Guest Reviewers

The guest reviewers at HeatEatReview.com are usually one-time review volunteers.

Latest Reviews by Guest Reviewers:

Starkist Tuna Lunch Pack

July 20, 2006 | Reviewer: Guest Reviewers

Starkist Tuna Lunch Pack

Elizabeth says:I am not a fan of mayonnaise, particularly after watching my students pump it onto their hamburger buns in huge disgusting globs. However, when it comes to tuna salad kits, the mayonnaise and relish are quite tasty.

I like these kits because they travel well. Recently, I threw the kit into my bag for a trip to New York and made it my dinner at the airport. Complete with plastic case, can of tuna, spoon, and packets of mayo/relish, it’s easy to mix and serve on the 6 crackers provided.

Caveats: I never want to eat this ON the plane because the scent may be strong for people. Also, I could do with more napkins for this concoction. That said, it’s an easy, quick, and cheap meal on the go.

Filed Under Fish, Four Stars, StarKist Tuna Reviews | 2 Comments

Stouffer’s Corner Bistro Garlic Chicken Pasta

July 17, 2006 | Reviewer: Guest Reviewers

Unlike most frozen meals that promise asparagus and fail to deliver, this one had plenty of tasty spears…

Stouffer's Corner Bistro Garlic Chicken Pasta

Price: $2.89
Serving: 1 meal, 12 oz.
Calories: 340
Fat: 12%, 8g
Sodium: 41%, 1000mg
Protein: 25g
Carbs: 14%, 43g
Fiber: 20%, 5g

Stouffer’s says: Tender strips of seasoned grilled white meat chicken tossed with bow tie pasta, asparagus, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes, topped with a creamy roasted garlic sauce.

Veda says: I was pleasantly surprised to find that this meal lived up to the picture. The chicken was moist and well-seasoned and pasta was al dente. Unlike most frozen meals that promise asparagus and fail to deliver, this one had plenty of tasty spears. With no shortage on garlic or sun-dried tomatoes, I found myself pleasantly full at the end of the meal. Good job, Stouffer’s. If I had one request it would be the same as my usual request to Stouffer’s: Less salt, please.

Filed Under Chicken, Four Stars, Pasta, Stouffer's Frozen Meal Reviews | 4 Comments

Lean Cuisine Three Cheese Stuffed Rigatoni

July 10, 2006 | Reviewer: Guest Reviewers

As someone who is on Weight Watchers, I put a lot of thought (read: A LOT OF THOUGHT) into my food choices. Points dominate my daily existence so I am always looking for maximum satisfaction for minimum points…

Lean Cuisine Three Cheese Stuffed Rigatoni

Price: $2.25 (on sale 4 for $9 at Harris Teeter)
Calories: 240
Fat: 9%, 6g
Fiber: 16%, 4g
Sodium: 26%, 660mg
WW Points: 4 or 5*

*Iâ€™m counting it as 5 WW points but the box says 4â€¦more later

Lean Cuisine says:Stuffed rigatoni pasta filled with a creamy blend of ricotta, romano and mozzerella cheeses tossed with orange and yellow carrots, zucchini and red peppers in a fire roasted tomato sauce with accents of oregano and basil.

Gwen says: As someone who is on Weight Watchers, I put a lot of thought (read: A LOT OF THOUGHT) into my food choices. Points dominate my daily existence so I am always looking for maximum satisfaction for minimum points. This can be a hard find with many frozen meals, but I think Iâ€™ve found a winner with Lean Cuisineâ€™s Three Cheese Stuffed Rigatoni bowl. First, Iâ€™ve never heard of a yellow carrot: I thought they were yellow peppers until I read the box. Regardless of that vegetable image discrepancy they tasted great and on a whole, the vegetable to bowl ratio was impressive. There were a great deal of carrots and peppers, a little less zucchini but still a happy serving. They werenâ€™t mushy and didn’t taste like they were picked ages ago. These veggies maintained some enjoyably fresh crispness. Sometimes frozen meal vegetables become lost in the sauce, but that was not the case with this meal. I couldnâ€™t pick out the special fire roasted taste of the sauce, but it served its purpose in the meal. The stuffed rigatoni, which was essentially ravioli, was plentiful (for a microwave lunch bowl) and the three cheese blend inside each rigatoni was not soggy or waterlogged but tasty, I could even differentiate between the three cheeses. Overall I am very pleased with this meal choice and will continue to throw it into the meal rotation (this is my second time eating the meal and it was equally satisfying last time.)

A note to WW participants: Lean Cuisine includes information for the Weight Watchers Winning Points program on their boxes, however that is not the current program being marketed at Weight Watcher meetings or online. Now the program is called TurnAround Points. I donâ€™t know if it really changed anything, but according to my points finder slide, this meal is on the line between 4 and 5 points, so I go up for the sake of a little overestimating is better than underestimating. But still, for 5 points for a filling frozen meal, I am happy.

Filed Under 4 WW Points, 5 WW Points, Five Stars, Lean Cuisine Reviews, Vegetarian | 16 Comments

Red Baron Deep Dish Single Cheese Pizza

July 5, 2006 | Reviewer: Guest Reviewers

As a lover of pepperoni and sausage it’s not clear why I had a plain cheese pizza in the freezer. Unfortunately, few palatable alternatives existed and cooking a hot meal for one person seemed laborious.

Red Baron Deep Dish Single Cheese Pizza

Price: $2.50 (sale, of course)
Serving: 1 pizza, 6 oz.
Calories: 410
Fat: 27%, 18g
Sodium: 34%, 830mg
Protein: 18g
Carbs: 15%, 45g
Fiber: 10%, 2g

Red Baron says: Now you can get the delicious, premium quality taste of Red Baron from our Deep Dish Singles®. Try all of our varieties: Four Cheese, Special Deluxe, Sausage, Pepperoni, Supreme, Meat Trio, and Vegetable Supreme. They are great as a snack or as a quick meal on the go.

George says: As a lover of pepperoni and sausage it’s not clear why I had a plain cheese pizza in the freezer. Unfortunately, few palatable alternatives existed and cooking a hot meal for one person seemed laborious. A Red Baron Deep Dish Single makes a satisfying small lunch or large snack. Reminiscent of pizzas served at middle school cafeterias throughout the U.S., this thicker, more substantial cousin is characterized by plain sauce but tasty cheese. The silver-coated microwave trays ensure that the crust is crisp and help to melt the cheese at the center of the pizza - the ultimate challenge for any microwaveable pie. Even so, the cheese that oozed over the edges of the pizza became hardened relative to the soupy core. By nature, a deep dish pizza remains hot for quite some time, so it advisable to let it cool for several minutes before consuming (as my burnt taste buds can attest). Overall I was pleased with the substantial amount of cheese, a frequent shortcoming of frozen pizzas, and despite the absence of toppings it is a very good value.

As I enjoyed the last few bites of my pizza, Abi approached me with a cold stare. I knew immediately the sin of which I was guilty and the heavy price I would pay. Since the onset of HeatEatReview, our freezer has been transformed from a home for ice cream and ice cubes to a Mecca of frozen meals. Like a serf picking from the lord’s garden, I had unwittingly eaten Abi’s food and have been indentured to write this review.

Other pizza reviews:
Healthy Choice Cheese French Bread Pizza;
South Beach Four Cheese Pizza;
Lean Cuisine Margherita Pizza;
DiGiorno Microwave Rising Crust Supreme Pizza;
Safeway Mediterranean Mini Bistro Pizzas;
Healthy Choice Supreme French Bread Pizza; and
Ellio’s Cheese Pizza.