Kraft Singles Meltdowns Flavored Singles. Nacho, Pizza, and Taco. $2.79 per 8-ounce package of 12 individually wrapped slices.
Bonnie: Kraft Singles Meltdowns are individually wrapped American cheese slices that have supposedly been formulated to melt more easily.
I say supposedly because when I followed the package instructions to melt the Nacho on tortilla chips by microwaving on high for 15 seconds, the cheese was not fully melted. And it still wasn't after I added an additional 10 seconds. The result looked and sadly tasted similar to the orange glob served in many a pub. The other flavors were no better.
It's true that these slices contain 35 fewer calories and 2.5 grams less fat per slice than regular Kraft Singles, but I still recommend skipping them.
Carolyn: Truly innovative new products have gone the way of your retirement savings during the current recession. That's all the more reason to be excited about Kraft's new Singles Meltdowns. These are pizza-, nacho- and taco-flavored Singles cheese slices designed to be melted on bagels, tortilla chips and tortillas respectively to create instant pizza, nachos and quesadillas.
There is nothing new about flavored cheese: Meltdowns are as much a new usage idea as they are a new product. At a time when millions of kids come home from school to empty houses with empty stomachs, they're a very good idea indeed.
The quesadilla I created from the Taco slice was hardly any less complex than the one I had in a tony hotel restaurant a couple of weeks back; and my bagel pizza was at least as good as Weight Watchers Smart Ones new "artisanal" ones (watch for our review next week!) and less babyish and cookie-cutter than Pizza Lunchables. (I could see some creative kids letting ketchup stand in for the missing tomato sauce, for instance.)
My only fear is that these kids are going to be even worse than me at following package instructions to wait for these to cool off before biting in. (I foresee burnt tongues from sea to shining sea.) There's also a need for toaster oven directions for future Emerils who'd like their pizza bagel crust crisp.
McCormick Slow Cookers Soup Seasoning Mixes. Chicken Noodle and Vegetable Beef. $1.65 per 1.2- to 1.48-ounce packet.
Bonnie: I'm a fan of McCormick seasonings, but not their seasoning packets like these new soup ones for the slow cooker. McCormick designed each mix to be combined with water and added to fresh vegetables and beef or chicken in your slow cooker.
In part, my dislike is because I don't want to adulterate the called-for fresh ingredients with the hydrolyzed corn gluten, xanthan gum, guar gum, sodium stearoyl lactylate or autolyzed yeast found in these packets. These also contain way too much salt. The beef packet contains a hefty 4,320 milligrams sodium; the chicken a whopping 6,320 milligrams per soup pot.
You can make soup with generally the same ingredients — fresh vegetables and beef or chicken — and add your choice of herbs and spices. I'd include parsnips, and fresh parsley or dill for chicken soup and McCormick dried bay leaves and thyme for my vegetable beef. Once the soup was cooked, I'd try it and then season with a few grinds of McCormick salt and pepper Grinders as needed.
Carolyn: Unlike Bonnie, I appreciate the knowledge that is packaged in and on these Slow Cookers soup-seasoning packets. On my own I'd have no idea how much chopped veggies to add to how much water and which spices to make soup; and on a busy weekday, I'd have no time to look up a recipe.
At the same time, I was a little disappointed with the soups my chopping and these packets produced. Both varieties were bland and too salty. All that work, and these were hardly better than most canned soup. In fact, Campbell's Chicken Mushroom Barley, Progresso Italian-Style Wedding and Amy's Lentil Vegetable are all more interesting.
Melissa's Steamed Beans and Peas. Red Kidney Beans, Blackeyed Peas and Six Bean Medley. $3.49 per 11- to 12.3-ounce package.
Bonnie: What's not to love about shelled and steamed, ready-to-eat beans like these new Red Kidney, Blackeyed Peas and Six Bean Medley ones from Melissa's? Absolutely nothing.
You can enjoy these nutritious beans right out of the package, either hot or cold. They're naturally rich in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. And these fresh ones have a firmer texture and contain much less sodium than canned.
I used them to make a simple bean salad. Just finely chop two scallions, a seeded jalapeño pepper, a seeded red bell pepper and fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, and combine with the juice of half a lemon, a splash of light vinegar, some extra-virgin olive oil and the contents of any one of these bean packages. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve at room temperature.
Carolyn: The last vacuum-packed, steamed Melissa's beans we reported on were favas. I'm happy to report that Melissa's has just expanded this ready-to-eat line to include some beans people actually like: namely black-eyed peas, red kidney beans, and a cannelloni/navy/red kidney/black and black-eyed pea combination.
They certainly are lots more convenient than dried beans that need soaking and cooking. But canned black-eyes, red kidneys and bean combinations are also convenient and lots cheaper. I don't think Melissa's slightly firmer, "fresher" texture is worth the extra money, especially not during this recession.
Bonnie Tandy Leblang is a registered dietitian and professional speaker. She has an interactive site (www.biteofthebest.com) about products she recommends. Follow her on Twitter: BonnieBOTB. Carolyn Wyman is a junk-food fanatic and author of "The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book" (Running Press). Each week they critique three new food items. © Universal Uclick