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Easy-To-Make Turkey Day Fare Isn’t All That Bad

Rick Bonino Food Editor

This time of year, the world seems divided into two camps: those who already have their Christmas shopping half done, and those who are just starting to think about Thanksgiving dinner.

If you fall in that latter category, maybe you can still wrangle an invitation from a better-organized friend or relative, or sneak in a reservation at a restaurant.

But it’s possible to put together a palatable last-minute meal with some supermarket convenience foods: stuffing mixes, pre-baked pies, and - for the truly desperate - frozen turkey dinners.

That’s the holiday lineup we fed to The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel one recent evening, when they were still trying to recover from overdosing on their kids’ leftover Halloween candy. And for once, panel members agreed on just about everything.

Among the frozen dinners, Swanson’s turkey and trimmings was clearly the class of the lot, coming remarkably close to resembling real food.

It was all downhill from there. The Banquet version was a not-sowelcome reminder of those TV dinners of yore, with its spun-plastic potatoes and mystery meat more suggestive of balogna than turkey.

But the true turkey was the tasteless Healthy Choice offering, at about twice the price of the others but only a fraction of the flavor.

The stuffings also produced a clear winner: Stove Top, which did a respectable imitation of homemade. Janet Lee’s stuffing was blander and denser, but still got good marks as a decent buy.

The dry Oroweat dressing, which called for fresh celery and onion, was the winner from a fat and salt standpoint, but sacrificed too much taste in the process.

It was a closer call in the pie department. While the offering from Spokane’s own Cyrus O’Leary’s had a fresh pumpkin taste, panelists preferred the spicier Albertson’s store brand. As for the frozen Sara Lee rendition, there was sugar, and spice, but nothing particularly nice.

Once again, our selfless food panel members were there to warn you, sending their taste buds into battle so that you might dine a bit better back on the home front.

For that, they surely deserve your thanks.

Swanson Turkey with Gravy & Dressing Dinner

Price: $1.60 for 11-3/4 ounces.

Nutrition: 320 calories (22 percent fat calories); 1,030 milligrams sodium.

Taste:****

Value:***

Comments: “The peas are good, the potatoes barely fair and the dressing and turkey are almost good. Can’t compare to a real dinner, but for a TV dinner it is good.” Paul Norris.

“Well-balanced meal. Very close to real Thanksgiving dinner - peas seasoned well, and cranberries good. Turkey kind of fake but OK.” Jarretta Manning.

Banquet Turkey & Gravy with Dressing Meal

Price: $1.27 for 9.25 ounces.

Nutrition: 270 calories (33 percent fat calories); 1,100 milligrams sodium.

Taste:**

Value:**

Comments: “Mostly really bad. Not even the vegetables have any redeeming qualities. Meat tastes better than Healthy Choice, but looks disgusting.” - Susi Faville.

“Stuffing very nice; turkey very bad. Corn poor. No apples?” - Larry Kelly.

Healthy Choice Traditional Breast of Turkey Dinner

Price: $2.89 for 10.5 ounces.

Nutrition: 280 calories (9 percent fat calories); 460 milligrams sodium.

Taste:*

Value:*

Comments: “Yucky veggies! Notturkey turkey! Mucilaginous stuffing! Red (no taste) dessert! Just say no! Good fiber content in the carton.” - Jim McGinty.

“You don’t have to taste this one to know it’s icky! On a positive note, the vegetable medley was bright and cheerful.” - Stacy Casto.

Stove Top Stuffing Mix

Price: $1.49 for 6 ounces (6 servings).

Nutrition: 170 calories (47 percent fat calories); 440 milligrams sodium per serving.

Taste:****

Value:****

Comments: “This one is moist, very flavorful - good substitute for homemade.” - Jarretta Manning.

“I like this - good texture, good taste, soft and chewy. Try this.” - Jim McGinty.

Janet Lee Turkey Flavor Stuffing Mix

Price: $1.03 for 6 ounces (6 servings).

Nutrition: 160 calories (50 percent fat calories); 440 milligrams sodium per serving.

Taste:***

Value:****

Comments: “Needs spice. Heavy taste, bland, looks green. Veggies look great.” - Larry Kelly.

“Very moist but not soggy; a little weak on the spices, but a good taste.” - Paul Norris.

Oroweat Seasoned Dressing

Price: $2.09 for 12 ounces (11 servings).

Nutrition: 110 calories (10 percent fat calories); 370 milligrams sodium per serving.

Taste:*

Value:**

Comments: “ICK! Thick, dry, bland and tasteless (and those are my positive thoughts!) Perfect to make a thatched roof with.” - Stacy Casto.

“Nice crunch, but totally lacking in sage and herbs. Bland, brown, bready.” - Susi Faville.

Albertson’s Pumpkin Pie

Price: $2.99 for 24 ounces (5 servings).

Nutrition: 270 calories (44 percent fat calories); 450 milligrams sodium per serving.

Taste:****

Value:***

Comments: “Very good. You can taste the spices in the pie. The crust was excellent.” - Jarretta Manning.

“Nice! Flaky crust and the flavor is right. Very soft custard.” - Susi Faville.

Cyrus O’Leary’s Pumpkin Pie

Price: $5.99 for 34 ounces (8 servings).

Nutrition: 300 calories (36 percent fat calories); 280 milligrams sodium per serving.

Taste:***

Value:**

Comments: “Good pumpkin taste, needs some nutmeg. Soggy crust, slightly sweet.” - Jim McGinty.

“Heavy body; needs eggs. Nice pumpkin spice flavor. Crust mealy.” - Larry Kelly.

Sara Lee Homestyle Pumpkin Pie

Price: $3.58 for 37 ounces (8 servings).

Nutrition: 260 calories (38 percent fat calories); 460 milligrams sodium per serving.

Taste:**

Value:**

Comments: “Tastes very artificial and very bad.” - Paul Norris.

“This pie is really bad. Sara Lee spilled Old Spice aftershave in the mixing bowl and kept on going.” - Stacy Casto.

Products sampled by The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel are purchased at a retail store and prepared in a test kitchen according to package directions. Panelists are not aware of a product’s brand name or price until after they have tasted it. Products are rated for taste and for value, based on quality compared to price.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Food panel taste-testers needed We’re looking for a few good guinea pigs. Applications are being accepted for vacancies on The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel, starting in January. The panel meets one evening each month, usually on the second Wednesday, to taste new food products and compare different brands of supermarket items. In the past year, panel members have sampled everything from rotisserie chicken to canned pork and beans, rice cakes to chocolate cream pies. If you have a sense of duty and a discerning palate (not to mention a strong stomach), you might be just what we’re looking for. Send a letter telling a little about yourself and why you would make a good panel member to: Reader Food Panel, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Or fax it to 459-5098.

This sidebar appeared with the story: Food panel taste-testers needed We’re looking for a few good guinea pigs. Applications are being accepted for vacancies on The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel, starting in January. The panel meets one evening each month, usually on the second Wednesday, to taste new food products and compare different brands of supermarket items. In the past year, panel members have sampled everything from rotisserie chicken to canned pork and beans, rice cakes to chocolate cream pies. If you have a sense of duty and a discerning palate (not to mention a strong stomach), you might be just what we’re looking for. Send a letter telling a little about yourself and why you would make a good panel member to: Reader Food Panel, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Or fax it to 459-5098.