Wow! Amazing - thanks!!
Had to laugh ~ yes, your knowledge about the ready-made stuff is quite amazing.
ā¦still trying to get my mind wrapped around the mashed potatoes/can of green beans dinner. (ulp!) Oh, wait a minuteā¦you said the four-cheese potatoes. Okay, youāre off the hook.
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I just canāt my mind go anywhere near that!
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OMG ā cabinhost, LOL! I would have never guessed this about you. Tinaās Red Hots, 4/$1. I used to love those but can you imagine what must be in them? There was a 2 year period when I bought most of my groceries at gas stations within walking distance and I would marvel at the selection when I bought groceries from a drug store. Itās a miracle that my body was able to reproduce.
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Good one! (errrā¦reproduce what?)
Lol! - Itās been well over decade since Iāve had one. I think that was the only Tinaās burrito product I really cared for. Hmmā¦wonder what I would think of the product today. But ācheapā always makes something crappy taste better!
I didnāt even think of canned foods until you mentioned the mashed potatoes, but one of my favorite non-healthy dinners is a can of Hormel Chili in one bowl and a packet of mashed potatoes (any flavor you like) in the other. Mix at your discretion.
But now that canned foods have come into play, there are thousands of options for less than $3. We must all be healthy eaters who cook from scratch!
Costco has a really good fresh tamale that heats up in a snap. It came in a pack of 12 and now I am sick of tamales so I had to throw away five of them. 
Texas hereā¦ another great use of a tamale - heat it in a pan and rough chop it with the spatula - then add eggs for a fabulous breakfast.
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Wowā¦ I shoud,not have thrown away those tamales! Also, I assume you add hot sauce and onions?
Yes, and chorizo if we have some, or chips of any kind (think migas). Truly, left over tamales for breakfast are second only to cold pizza.
I want to try it but I donāt want to buy another 12-pack! 
You can freeze extras. My in-laws buy like 100 at a time from this fabulous lady and they freeze most of them. They thaw easily in the microwave and have no texture issues.
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Never had the Hormel Chili. I have tasted a bite before, but am not a soup/chili person. But Iām sure if I was a hungry traveler then the chili with the mashed potatoes would be just fineā¦lol. Have you tried the Hormel canned tamales? Or would you be kicked out of Texas??
The one crap product I have never understood is Chef Boyardee. I truly believe you must be raised on that stuff from childhood in order to stomach it. Every once in a while I would try a few bites as an adult and just could not understand how my roommate could eat it. Itās definitely an acquired taste. Iām sure all other canned Italian products can only be a step up from there.
Oh man! Chef Boy-ar-dee ravioli was my big treat growing up - lol! But we hardly ever had any convenience foods of any kind so perhaps it was just forbidden fruit. I would warm up an entire can and eat it will Ritz crackers smeared with peanut butter. And a big glass of cold milkā¦
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My kids loved it!!! Along with Mac and cheeze and other junk foods. Now they wouldnāt go near any of them! When you have twins on a budget you sometimes go into survival mode! 
My boys are healthy and happy now so I donāt feel any guilt for buying Chef boyaredee!
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I grew up on Chef Boy R Deeā¦ Raviolis, Spaghetti and Meatballs, all of it. When my mom immigrated to the U.S., she cooked Korean meals but fed us processed American food if we didnāt eat what she prepared. She thought, āWow, cooking American food is so easy!ā Serves us right, LOL!
So Chicagoā¦you know this dishā¦ ? My sonās FAVORITE in Korea. āBudae jjigae. ė¶ėģ°ź°.ā Itās the so-called army ration stew (made with kim chi, hot dogs, spam, tofu, ramen noodles and more) and called this because during the war, U.S. army soldiers stationed in Korea would toss extra rations to starving but resourceful Koreans, who then used all the meats to create this spicy dish, still popular today. We had it at the Reunification Cafe in Seoul last year.
[quote=āchicagohost, post:37, topic:9039ā]
she cooked Korean meals but fed us processed American food
[/quote]
Oh yes, although this is something my mother would NEVER allow in the house! As you said, itās origins are in the U.S. military bases and itās still a very popular late night meal, esp after a heavy night of drinking. Iāve seen this on menus in the U.S. as well ā never at places that feature barbeque (this is considered total junk food) but at the homey casual Korean restaurants. I admit Iāve never had it as I think it sounds completely gross but all the guys I know love it. Or at least theyāve very nostalgic about it ā I donāt any guys in their 40s who eat this anymore, LOL!
LOL! When my boys first took me to have this they said, āWe donāt want to tell you whatās in it, Mama, otherwise you wonāt want itā¦ so just try it!ā I have to admit it was flavorful, but definitely prefer katsu, samgypsal (sp) and kimchijeon.