Working nights means that you have nowhere to run for a quick bite and have to bring all your provisions for the evening with you to your fixed location.
I do a lot of sandwiches, some leftovers, and more frozen heat-em-up’s than I’d care to admit.
Most of the frozen meals barely pass as edible. As a rule, I don’t much like anything that survives being heated in a microwave, so I have stashed a little toaster oven in a box under my desk. And with this secret weapon I keep myself from botulism on the days when I don’t have time to fix myself up with something decent before heading out to the J-O-B.
For the past couple months now I’ve held myself a treat of a frozen meal for Friday nights.
The Claim Jumper Chicken Pot Pie
The restaurant chain has a frozen foods division and they do a decent job of making high-end frozen foods which are quite edible. But this one wins the prize for actually being delectable.
Heat up the oven to 400 degrees and grab the box out of the freezer. Pull the rip strip off the end and set the pie on a cookie sheet. Toss the tin and pie into the oven for 45-60 minutes (depending on how crisp you like your crust) and go clean a rifle or something.
At the appointed time of completion, pull the tin and pie out and set it down to cool for a minute or two. Set the upside of a plate down on top of the pie, then grab and flip. Pull the bowl off the pie and dig in (be careful, it’ll hot enough to hurt).
Cubes of chicken, peas, carrots and celery in a white sauce so tasty you won’t know whether to use a fork or a spoon. The top crust that is now on the bottom is perfectly crumbly and absorbs just the right amount of the sauce that you’ll think it’s a dessert and now I’m drooling so much I can’t finish that sentence.
Yeah, you should try one.
Which chains carry them?
I get mine at Fred Meyer.
That sounds *awesome* Phil.
I think I’ve seen them at our local Lucky (may still be Albertsons in the Pac NW). I’ll have to try one out.