeatEatReview.com on June 27th, 2007

[…] interested in other breaded and fried and then microwaved items, check out Nicole’s review of Marie Callender’s Country Fried Chicken and Gravy. […]