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Tag Archive for 'crock-pot classics'
I once again have yet another Crock-pot Classics review for all of you slow cooker fans out there (what’s that? there aren’t any slow cooker fans? oh, well, I’ll have to keep this short and sweet then). Since I didn’t take a picture myself (who thinks of a picture as they are rushing to throw ingredients into a slow cooker before work?) - and there aren’t any decent stock pics out there on the internet for me to borrow, this review will sadly go picture-less. Fortunately, the Meatballs in Stroganoff Sauce didn’t really meet my expectations, so I could say that in a way, it’s review doesn’t deserve a picture.
This slow cooker meal was just as easy to prepare as the other crock-pot classics that I’ve worked with in the past, but once again the time given by the directions for cooking the noodles was not enough, and I had to cook them for another 15-20 minutes before they were edible. Even after all of the extra cook time, the noodles had a weird texture, and didn’t quite compliment the stroganoff like they should have. The sauce was decent, not the best stroganoff flavor I’ve tried, and the meatballs were pretty good. Overall, none of the flavors were impressive.
Nothing in this meal had that slow-cooker feel, it seemed like a meal that I could have heated up on the stove in a few minutes. Despite all of the lackluster ingredients the meatballs in stroganoff sauce wasn’t terrible, and I ate my serving, but I’m definitely not motivated to pull the leftovers out of the fridge to finish it off (hopefully it doesn’t become one of those forgotten dishes, pushed to the back of the fridge, that slowly becomes unrecognizably covered in mold…). I don’t think I will purchase this crock-pot meal again in the future, and instead I will use a stroganoff recipe that I know I like more.
As a possible saving grace, Crystal liked this meal a lot more than I did, and she was even willing to eat some of the leftovers. I believe she liked the meatballs the best, which is understandable, as they were the best ingredient overall.
Banquet Crock-pot Classics Meatballs in Stroganoff Sauce: 
2/5
2/5
Do you have a stroganoff recipe I should try? How about an easy meatball recipe? Do you want to see more crock-pot classics reviews in the future, or have I been boring the pants off of my audience with them since I started writing this blog?
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We recently tried another of the Banquet crock-pot classics meals with our new slow cooker. This time we tried the Hearty Beef and Vegetables recipe.
Once again, the directions were almost too easy, I put in less than five minutes of preparation time in the morning, and I came home to a house that smelled like a delicious beef stew later that night. This is a dangerous product, as it is making me increasingly lazy with each meal I prepare, but it is making me feel like I accomplished a great culinary feat at the same time; a formula that doesn’t often work out. If we don’t watch out, we may very well be dependent on Banquet crock-pot meals for dinner-time sustenance for all eternity. Luckily for us, banquet has at least two crock pot meals that I personally know are tasty, and I have a hunch that the rest of the “crock-pot classics” line will follow suit (look for more reviews in the future!).
This meal had almost the exact same preparation steps as the herb chicken and rice recipe; I put water and a sauce packet in the slow cooker, followed by the bag of vegetables and meat, and left it to cook on low for 8+ hours. Once I got home from work, I added the bag of red potatoes, turned the cooker to high, and waited 35 minutes for the potatoes to cook. The only problem encountered with this meal was that after 35 minutes of cooking on high, the potatoes were pretty far from being done, and they required more cook time to lose their crunchiness. If you end up getting this meal, I would suggest cooking the potatoes for at least 50 minutes just to make sure they are done (of course, I imagine things can vary from one cooker to another).
This meal was good, but not as unique as the first “classics” recipe we tried. I found it to taste like most other beef stew style recipes I have had in the past, but that is all I was expecting. The beef chunks seemed to be quality meat, and after being cooked all day they were very tender and juicy. The vegetables all turned out well after the potatoes had their extra time, and the sauce wasn’t half bad. One of the big pluses that we’ve found with both meals we’ve tried so far is, they turn out great as left-overs. Generally my girlfriend avoids left-overs due to the decreased quality of the food after sitting in the fridge for a while, but both of these meals has reheated as a quality and easy to prepare left-over meal.
Since all of the banquet crock-pot classics meals cost the same (about $5), provide the same amount of food, and appear to be delivering quality each time I try them, I don’t see any reason to not continue to buy them. Maybe someday when I find myself dedicating more time to my meals, I can graduate beyond the pre-packaged slow cooker recipe, but for now they are working great.
Banquet Crock-pot Classics Hearty Beef and Vegetables: 4/5
4/5Anyone else slowing becoming strung-out on hearty, warm, and delicious slow cooker meals? Want to start a support group? Have a slow cooker recipe that will make banquet pre-packaged meals taste like dirt? I would like to hear from you!
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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
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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