6/17/08 | Chef Boyardee Ravioli
[ Currently Eating: Ice Tea Like You Wouldn't Believe ]
I must have some sort of terrible, ingrained barf-wish when it comes to Cheap Eats from a can.
For the past couple years, against my better judgement, I’ve been eyeing all of the Chef Boyardee products whenever I see them on sale at the supermarket. Never you mind that my earlier experiences with these canned acts of violenzz toward my stomach have been altogether diarrhetic. Something just draws me to the poofy white be-hatted smiling Italian grandpa on the label.
I don’t have a clue what it is in the cans that affects me. Whenever I’ve tried Spaghetti-Os, Ravioli, or other canned pasta creations by father figure Boyardee I’ve had some very bad reactions. Downtime usually ranges from 1-3 days of out-of-commission toilet duty. It’s always put me off for a few years until like the proverbial moth drawn toward the bug zapper, I’ve again flown back toward these canned nuclear pasta bombs of disaster.
So, it had been way too long - maybe 5 years already. I was due. It was on sale, so these 99% Fat Free Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli landed in my shopping cart with a thud. A buck to load up my stomach with Russian Roulette. Heavenly.
Earlier, there was some sort of special on Food Network (must have been Unwrapped) where they profiled Chef Boyardee products. I have to confess that seeing that show is probably what caused me to give it another try. Especially when the host (Mark whateverhisnameis) absolutely GUSHED at how delicious that sauce was which was one of its major selling factors back in the day. I don’t doubt it was amazing originally, but it’s gotta be a far cry from the canned product of today.
I ended up picking up the Beef Ravioli instead of Spaghettios at Albertson’s. 99% Fat free as well - for you health conscious readers. I probably shoulda checked Big Lots or the Dollar Store for something cheaper.
My favorite thing about the can is how big the “Look! - Easy Open Top” arrow was. As if an easy open can was compensation for the culinary malaise to come. If you detect a negative attitude here, well, I really wanted to hate Chef Boyardee because of what it’s done to my insides in the past.
But what the hell - it was a Friday so I’d have time to recover. I opened up the can, emptied the 12 or so ravioli into a pot, heated it up, dumped it in a dish and proceeded to eat all of them straight. Then I waited… and waited.
And waited some more. To my utter amazement, there were no ill effects (yet, anyhow). Either my stomach has gotten so screwed up from eating all those Dollar Store dregs, or they’ve changed something in the formula. Or, maybe I had just gotten supremely unlucky with the approximately 3-4 cans of stuff I’ve ate in the past 20 years.
I never had a problem with the actual flavor of their food products - I actually wouldn’t mind them for a once-a year snack. The sauce is thick, nicely tangy, with a nice hint of cheesiness in the background. I could use it a tad less sweet, but I can’t really complain. Maybe there could also be a bit more sauce in the can.
The beef ravioli themselves leave a bit to be desired. The nice little pasta pillows were actually whole and not completely destroyed which you find in some canned ravioli. However, the beef filling was completely flavorless. I think they could throw a few herbs, spices or monkey underpants in there. Anything to make it taste less like beef grout. It tastes sort of like Jack In the Balpha taco filling mixed with wall spackle. Maybe some spice or pepper would do the trick.
Anyhow, I’m not ready to proclaim that Chef Boyardee is off my crap list (literally). But I was a little surprised at having no scatological surprises the next day. At a dollar a can, it filled me up for lunch. And I’m thinking that Big Lots may have it for even cheaper occasionally. I think next time I’d have some bread or starch along with it. Maybe a side salad. Hell, how about a glass of Shiraz too?
I definitely wouldn’t recommend eating this every day though - earthquake larder, or a once a year treat is more like it.
Actually, it’d probably be cheaper and a bajillion times better to make your own ravioli. But that’s the topic for another episode of Cheap Eats.
Price:$1 for a 15 oz. can
Found At:Albertson’s
Cheap Eats Score: 5/10
June 17th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Spaghetti-Os are actually made by Franco American–perhaps they’re the grossness you’re thinking of? Even as a kid, I would ONLY eat Boyardi brand ninja turtles with meatballs. Spaghetti-Os skeeved me out.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
This post takes me back to college. Starch and salt are a staple of those times. And booze. But they don’t sell booze that is quite as delicious. Meat sauce and vodka, anyone?
June 17th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
When I was a small child, I loved Spaghetti O’s with meatballs. I think I could eat them now if I had to, but it just seems like (even at a buck a can) a big trade-off: I can make whole-wheat spaghetti with a quality canned sauce for an extra quarter or so and save myself all kinds of salt and fat.
