Hormel Italian Style Roast Beef Review

I pick up Hormel roast beef main dish microwave packs from time to time. My boys are used to what we call "real food," and there are days when I don't have time to do it all from scratch. There aren't many quick dishes that taste good, but the Hormel meats certainly do.

We especially like the Italian style beef with au jus. It's little more flavorful than the regular Hormel roast beef au jus, but I think I like the regular just a little better. It's a close call with both 5 stars for quick main dishes. The main difference is a bit more spice on the Italian, and the meat is darker with the rub. It looks almost overdone, but it really isn't.

These Hormel quick packs are in the section with items like packaged deli meats and bologna - around here anyway. They are cold but not frozen. They go in the refrigerator when you get home.

I'm sure these used to be vented to microwave, but they now have some kind of vacuum seal and do not require venting. Just take off the paper cover, stick in the microwave for 4 minutes. That's it. It really could not be easier.

The roast beef is super tender. You don't need a knife to cut the meat. It falls apart with a fork.

I usually make mashed potaotes or rice to serve under the meat and juice. There's also a Hormel roast beef pack with gravy, but the gravy isn't as good as the au jus. The gravy is OK too - just not quite as tasty. It's really hard to make good gravy and especially made ahead and packaged.

The only complaint I'd have is that the serving size is pretty small. My youngest son once came in and ate the whole pack before I got in to make the side dishes. With side dishes like the mashed potatoes and some veggies and maybe some rolls, it's enough for three or four people but not big portions on the meat.

I make great roast beef, but I cook it all day in the crock pot or for a couple of hours in the oven. There are lots of times that I flat don't have the time or energy to do that. The Hormel roast beef is close to homemade (and sure better than some cooks make - sorry to say that). The only down side is that it's only one meal while when I make a roast we have enough to eat a couple of times.

The regular cost is a bit high for the amount. I think it's around $6.99 here. But they run these on sale for around $4.99 pretty often, and I stock up. At the sale price, I can't hardly make it from scratch for less even divided across two meals. Good roast is pretty expensive.