Tag: dinner

Price: $1.50 at Grocery Outlet

Calories per can: 320

Sodium: 1350mg

9g of protein.

Does not require a can opener.

You know, the old man doesn’t necessarily love to support the meat industry, but times are tough and we work with what we get. That is simply the unfortunate truth of the matter. Chef Boyardee® Beef Ravioli in Pasta Sauce is a household name in the world of canned foods, and it certainly isn’t my first time diving into this can. However I have to say that this is my first time eating it after heating it up.

As I started my canned food journey a few weeks ago, I didn’t have the optimal strategy down yet. I would go to the store and look for cans that had a poppable top to them, as I didn’t have a can opener at the time. I would grab a bagel and a can of the ravioli, head over to the local park and eat the room temperature raviolis. This did not really motivate me to continue the journey, I knew something needed to change.

Fast forward to this week, I get my cans at Grocery Outlet in advance, and this allows me to heat them up at work in the microwave using our hot water cups. Gotta save money somewhere, and I’m certainly not going to buy bowls.

Anyway, where was I?

This is a classic canned food and you immediately get that distinct tomato sauce smell as you open the can, it’s quite pleasant. The contents were a bit of a hassle to pour out due to the thicker nature of the sauce as can be seen in the images above.The raviolis themselves have a bit of a soft mushy texture to them, but when it’s heated up, it feels more like a melt in your mouth type of beat. I actually think it works well that they are soft.

The sauce itself is decent, it has a nice creaminess, tastes like a tomato sauce, but it feels like adding a few more Italian spices could go a long way here. The saltiness of the ravioli makes up for this blandness when paired together though. When combined, there’s a delightful tang throughout the chew. In the can, you’ll find a couple “stacked raviolis” so to speak, as they double up on top of each other and become a megabite of ravioli. This is quite an exciting part of the meal the first time it happens, but it loses a bit of charm as you encounter 1 or 2 more of these. Feeling quite full after this meal.

I know this is supposed to be my review but here’s a comment I found regarding this lunch of mine:

“what did u expect? it was perfect ravioli, thanks

it’s beef ravioli in a can, what do you expect. I opened the can, dumped it in a paper bowl and heated it in the microwave for 2 minutes. ravioli was tasty good and warm all the way thru. when I was done with ravioli I used a few pieces of bread to mop up the sauce and ate them, also good.” 4/5
-30 day prepper

Overall I am left full, the ravioli was solid and I had a pleasant time. It didn’t blow me away, but it’s a nice pick to add to your lineup.

82/100

Price: $1.79 at Grocery Outlet

Calories per can: 280

Sodium: 100mg

6g of protein.

Does not require a can opener.

This was my first time trying canned oysters, so I was a bit nervous. I knew to expect a different experience than fresh oysters. I prepared a charcuterie board to pair with these, adorned with crackers, habanero pepper cheese, and a dip made with cream cheese, capers, Frank’s red hot sauce, and worsenshire sauce. I will not be trying to correctly spell worsenshire sauce, sorry. 

Once my board was prepared, I decided to dive in head first and try one of the oysters plain. It wasn’t especially chewy or muscley, but instead just rather mushy. The smoked flavor was apparent but not overbearing. The salt levels were satisfactory. The flavor was pleasant, but the texture was off-putting. I tried it along with a cracker, coated in my beautiful cream cheese concoction. Here is where it really shined, because the crunchy nature of the cracker outshined the lackluster texture of the oyster, and the oyster seemed to unify seamlessly with the dip to create a pleasant celebration on my taste buds. 

Next, I was excited to dig into the vegetables that were also included in the tin. I didn’t pick up on the taste of them in the oysters very much, but thought the vegetables were likely to have a complex and rich flavor profile after having been sat alongside the oysters. I saw a few carrots and red peppers, and decided to go for a carrot first. To my dismay, when I took a bite, it turned to mush almost instantaneously in my mouth. The flavor was akin to a mixture of oil and fish fat. There seemed to be no salt on the carrot somehow, despite the saltiness of the oysters. I didn’t partake in the other vegetables in the tin after that lackluster experience. 

Upon reading other reviews for this can online, I found mixed opinions. I know this is supposed to be my review, but to quote Tralania H, “1/5 stars. 

So much sand

Depending on the quality, most times I find sand in the can, just a little and not too much to complain about. The can I had this go around actually made me stop what I was doing and come running to the internet. The oysters themselves were so mushy and gritty at the same time. The vegetables in the can felt like they were there just to mask the off flavor of the oysters. This product missed the mark, especially in comparison with some of the other smoked products. I’m certain someone has a job within the company for quality assurance and control. This experience left me feeling like the person with that job stole money from me. Standards have to at least match the strong company name.”

Overall, I would give this tin a 3/10. I would not eat this tin on its own, due to the terrible texture, but utilized in a dip or a dish these oysters get the job done.

Price: $1 at Grocery Outlet

Calories per can: 390

Sodium: 1490mg

15g of protein.

Does not require a can opener.

This is one of the worst tasting things I’ve ever eaten in my life. It’s a shame because I bought two of them, so I already ate the first one yesterday. I am about to eat another can of this food today. From my memory of yesterday’s lunch, it had a very thin soupy texture to it, the chunks of food were fine. There is an extreme strange sour taste to this can of food and I genuinely don’t know where that flavor comes from. I would have to imagine it’s from the buffalo seasoning which includes vinegar, or maybe it’s the runny cheese sauce, whatever it is tastes disgusting. However it is still edible and I did finish the can.

The recent reviews on Campbell’s own website are all 1 star reviews, not very shocking to me. I know this is supposed to be my review but an anonymous user posted this review titled “Worst Ever”: “I have liked your soups over the years, BUT this is the most God awful stuff I have ever had from the Campbells Company. My dog did eat it and I was surprised. Pull it now and save the disgrace to your Company ..”

I am very much not looking forward to this meal.

Okay I have just returned from my 2nd go at this. It smelled like acidic pepper cheese, and not in an appetizing way. The chicken pieces came in these cube chunks, tasting them alone was very bland. The macaroni had a soft but not soggy texture. When you take a full bite with everything is where it really breaks down and the problems arise. It tastes so artificial and like a watery cheese with an artificial pepper flavor shoved to the front.

I didn’t hate it as much as I did the first time I ate it, I think I knew what i was getting this time around. I don’t understand how anyone at Campbell’s gave the go-ahead to ship this one out.

I did feel full after eating it but that’s really the main benefit.

Overall I’m giving this a 30/100.