SRP: $3.19
Serving: 1/2 tray, 6 oz.
Calories: 240
Fat: 22%, 14g
Sodium: 21%, 500mg
Protein: 11g
Carbs: 5%, 16g
Fiber: 12%, 3g

Michael Angelo says: Eggplant Parmesan is one of our family’s favorites - we’re confident you will find our signature dish better than your favorite restaurant’s version. We start with our specially grown variety of farm-fresh eggplant that is delivered to us daily. We add layers of premium mozzarella, our traditional tomato sauce made from sun-ripened tomatoes, imported olive oil and Italian spices and top it all off with a blend of imported Romano and Parmesan.

Abi says: Today, while miserably cold, is the perfect day for Eggplant Parmesan. Michael Angelo’s claims that their Eggplant Parmesan will be “better than your favorite restaurant’s version”. What kind of frozen meal company claims that some deep-fried eggplant is going to be better out of the microwave than in a restaurant? That’s some serious crazy talk. This eggplant parm contains a ridiculous amount of breading (what’s the point? it isn’t crispy) and a tomato sauce that could be described only as ‘needing spices’ but at least it taste like real tomatoes. Oh, and the serving size is half a tray. Yeah, as though 6 ounces could be considered a ’serving’ of lunch. None of these put-downs explain why I keep buying this meal (yes, with my own money) instead of ordering eggplant parmesan from my favorite restaurant.

Well, this stuff is pretty cheap. You can’t get eggplant parmesan in DC for less than ten dollars. Plus a 10% dining out tax and a tip for the waiter or waitress. I buy these on sale for just $2.50 and stock my freezer with plenty of cold-weather deliciousness. Also on the plus side, there’s a lot of cheese in this meal, enough that I can overlook the horrible nutritional statistics (just double all of the numbers up there) and pretend that the numbers refer to the entire (small) tray. Sometimes you just need to relax in the embrace of a piping hot lunch and ignore nutrition. After all, it is April and you’re wearing a sweater; nobody’s checking out your upper-arm definition.

This meal was sent to HeatEatReview by the folks at Michael Angelo’s. We received a free meal, but no compensation for this review.

Price: $4.19
Serving: 1 tray, 10 oz.
Calories: 390
Fat: 20%, 13g
Sodium: 20%, 490mg
Carbs: 14%, 43g
Fiber: 9%, 2g
Protein: 24g

Michael Angelo says: This delicious sauce combines a generous amount of high quality Asiago and Reggiano Parmesan cheeses, fresh garlic and onions and a touch of basil. We add beautifully seasoned and roasted chicken breast cut into hearty sized strips, toss it with our ‘al dente’ linguini pasta and top it all with red and green bell peppers.

Abi says: While Michael Angelo continues to deliver satisfyingly cheesy sauces, you can’t help but wonder who is sourcing the chicken. In every meal I am confronted by dry, mealy ‘hearty sized strips’ of chicken breast. Sure, there was plenty of chicken to go around in this meal, but I couldn’t help wishing that the chef had reduced the cook time considerably. Remember, these are meals that have already been cooked. We’re just reheating, Mr. Angelo.

The red and green bell peppers were more of a garnish than an ingredient. Yes, I was warned, but while stirring the meal I couldn’t help but think to myself ‘Well, it looks like there’s a shard of green pepper in there.’ Shard+Food=Bad. If you’re looking for a balanced meal of pasta, sauce, protein, and veggies, you’ve come to the wrong place. The sauce shows off Michael’s deft hand with a cheese grater and leaves you wondering just how fat you’d get if you ate these every day.

Chicken aside, Michael Angelo’s Asiago sauce was indulgent and is probably habit-forming. At $4.19 per box, I’ll probably limit these meals to once a month.