Quick-heat meals that actually impressed you?

[sjwaste]

I don't love Campbells soup anymore, but did when I was a kid.

I will admit to one thing, though. When hung over, a can of the regular Campbells condensed chicken noodle soup is delicious. I mean just the can of soup, not thinned out like the label says to do.

 

[waggy]

Hot Pockets cooked 20% in the microwave and finished in the deep fryer own. About 10 times better than when you only cook them in the microwave. Better than in the oven too. And Mama Celeste 4 cheese zesty pizzas done in the oven are good too.

ohh will have to try that.

 

[lxskllr]

I usually add 1/2 can of water. The salts a bit intense undiluted.

Edit:
Btw, this thread got me in the mood for the ultimate fast food that isn't absolutely junk. Canned potatoes. Open the can, drain the water, add black pepper, and eat. No heating necessary :^D

 

[sjwaste]

Lolololol, they don't have them up here in Bucks County, thank god. The year before I moved up here, I lived in the aging jews slowly being replaced by black professionals moving on up high rise apartments edge of not really Chestnut Hill, Chestnut Hill, and shopped in THE MOST GHETTO Pathmark ever.

I know that sounds redundant, but it was clearly a notch BELOW the other Pathmarks -- crowded, dirty and crappy, but the only nearby supermarket, which is why and how they could get away with it, I guess.

Pathmark sucks.

Otoh, up here in still developing Bucks County, the supermarket, errrrr, market, is still wide open and we have Wegmans, Genuardi, Acme, Superfresh, Giant (<--- Pathmark level suck), ShopRite, and several allied under IGA (Independent Grocers), plus Trader Joes not that far away from me (20 minutes).

We also have several independent butchers, independent dairies with fresh, no antibiotic milk daily from the cows which are right there, and several CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture farms), plus one ton of small roadside stands in the Summer selling produce straight off that small farm/plot.

We have it good up here. Very, very good.

I miss south jersey for a lot of that. Back in the day, we had a Pathmark in Turnersville that we went to sometimes. Even when I was 5, I knew that was a shitty supermarket. Until, later in my college years, I went to the Pathmark on Grays Ferry in west philly. That is the worst supermarket I've ever been to. You're probably not surprised by that assertion.

Our regular supermarket in jersey was an IGA, later bought up by an actual independent grocer, later co-branding with Shop Rite. They moved to where the Giant went out of business.

I'm in VA now. We have it pretty good here with CSAs and farmers markets, but my local supermarkets still kind of suck. No one sells good bread. You just don't appreciate good bread until you leave the Philly area. So basically I get up early on Saturdays to buy good stuff, or I scrounge around Safeway and Harris Teeter the rest of the week. The latter just charges $1-2 more for the same shit Safeway sells in a slightly cleaner store.

We don't have regular butchers. There are a couple of halal butchers, but what's the point if they can't get me any pork? The farmers markets are good for meat, though.

 

[Perknose]

Good question - I've found them at ONE Safeway in VA. I will look when I go visit my folks. I suspect the Shop Rite in Glassboro might have them, because they have every frozen food I've ever looked for.

Are you in the Philly burbs or NJ? The Acme in south philly on 20th and Oregon might have 'em.

I'm up just north of Doylestown, mid to upper Bucks Co. There is a ShopRite 15 minutes south of me, but I almost never go, for reasons I'm sure you immediately understand.

As for the supermarket list in my just previous post, I forgot Redners and Safeway as well, all of these within 15 minutes of me along with the rest. The one we lost is Clemens, which was bought out by Giant (boo.) But, at the two smaller, former Clemens near me now branded as Giant, they still employ the same German ancestry old-lady bakers who still make the BEST store brand sticky Cinnamon buns evah!

 

[sdifox]

Stoufers Skillet Sensation.

 

[Pocatello]

I can survive on Campell's soup.

 

[Leros]

I can throw together some decent spaghetti in ten minutes.

1) Brown ground beef.
2)Cut onion and herbs.
3) Simmer ground beef, onion, and herbs in decent tomato sauce for about 30-60 minutes. (don't need to stick around for this step)
4) Cook pasta (only takes a minute or two to get started, I don't stick around for the cooking)

 

[guyver01]

4) Cook pasta (only takes a minute or two to get started, I don't stick around for the cooking)

i bet your pasta gets all clumpy and overcooked.

