Boneless Pork Riblet Meal( by Banquet)

Banquet's Boneless Pork Riblet Meal is an excellent choice for those who are on a budget and aren't looking for ultra-spectacular frozen-dinner fare. However, care should be taken when purchasing this item. The casual consumer may be under the impression that the meal contains a serving of boneless pork 'riblets'. Careful examination of the box cover reveals that the 'riblets' are actually boneless rib-shaped pork patties. Since this fact is presented on the box cover as opposed to being buried within the ingredients listing on the back of the box, Banquet's honesty should be commended. In terms of taste, the boneless pork patty has some flavor and meatiness about it but hardly represents a culinary masterpiece. The ribs are served with mesquite-flavored barbecue sauce. Unfortunately the sauce fails to significantly liven-up or enrich the main entrée. The dinner also comes with corn, which seems to lack plumpness, and mashed potatoes, which lack fluffiness. As a whole, the meal may satisfy your hunger, but not your appetite.

Before I end this review, I must mention the images featured on the back of the meal's box. They are placed between Banquet's self-aggrandizing comments on the wholesomeness and righteousness of their meals. The captionless images invite the consumer to fill in the details of the depicted storyline. Image #1 features a man exiting his car. Presumably he is returning home from work or he is on a lunch break. Next, he is shown sitting at a table with a young woman. He seems to be focused on the task at hand which is carving up the meat of the Banquet meal.

The young woman appears to be enjoying his enthusiasm. The final image is a curious one. Evidently he has just placed a forkful of his Banquet meal into his mouth. This has perhaps given him a moment of ecstasy. I say this because of the fact that his eyes are closed and a look of extreme serenity is on his face. Usually, a person closes his/her eyes during acts of intimacy. Apparently I missed something when I consumed this meal.

Swiss Cheese, Baked Ham, and Broccoli Florets Topped with Potato Wedges( by Marie Callender)

Marie Callender offers a thoroughly satisfying meal, correction: feast, by way of Swiss cheese, baked ham, and broccoli florets topped with potato wedges. This meal follows the basic ‘meat and potatoes’ formula. It’s exceptional in that all of its ingredients are prepared to a level that nears culinary perfection. The baked potato wedges are exactly what they appear to be: baked potato wedges. They are not reconstituted and/or reshaped potato wedge approximations. However, they are smothered in a rich, creamy blanket of Swiss cheese. The cuts of ham are lean, well-prepared, and appropriately dispersed throughout the dish. No 'meat and potatoes' meal would be complete without a source of colorful roughage. Broccoli florets satisfy this requirement. Normally in my reviews I try to mention an entrée's weakpoints. In this case, I am at a loss for criticisms. This is a great meal!

Salisbury Steak Meal( by Banquet)

A modest meal at a modest price would be my best summation of Banquet's Salisbury Steak Meal. The meal centers around a well-prepared, roughly rectangular 'Salisbury steak' patty. I used half-quotes in the preceding description because although the dictionary tells us that "Salisbury steak" is a noun (originating from the 19^th century English dietitian, J. H. Salisbury) describing a hamburger patty of ground beef, broiled or fried and often served with sauce, Banquet's Salisbury steak is in fact a meat blend of beef and pork. Personally, I feel that labeling the meat as Salisbury steak is a bit of a stretch, but I guess a legal argument for its accuracy could be made. The patty's flavor is modest and non-overwhelming. A rich, mildly tangy, 'homestyle' gravy is served with the meat. It enhances the meat's taste but not its quality. Corn and mashed potatoes accompany the main entrée. In this meal, as I've found in other Banquet meals that contain corn and mashed potatoes, they lack fluffiness and plumpness. Although the offerings of this meal are not exceptional, you will get your money's worth from it.

Closing, I should note that apparently Banquet feels words alone are not enough to motivate the consumer to purchase its meals. On the back of the Salisbury steak meal's box, Banquet features a series of images depicting common, 'family-esque' scenes. The captionless images are open for interpretation by the consumer. Image #1 depicts what appears to be a man and his son returning from a baseball game. They seem to be in good spirits and are perhaps eagerly racing home to enjoy a Banquet meal.

The next image features them at a table being served Banquet meals by a third person. Glasses of milk and fresh fruit can be seen at the table. With the exception of bread, it seems as though they will enjoy food from all the necessary food groups. The father figure seems especially ecstatic about his meal. In the final image we see the son who has apparently just consumed a forkful of his Banquet meal. He seems to have thoroughly enjoyed his morsel. He's smiling to the point of showing teeth. Also his eyes are closed...a sign of ecstasy. The food must be good because observe the condition of his fork. It's clean. In fact it's polished. I would venture to guess that not even a single molecule of food remains on the fork. Now that's good eating!!

NOTE: The criticisms reflected on this page are those of the author. The sole purpose of this page is the expression of critical reviews of TV dinners.

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