Description: A boxed mix for jambalaya-style casserole by Betty Crocker containing corkscrew pasta and spiced cheese powder.

Preparation summary: Brown one pound of hamburger in skillet, drain, and add hot water, milk and package contents (pasta and sauce mix). Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 12 minutes.

Highpoints: Easy and fairly quick to prepare. Yields five substantial servings.

Lowpoints: Jambalaya never tasted so wrong. The end result is basically macaroni and cheese with ground beef and bits of red bell pepper in it. Or consider it goulash, with a sauce that is milky and flooded with sodium.

Average retail price: $2.89

Availability: Most major grocery stores

Description: A vacuum-sealed, cooked chicken breast coated in olive oil, sea salt, powdered and roasted garlic, and numerous herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley). Net weight varies.

Preparation summary: Eat cold or heat briefly in microwave or regular oven.

Highpoints: Extremely flavorful, tender and versatile. Doesn’t taste like packaged chicken. No hormones or antibiotics used. Makes for an excellent low-carb meal and pairs exceedingly well with fresh mozzarella or tomato salad.

Lowpoints: A tad overpriced.

Average retail price: $6.99 per pound. Average cost for a single breast runs about $3.78.

Availability: Trader Joe’s

Description: Pre-made pumpkin pie in an eight-inch aluminum tin.

Preparation summary: Ready to serve. Refrigerate after opening.

Highpoints: The sight of these pumpkin pies displayed en masse this time of year signals the coming of pumpkin pies made by others in a few weeks.

Lowpoints: Gummy pastry shell, mealy filling and cinnamon overload doesn’t exactly spell “happy holidays.” If you must bring a pumpkin pie to dinner this Thanksgiving and don’t know how to cook, spend the extra buck and get it at Marie Calendar’s instead.

Average retail price: $4.49

Availability: Ralphs

Description: Square-shaped frozen pizza designed expressly for the microwave.

Preparation summary: Remove pizza from plastic wrapping and place on cardboard cooking tray. Cook on high for three to four minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Highpoints: Area within several feet of the microwave smells like fresh-dough pizza is cooking. The crust actually turns out crispy.

Lowpoints: There are three dishes that should never be cooked in a microwave: steak, cake and pizza. If you want the cheese in the center to melt, you’ll have to settle for parched, overdone corners that resemble the craggy floors of Death Valley.

Average retail price: $2.89

Availability: Major grocery stores