Hillshire Farm offers ready-to-eat salads
Making a salad isn’t rocket science.
For many home cooks, salads usually consist of some lettuce, a glop of dressing from a bottle and perhaps some Bac-Os or croutons. And they often bear little resemblance to the salads found in restaurants.
Hillshire Farm’s Entree Salads line gives you the ingredients you need to quickly prepare a “restaurant-style” salad at home. According to The Spokesman-Review Food Panel, the combinations are a success. The Turkey and Cranberries with Ham Julienne earned a four-star rating, and the Chicken Caesar did slightly better.
Tasters were lukewarm on value, however, giving each a rating of only two-and-a-half stars once the price was revealed.
The salads are indeed easy, if not effortless, to prepare. Each ingredient is packaged in a separate plastic pouch, so all you need to do is dump the contents of the packets into a bowl of lettuce and toss.
Everything is packaged loosely in a rather sturdy, reusable plastic container, which is way, way too small to hold the recommended 5 ounces of lettuce. We had to mix the ingredients in a large salad bowl and had no use for the container they came in.
Some of the panel members were divided over the combination of turkey, ham, cranberries, cheddar cheese and raspberry vinaigrette in the first salad.
“Not too appealing to the eye as the dressing turned the ham, cheese and lettuce an odd shade of pink,” said Skip Hubbard.
Andy Hoye, however, liked the combination. “Fruity vinaigrette is a nice complement to the ham strips, shaved cheese and cranberries,” he said.
Tasters were more enthusiastic about the Chicken Caesar, which included chunks of chicken, croutons, Parmesan cheese and a creamy Caesar dressing.
“You could serve this in a restaurant,” said Larry Inman.
“A prepared dressing you probably can’t make, so enjoy off the shelf and impress your dinner guests,” recommended Marilyn Moore.
Hillshire Farm Entree Salads also come in Chicken and Bacon Club, and Turkey and Ham Chef varieties.
Hillshire Farm Entree Salads: Turkey and Cranberries with Ham Julienne
Price: $2.99 per 5.25-ounce container.
Nutrition per package (not including lettuce): 270 calories, 8 grams fat (4.5 grams saturated), 29 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams dietary fiber, 17 grams protein, 50 milligrams cholesterol, 1,210 milligrams sodium.
Taste: ““““
Value: ““ 1/2
Comments: “The flavor is good, but the idea is bad.” – Tina Johnson
“Flavor is subtle yet distinct. Very good.” – Larry Inman
Hillshire Farm Entree Salads: Chicken Caesar
Price: $2.99 per 5.25-ounce container.
Nutrition per package (not including lettuce): 480 calories, 35 grams fat (10 grams saturated), 16 grams carbohydrate, 0 grams dietary fiber, 27 grams protein, 90 milligrams cholesterol, 1,210 milligrams sodium.
Taste: ““““ 1/2
Value: ““ 1/2
Comments: “Nothing special, but I’d eat it if it were put in front of me.” – Skip Hubbard
“The chicken is juicy and tender, and there is a lot of it. Hail Caesar!” – Tina Johnson
“Very nice blend of flavors – buy two, but only if you like garlic.” – Andy Hoye