Pot Pie's Revenge

I grew up on Banquet Chicken Pot Pies. My folks would go to the movies on Friday nights, and we'd throw a couple in the oven. We'd keep the leftover aluminum tins that they were cooked in and make drums and paint holders. My mom would bake bread, and make my own tiny loaf in one of them. They are perhaps the cheapest complete meal, per ounce, that exists anywhere in the world today. The Costco Hot Dog meal and perhaps Plumpy'nut being the exceptions. I'm not ashamed to say that, if it weren't for Banquet Pot Pies during college, I wouldn't be here today. I would be dead. For lack of hot gravy.

However, I want to bring to the attention of the Pot Pie community (like they don't know already) that at some point in the past 3-5 years, Banquet (owned by ConAgra foods) has chosen to either cut costs or to submit to the irrational demands of the microwave zealots of the world and house the sweet sweet pie in a microwavable holder. I believe it's the latter. Basically it's just an evil paper bowl.

Now, those of us who are what we call "Conventional Oven Pot Pie Purists" who would never use a Microwave for a pot pie and still use the oven method, are forced to suffer for it. No longer are the days of cooking the nice fatty pie for 35 minutes then turning it over on a plate, having it properly flop out, evenly cooked, and still contain its goodness. The paper bowl keeps the pie doughy and sticky and you will never, I repeat, NEVER get that pie out of the bowl in one piece. Maybe the box should read "A mess of dough with cubed carrots and chicken."

I attempted to give my 3-year-old son his first taste this weekend. He outright refused it. I can't help think that if he'd only been born 5 years earlier, he may have actually tasted what many consider to be the finest achievement in frozen foods.

ConAgra, I can't help but think the little salmonella problem you had last year was a sign that you needed to change. Isn't it a tad strange that it only affected pot pies? You may have unleashed something you never imagined possible for that "Cooks in 4 minutes!" statement on the box. Maybe it was a way for that food of all foods to call out to you and say "give me back my dignity, give me back my aluminum tin." I can only hope, ConAgra, that you'll listen to the pie.