Price: $1.00 (sale)
Serving: 1 package, 9.25 oz.
Calories: 230
Fat: 9%, 6g
Sodium: 42%, 990mg
Protein: 15g
Carbs: 10%, 30g
Fiber: 20%, 5g

Banquet says: Turkey (Mostly White Meat) and Gravey with Dressing, Mashed Potatoes and Peas

Nicole says: This will likely surprise those of you who know me: I was a REALLY picky eater as a child. This won’t surprise those who know that Salisbury steak and fish sticks remind me of my childhood: I was a hot lunch kid. I was not nearly as picky about hot lunches as I was about how I ate at home (sugar only). Hot lunch favorites included: festive holiday fare offerings of turkey with gravy, stuffing, and mashed potatoes; “Mexican pizza,” which looked disusting but was quite tasty (though I believe it was hexagonal); and steak subs (think Steak-Umms - with a sesame sub roll!)

Banquet’s Turkey Meal pales in comparison to the Anne Arundel county public school hot lunch version, but we are discussing a $1.00 meal. The only time hot lunch was cheaper than Banquet’s sale meals was 1986-1988, when I would hoard the dime change each day to save for a popsicle by the end of the week. Banquet’s first mistake is including the green peas instead of a nice, buttery golden corn side. I never liked peas, I refused to eat them as a child. I still don’t like them, but I do not refuse them now. But that doesn’t mean I’m happy to be eating them - I believe that all peas should be reserved for Mendelian experimentation. The readers will know I am the freak that LOVES Banquets mashed potatoes, another side on this meal - don’t knock it ’til you try it. Mashed potatoes are one of those things that your higher power made for the microwave. Creamy, buttery, starchy. The turkey has a lunch-meat like texture, and is not much thicker. The stuffing joins the turkey in a gravy marsh. Always a disappointment: the portion is very small and comes out of the microwave a bit dry. All of the gravy is required to soften it up. This means no gravy for your potatoes.

I will eat Banquet’s Turkey Meal again - come on, it’s one dollar! I’m not just a non-profit worker, but a college student! This is definitely superior to “Beef” flavored ramen. The portion, though, is small. I am looking forward to the day that Hell freezes over and Hungry Man meals go on sale.

Price: $1.00 (sale, of course)
Serving: 1 meal, 10 oz.
Calories: 370
Fat: 28%, 18g
Sodium: 31%, 750mg
Protein: 16g
Carbs: 12%, 37g
Fiber: 24%, 6g

Banquet says: Barbecue Sauce and Rib Shaped Patty with Mashed Potatoes and Corn

Nicole says: As always, Banquet’s mashed potatoes are starchy, buttery, and reasonably smooth and creamy. The corn ended up a bit overcooked, but it was still flavorful, though a bit dry. The boneless pork rib “SHAPED MEAT PATTY” was smothered in plenty of rib sauce. The texture was very strange. Lean, grainy. Like fake meat.

Being an omnivore, I always look at the vegetarian fake meat at the store with disdain. I may have to second guess this, though I’ve yet to decide. What is less appropriate: non-meat shaped into meat, or meat shaped into another style of meat? Please vote in the comments section.

Overall this meal was not bad, though I’d prefer Salisbury Steak any day - the texture is much more natural, at least to me. Nothing in this meal tasted bad. It was a bit small as the $1 sale Banquet meals always are, but aside from the freaky texture, absolutely edible.

P.S. Abi was offered a bite but refused to taste the shaped meat patty out of fear.

Price: $1.00 (on sale)
Serving: 1 meal, 12 oz.
Calories: 400
Fat: 17%, 11g
Sodium: 40%, 990mg
Carbs: 20%, 59g
Fiber: 16%, 4g
Protein: 16g

Banquet says: Macaroni and Rich Cheddar Cheese Sauce.

Amy says: I got this frozen meal because the price was right. Abi and I had stopped by Safeway to see if they had the elusive Amy’s Pesto Bowl and I stumbled onto the Banquet 10 for $10 sale. I figured that even if it was terrible and I threw it away it was only $1. The directions tell you to heat, mix and then heat again. As I took the mac and cheese out to stir it several things went through my head; these things included, but were not limited to “Gross”, “I can’t believe I am going to eat this” and “Well, I did pay a dollar for it”. While waiting for it to heat, I noticed that this product seemed to have only one ingredient, salt. It is 40% of your sodium intake for the day. Upon reading this, I said out loud to the microwave and its contents “Holy crap”. And then the microwave beeped and it was time to eat.

I must say that it still looked rather unappealing when it first came out of the microwave, but after letting it sit for the prescribed 2 minutes it was more tantalizing. The first bite tasted like nothing, but the second bite was not too shabby. Yes, the noodles were a bit soggy, but the overall flavor was pretty cheesy. It was rather filling as well. I would think twice before buying this meal again due to the sodium, but it is not too shabby for the cost. What else can you say about $1.00 macaroni and cheese? My answer to this question is nothing.

Conversation at Abi’s house:

“Hey, let’s have that fish for dinner.”
“Wait, we have chicken strips!”
“Those aren’t chicken strips. That’s a frozen meal.”
“No, these are chicken strips.”
“Let me see the box.”
“Oh, they are just chicken strips.”
“That’s what I’ve been saying.”
“I feel ripped off.”
“But this is a whole box of chicken strips!”
“I was looking forward to the waffle-cut fries.”

Please note the size of the tenders in the picture. Banquet chicken breast tenders are actually about the size of my thumb. They are small and made of processed and reformed chicken meat. Yes, it is white meat. No, they are not good for you. And no, this is not a lunch.

That said, this deceptive meat deserves four stars. Not four stars on the chicken continuum, but four stars as a frozen item.