Campbell’s Chunky Soups make their first appearance on HeatEatReview.com. We’re kicking off with Rebecca’s review of Campbell’s Grilled Chicken and Sausage Gumbo and we’ll continue reviewing plenty of tasty soups as the weather cools here in DC.

Price: $1.58
Serving: 1 cup (half a can)
Calories: 140
Fat: 4%, 2.5g
Sodium: 35%, 850mg
Protein: 8g
Carbs: 7%, 21g
Fiber: 12%, 3g

Campbell’s says: A zesty gumbo loaded with chunks of grilled chicken, sausage and vegetables like celery, red and green peppers plus lots of rice in a savory seasoned broth.

Rebecca says: Gumbo may be the best soup ever. It has almost all of the major food groups: meat, vegetables (the word gumbo comes from the Gullah word for okra), rice and sausage. I try to eat gumbo that someone else is willing to make whenever possible because cookbooks make it sound really complicated. When I saw that Campbell’s offers me a ready-to-eat gumbo with a surprisingly low amount of fat (for a gumbo), I had to try it.

A good gumbo is more like a stew: with a hearty combination of rice, meat, chicken, etc. without too much broth. The Campbell’s version, however, is relatively brothy with maybe 20% more broth than I would like. When you get a spoonful of mostly broth, the “savory seasonings” of the broth are a little overwhelming and you’ll want to get another bite of rice in to erase the pseudo-spicy taste that screams “natural flavorings.”

Other than that, the portions are relatively good - there is a hearty amount of rice and enough okra to really be a gumbo without making you hate okra. There are also some red and green pepper bits (although I didn’t know what they were until I read the can). The chicken actually looks and tastes like chicken and is not too chewy (however, I think the grill marks on the side are ridiculous) and the sausage is decently flavorful, although also a bit chewy.

In response to the claim that Campbell’s Chunky Soup eats like a meal, it’s really only a meal if you eat the whole thing, which is two servings. An entire can is quite filling although you may want a slice of bread on the side to soak up some of the broth.

Next time, I may skim a little broth off the top before I heat it to subdue the excess flavorings and equalize the broth-substance proportions. Yes, there will be a next time. I love me some gumbo, even if it’s in a can.

Price: $2.00 (good sale at Safeway)
Serving: 1 pizza, 6 oz.
Calories: 370
Fat: 14%, 9g
Sodium: 25%, 590mg
Protein: 17g
Carbs: 18%, 55g
Fiber: 12%, 3g
WW Points: 8 Points
Diet Exchanges: 1 1/2 Medium Fat Meat, 3 Starch, 1 Vegetable

Lean Cuisine says: Pizzeria-style pizza with a crispy crust from the microwave, topped with a four cheese blend and spicy pepperoni,sausage,roasted bell peppers,onions,and mushrooms

Andrew says: The Lean Cuisine pizza is flavorful and healthy, a lunchtime delight. It will become a staple of my snack and lunch diet.

The top positive characteristic of the pizza is its crisp crust. The silver crisper (part of the packaging) has transformed what would be a cardboard-invoking texture of microwaveable pizza dough into something resembling freshly baked bread! The flavor of the pizza is also enhanced by the fresh and moist pepperoni.

And unlike other microwaveable pizzas, the cheese on this pizza maintains a consistency similar to that of freshly-made pizza. I’m impressed with a microwaveable pizza that can avoid the pitfalls of bad cheese.

Overall- a definite best bet for lunch. One note of caution: this pizza probably won’t provide enough sustenance for a dinner. It’s the portion equivalent of a slice and a half of real pizza (if that).

Oh Glorious Fat and Sodium! Nicole dives into a Boston Market Lasagna with Meat Sauce while the rest of us wonder why she hasn’t yet had a heart attack.

Price: $1.72 (sale, of course)
Serving: 1 package, 12.5 oz.
Calories: 500
Fat: 35%, 23g
Sodium: 54%, 1290mg
Protein: 22g
Carbs: 16%, 49g
Fiber: 17%, 4g

Boston Market says: We hand place fresh-made lasagna noodles into each tray, adding a meaty sauce along with real Ricotta, Mozzarella, Parmesan, & Romano Cheeses. A bit of smoked Provolone cheese is added for a special twist. An Italian favorite with a Boston Market® touch.

Nicole says: I am accustomed to insubstantial microwavable lasagna - a few pasta sheets, a bit of cheese, a few chucks of meat if you’re lucky, all floating in a pool of bland tomato sauce. Based on those previous experiences, I was prepared with both a fork and spoon to eat this meal. Shockingly, this lasagna is solid and thick enough that a knife would have been a better idea.

And the taste - oh glorious fat and sodium! Oh, my lovely cheese. As you all know, lasagna is Italian for “lots of cheese,” and Boston Market doesn’t skimp - a covering layer of mozzarella melted atop my lasagna, and a generous layer of ricotta et al between the four sheets of pasta. The meat chunks in the sauce are large, and though not particularly lean - a bit chewy even - and they are flavorful. The sauce is good and doesn’t interrupt the pleasure of lasagna consumption with sugaryness.

Yum, cheese…. yum, meat… yum, cheese… this meal is actually filling. And though I’m a little girl, I have a big appetite.

(I’d like to verify that yes, Nicole is rather petite. She is also a hungry person and she enjoys large meals. She stays small by expending energy via tottering around on too-high heels. -Ed.)

Suffice to say that I’m returning to Giant Foods ASAP to invest more money in this tasty, super cheap meal. And 500 calories! That’s an entire 27.4% of the calories yours truly is supposed to take in daily, all in one meal!

Cooking Note: The box recommended a cooking time of 5 minutes and 30 seconds. This produced a hot meal with some burning and/or hardening along one edge of the lasagna.

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.