But, as cheap eats go, I think Chef Boy-ar-dee makes a decent product.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Really? You got the runs after eating Chef Boyardee? While they’re not the tastiest things in the world, they’re pretty decent, for canned food. I like to eat them right out of the can, no nuking or nothing. “Meat” raviolis are pretty good (relative), and beefaroni are decent (again, relative)
June 17th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
What bothers me about chef boyardee products is that every sauce is the exact same. They have a million varieties of pasta stuffed in those cans, but they never venture out with different sauce. Maybe if they would try to do a more upscale product line (not saying it has to be way upscale, but how about a tomato basil pasta sauce with some penne? doesn’t seem too difficult to me) I would try some again. Until then, the same can that has been in my pantry for two years will sit there collecting dust.
Oh, and to edit myself, I did buy a can of their mac and cheese, but have had it for 6 months, weary to pop that top.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
phoebe - hmm.. you’re right. I was confusing the two companies, but I know I had gotten sick from both types before. Interestingly, I don’t think Franco American doesn’t exist anymore - it’s Campbell’s now.
red icculus - mm.. starch, salt and booze.
adam - i’ve been meaning to try whole wheat spag with some Hunt’s canned sauce one of these days…
reprobate - yep, I actually like the taste but at least in the past it hasn’t been fun. You eat them straight out of the can? Coool…
bj - i have a number of cans of these type of pasta products sitting around for a rainy day - or until I need something to review for the blog.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:10 am
The sauce is way to sweet for me. I like the Walmart store brand spaghetti brand. It’s 75 cents a can, less sweet, and the spaghetti has more meatballs than Chef spaghetti and meatballs.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
I thought the meat inside those raviolis looked and taste like alpo dog food!!
June 18th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
You’d pretty much have to put a gun to my head before I’d willingly eat any Chef Boyardee product. Seriously, the taste and texture is not something I’d visit on a starving animal…forget a human being…
Just wretched on every level. You could make a lovely lentil soup for the same price and nearly the same convenience, I recommend it.
I
June 18th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
i haven’t had that kind of product for a long time. it’s a quick meal heated up or right out of the can. i like ramen or pork and beans. it’s quick and easy. i always add at least salt and pepper.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
chef boyardee mini ravioli is my go-to cheap comfort food. However, in NYC, it costs up to $2 per can. not so cheap in the context of cheap eats, but when the craving hits…
June 20th, 2008 at 5:51 am
I am too cheep for the $1 can off name brand… i buy the Great-Value (walmart) brand for $.75. I will occasionally buy them when i want a hot lunch at work… not often though, and usually modefied with my special “sauce”, which is part soy/fish/hot sauce… i put it in any soups an other savory lunches.
June 21st, 2008 at 11:32 am
Seriously, just looking at those brought back memories and now I am going to have to go buy some of this. I can almost taste it already. Also, I am in love with the bowl you have the raviolis in, I am such a dish whore.
June 22nd, 2008 at 10:54 am
I think I’d rather eat dog crap ravioli than this stuff. We are Italian & make our own at Christmas but it’s a lot of work.
It might be cheaper to buy the frozen ones, boil ‘em up & cover them with a can of tomato sauce that you can doctor up yourself with spices from the dollar store.
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:26 am
i actually like these. haha. although i stay away from other chef boyardee stuff, the texture of some of the other canned goods kinda grosses me out.
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:26 pm
the only chef boyardee ravioli that i like is the piaazroni kind. it has tasty little nuggets of pepperoni in it & a spicier “pizza”sauce over the cheese ravioli. i just can’t eat the “meat” raviolis as i’m always fearful of what lurks in them.
July 7th, 2008 at 6:26 am
I just found you by Googling 4 keywords: bad ravioli can sick. Your writing is great! I was laughing til a tiny tear formed in the outside corner of my left eye. (just wiped it)
I ate a can last night and am experiencing this “culinary malaise” you speak of, but have not visited the latrine. It’s just a never ending queasiness and it keeps repeating on me. You know, like it’s down there and not digesting, and the taste comes back every now and then. In any case, it was totally worth it because I found your witty page. Am looking forward to reading and laughing more…once I recover.
July 17th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Mr. Bloglander, your website is informative, entertaining, and full of humor (eating beans will very well do magic on your digestive tract)! I have been familiar with Chef Boyardee products since my boyhood, and have yet to try the Fat-Free Ravioli. Of course, I could go back up to Little Italy in New York City to search out some great ravioli during their Italian festival in October, but times right now are a bit too tough for me to venture far from home! So gave the Fat-Free only 5 stars out of 10? I probably would have added a zest of pepper and a dash of cumin to the mix before dumping out the pan onto the plate! Chili powder works wonders too…Bon Appetit, Mon Ami!!!
July 24th, 2008 at 12:50 am
I wonder if you didn’t have the digestive problems this time because it was lower in fat than a lot of the pasta-in-a-can things you’ve had before?
November 16th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
i used to love chef boy r dee cheese ravioli - i was addicted .. cant find it w/o meat anymore which is sad.. they have changed the sauce over the years and the price has skyrocketed .. but when i find a can of cheese with meatless sauce, i am in junk food heaven .ps -love the memory lane bowl - i have the same dishes : )