Review: Banquet Crock-pot Classics Herb Chicken & Rice

For my first slow cooker meal I decided to buy a frozen pre-made crock-pot meal, instead of coming up with a good recipe. While I enjoy cooking, and appreciate good recipes, I am also incredibly lazy at times, especially when it comes to the kitchen (just take a look at the huge pile of dishes in my kitchen sink, and you’ll know what I mean). Also, I wanted to test out the slow cooker without getting overly complicated, and I have had my eye on the Banquet Crock-pot Classics meals for a while now - it was the perfect chance to try one out. I bought the Herb Chicken and Rice meal for around $5.

I was surprised that the cook time was 8-10 hours, but I was satisfied to know that I wouldn’t be in the kitchen at all during the cook time, and instead I would be enjoying life at work. I was able to throw the ingredients in the cooker before I left for work, and it was timed perfectly to be done cooking for dinner. The preparation in the morning was very easy and took less than 5 minutes - all I had to do was empty a packet of herbs and spices into the cooker, put in some water, stir, and then add all the contents of the bag except for the rice (this included a variety of vegetables, and chicken chunks) and leave them to cook on “low.” When I got home from work I added the rice to the pot, and 35 minutes later it was a delicious and hot meal.

This meal turned out very good - the herbs and spices were perfect, the chicken was tender, and the vegetables added good variety. Even left over a few days later, this meal was very satisfying to eat. The only downsides were, the carrots seemed slightly overcooked, and I had to add a lot of salt (of course, I over-salt everything).

For $5 I think this is a very economical and easy meal to make - but I imagine if I gathered the ingredients myself, it could turn out a bit cheaper, and possibly a bit tastier, but I’m not sure it would be worth the extra effort. Basically, this is the perfect lazy-man’s meal - and it’s especially nice to be able to eat something warm and comforting during this cold and very snowy winter (does anyone know why it has to start snowing again, immediately after I finish shoveling the sidewalk?).

Since my first experience was so easy, and tasty, I imagine that I will probably continue to buy these meals periodically, and I will likely test out all of the available recipes eventually. Look for my reviews of the rest of the available recipes in the future!

Convenience: 5/5

Taste: 4/5

Price: 4/5

Overall Rating:

Think you have what it takes to make me actually put some effort into my slow cooker meals? Hit me with your best recipes, and I might decide to try one out.

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