Cubicle Slave Savior

There’s this tantalizing idea that dances through the world of commerce that you can replace a real lunch—preferably one made by you or a caring family member—with some sad, ice-bound thing you microwave during a depressingly liberating 25-minute break from cubicle-based labor. Major corporations continue to take a run at the concept and fall short.

Yet here is one of the noblest attempts to date. Whether Stouffer’s new Corner Bistro Stuffed Melt and Soup combos actually rise to the level of a good homemade sandwich and thermos of soup is, of course, subjective, but the fact that the frozen alternative is even worth mentioning in the same sentence says a lot.

The sandwich—sorry, “stuffed melt”—is a little Hot Pocket–y for my taste, more like a low-grade pastry than a true bread-plus-filling luncheon experience. But the fillings range in quality from acceptable to quite good. The Chicken Bacon Ranch Stuffed Melt suffered from muddy flavors and underpowered bacon, but it was soothing and not overly salty. The Three Cheese & Ham Melt had a pleasantly crisp texture and was nicely balanced between relatively natural-tasting ham and plausible cheese. The Steak & Swiss Cheese Melt was downright tasty, tender without being soft and actually steak-y in flavor in a way that’s unusual for a frozen mass-market entrée.

The accompanying soups were a genuine added value. The Broccoli Cheddar that came with the Steak & Swiss could have easily been an overly salted, Cheez Whiz–style mess—it was actually relatively light in consistency, and the broccoli had some crispness and vegetal flavor. The Tomato Bisque that accompanied the Three Cheese & Ham was similarly light on its feet, with good seasoning and a fresh tomato flavor that was unexpected and pleasant. And the Chicken Bacon Ranch’s Baked Potato Soup—while a bit American cheese–y—included pieces of potato that still had some flavor from the skin and some textural fight left in them.

All in all, in the war between the forces of progress and mass-produced crud, these things represent a real step forward for microwave-dependent lunchers.

James Norton edits the Upper Midwestern food journal Heavy Table. He's also the coauthor of a book on Wisconsin's master cheesemakers. For his Supertaster Daily videos, he samples offerings from supermarket aisles and fast-food menus. (Click here to see all of James's previous Supertaster work.) You can follow him on Twitter and fan him on Facebook.