EOG - Issue 4 - Keebler's "Harvest Bakery" Crackers

Product: Pepperidge Farm Flaky Crust Pot Pie
Manufacturer: Pepperidge Farm Inc.

I saw the claim, I just did not believe the claim.

Regular oven crispness in a microwave? No way, can't be true.

Now mind you, as I have said many times the past, I'm a
die-hard bachelor. Maybe I can cook better than most, but I
still live under bachelor rules. And one of the most important
rules of bachelor cooking is, "If taste and texture are not a
factor, then anything can be microwaved. "

It's been that way for years. I don't care if the frozen pizza
package says do not microwave. I don't care if the box does
not include microwave instructions. And I don't really care if
there is a chance that the middle of my entree will turn into
half-iced gum while I am eating. I want it now, dammit! I
don't have a half-hour to sit around waiting for a conventional
oven to cook my damn dinner. I just don't, or I'm just
impatient and won't stand for it. (Pretty minor crap, eh?)

So, the other day, I am cruising around the frozen foods aisle at
the local supermarket, and I see this: Pepperidge Farm Flaky Crust Pot Pie. Right on the package, I see the claim, "Oven baked taste from your microwave". I've heard this before, but this claim has always come up woefully short. So, as a result, my reaction to the PF Pot Pie claim is "I'll believe it when I taste it".

I tasted it. I now believe it.

The first thing that strikes me about this product is the crust. It is indeed flaky and unlike the usual microwave fare. PF accomplishes this by making the crust from layers and layers of very thin dough, not unlike the filo dough used in such delicacies as baklava. Since the thin layers crisp up in the microwave, the crust stays flaky. However, when microwaving the pie, be sure to keep an eye on it. The thin crust layers scorch easily if cooked for too long. But they do a really nice job creating a flaky and tasty oven-ready microwave crust.

As far as the filling goes, the sauce is not the tastiest I have ever had, but it is never bland. The vegetables have a good consistency to them and are never "mushy", and the cuts of meat are also good. Be it the beef, the turkey, or the white meat chicken, the pieces are of good size, with no gristle or "almost meat" tendencies. Put it all together, and you get a meal that's tasty, hearty, and only takes about 10-12 minutes.

As I mentioned, the only drawback of this product is the ease in which the crust can be scorched, which is the obvious flip side of the thin flaky crust. Other than that, it is pretty good, and gets a 3 chips up rating. Just make sure you watch the microwave.