 

[Leros]

i bet your pasta gets all clumpy and overcooked.

Nope. I throw a bit of oil in the water and mix it around when the pasta starts to soften. I don't notice any improvements if I stick around and stir the pot.

 

[nageov3t]

I can throw together some decent spaghetti in ten minutes.

1) Brown ground beef.
2)Cut onion and herbs.
3) Simmer ground beef, onion, and herbs in decent tomato sauce for about 30-60 minutes. (don't need to stick around for this step)
4) Cook pasta (only takes a minute or two to get started, I don't stick around for the cooking)

 

[sdifox]

I can throw together some decent spaghetti in ten minutes.

1) Brown ground beef.
2)Cut onion and herbs.
3) Simmer ground beef, onion, and herbs in decent tomato sauce for about 30-60 minutes. (don't need to stick around for this step)
4) Cook pasta (only takes a minute or two to get started, I don't stick around for the cooking)

I think Leros is timewarp stricken in real life!

 

[Leros]

If I was making real tomato sauce, I'd simmer it for hours.

What's your point?

 

[Leros]

I think Leros is timewarp stricken in real life!

Do you want me to include a step of "Go do something else for 20-50 minutes before starting the pasta"?

 

[nageov3t]

If I was making real tomato sauce, I'd simmer it for hours.

What's your point?

it doesn't count as making it in 10 minutes when making the sauce takes an hour?

if I'm desperate enough to reach for a can or a frozen meal, it's because I'm hungry now and don't have the time/desire to go watch tv or clean my apartment while waiting for the sauce and pasta to cook.

I could make a burger and fries from scratch in about 15 minutes if you don't count the cooking time.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

I've only had one quick-heat meal ever. And the mac&cheese I had wasn't too bad. I've made much better (especially with mushrooms & smoked salmon...mmm...) but it was definitely edible and it was worth it when I couldn't be arsed cooking.

 

[Leros]

it doesn't count as making it in 10 minutes when making the sauce takes an hour?

if I'm desperate enough to reach for a can or a frozen meal, it's because I'm hungry now and don't have the time/desire to go watch tv or clean my apartment while waiting for the sauce and pasta to cook.

It takes 10 minutes of work on my part. The cooking happens while I'm off doing something else.

I'll come home spend 6-7 minutes getting the sauce simmering with the meat, herbs, and onion. Go do something useful. Come back 50 minutes later. Start the pasta. Go do something useful for 10 minutes. Eat.

 

[nageov3t]

It takes 10 minutes of work on my part. The cooking happens while I'm off doing something else.

I'll come home spend 6-7 minutes getting the sauce simmering with the meat, herbs, and onion. Go do something useful. Come back 50 minutes later. Start the pasta. Go do something useful for 10 minutes. Eat.

not saying it's hard, but unless you're talking about reheating left-overs the next day, it's a stretch to call it a quick-heat meal.

 

[guyver01]

Start the pasta. Go do something useful for 10 minutes. Eat.

you cook it for 10 minutes?

good pasta reaches al dente in 4-5 minutes max.

 

[CurseTheSky]

I can't really judge Progresso's vs. Campbell's Chunky - I've had a few cans of Campbell's so far (all of which were decent), and one Progresso's. The Progresso had much better broth (beef broth) but it was also much saltier. Everything else in it was either on par or worse - the potatoes in particular were pretty bland.

 

[DominionSeraph]

I can't think of anything microwavable under 10 min that I'd eat. Stouffer's lasagna is great, but it's more like 20.

The best meal that I can do in a few minutes is chicken alfredo. Cut the chicken into small pieces so they cook fast, fry them in oil; angel hair pasta with Five Brother's alfredo sauce.
Done in 5 minutes and it's freakin' awesome.

 

[Leros]

you cook it for 10 minutes?

good pasta reaches al dente in 4-5 minutes max.

Depend what kinda of pasta you use. Some takes only a few minutes. The spaghetti I used last time needed 10 minutes. Rather thick noodles.

 

[TecHNooB]

anything from costco frozen food aisle.

 

[Spacehead]

French Bread Pizza.

Stouffers?

I like the Stouffers brand.

Campbell's Chunky Soup

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

you cook it for 10 minutes?

good pasta reaches al dente in 4-5 minutes max.

It depends. Even fresh pasta is too firm for me after 5 minutes. I normally cook fresh pasta about 7-8 minutes and dried 8-10