how do you fix up canned/pre-made food?

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luvs

Master Chef
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da 'burgh
okay. i must admit something.
sometimes i eat spaghettios. GENERIC spaghettios. :eek:
i also eat ramen noodles and Kraft macaroni and cheese.
as always, they taste horrible.
i add stuff to them a lot though, and i swear you wouldn't have a clue it was the same product.
i add real cheese to my macaroni and cheese, sage and ginger or beef base to my oodles of noodles, and tomato sauce, herbs, salt, and things like that to my spaghettios.

how do you make not-so-yummy foods edible?
 

middie

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Cleveland,Ohio USA
hey man i like them oodles of noodles as is. every once in awhile i'll add beef cubes to the beef, chunks of chicken to the chicken.
when i ate mac and cheese i added velveeta to it.
 

mudbug

Chef Extraordinaire
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Sep 9, 2004
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NoVA, beyond the Beltway
luvs and middie - please don't tell us that you also eat them straight from the can.................

Juliev - since you cook for one mostly, here's a way to jazz up a can of potato soup:

heat soup as usual, add sauteed onions, crumbled bacon and a little shredded you-know-what.
 

luvs

Master Chef
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da 'burgh
mudbug said:
luvs and middie - please don't tell us that you also eat them straight from the can.................
quote]

only when i'm stumbling drunk and can't think of how to turn the stove on...
but by that point i usually don't really taste the food i'm inhaling.
 

AllenOK

Executive Chef
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Aug 25, 2004
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USA, Oklahoma
Try adding some canned tuna to the Kraft Mac & Cheese. It's really good. When I make Ramen noodles, I always add some of my own homemade stock to it.
 

honeybee

Senior Cook
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Aug 25, 2004
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Winter Park, FL
Years ago I bought macaroni and cheese in a box. I would add a can of tuna, a can of peas and a can of corn. That would be a quick dinner.

Never really cared for ramen noodles although I have eaten them. Ditto for spaghettii-os. I like tomato sauce dishes and I serve tomato sauce in a jar or can when I make pasta dishes but there's somethin' about the cans of pasta dishes that I don't like. Doesn't taste the same.
 

GB

Chief Eating Officer
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Jul 14, 2004
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USA,Massachusetts
I find fresh herbs go a long way in making canned food taste better. It doesn't alway work though. I can't see much that would work with spaghetti-o's.
 

Juliev

Washing Up
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Sep 3, 2004
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USA
mudbug said:
luvs and middie - please don't tell us that you also eat them straight from the can.................

Juliev - since you cook for one mostly, here's a way to jazz up a can of potato soup:

heat soup as usual, add sauteed onions, crumbled bacon and a little shredded you-know-what.
I just now read this thread.. Yeah, I do a lot of stuff. If I make Campbells tomato soup, and I want to jazz it up, I'll add some pasta or vegies.. or cheese on top with homemade croutons.
 

SierraCook

Master Chef
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Sep 2, 2004
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Sierra Valley, Northern California, USA
middie said:
who cares... they're good. still can't beat chef boyardee's ravioli though

I love spaghetti-o's and I have eaten them from the can. I keep a can in my work truck and when I had to go on a fire late, they make a good dinner. Better than nothing or MRE's. YUCK!! I know people that add salsa to cup-a-noodle soups. When I was in college I used to add cooked hamburger to beef rice-a-roni.
 

chez suz

Senior Cook
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Sep 19, 2004
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USA,NewYork
I dont eat the stuff my my husband says Stouffers mac and cheese is the best of the commercial frozen stuff.
To each his own!
 

Juliev

Washing Up
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Sep 3, 2004
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USA
chez suz said:
I dont eat the stuff my my husband says Stouffers mac and cheese is the best of the commercial frozen stuff.
To each his own!
oh it is and so is their lasagna... it's good when you don't have time to make a meal.
 

debthecook

Senior Cook
Joined
Aug 24, 2004
Messages
485
Location
Long Island, New York, USA
This was so good, I could not believe my friend made it with canned soups. I think it was the dry sherry she added that made it special:

Quick Lobster Supreme: Makes about 5 cups

Combine and heat:
1 can cream of asparagus soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 tbs dry sherry

Add: 2 cups light cream

Pick over and add: 6 to 8 oz canned lobster meat.
Heat the soup up, DO NOT BOIL

Serve with Oyster Biscuits with white cheddar cheese
You could also use canned or fresh crabmeat.
 

Lifter

Washing Up
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Jun 26, 2004
Messages
1,018
It sounds delicious!!

Gettingback to canned stuff, if you buy Chef Botardee's ravioli, and wash the sauce off, and substitute with your own, its incredibly good...

Lifter
 

Michael in FtW

Master Chef
Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Sep 5, 2004
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Fort Worth, TX
I think that a box of mac-n-cheese and a can of peas had to be the original "Tuna Helper" ... and gave you something to do with the crumblies in the bottom of the potato chip bag(s) .... and if you were living on a college budget you could use water or a stale beer instead of milk without too many complaints from your room-mates.

As for raman noodles ... a few frozen peas, a little corn, some of those little tiny shrimps in a can .... a splash of fish or oyster sauce ...

As for SPAM - you can make a fritata ... and Chef Boyardee .... hey, choke it up and appreciate it fir what is is ... "comfort food" from our "gag in a can" childhoods.
 
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