In my untiring efforts to present the very best to all my discerning readers, today I offer my nominee for the best canned food on the market. (Not your grandmother's pickles or green beans, OK? This has to be from the supermarket.) Canned food should not be anyone's first choice for a good dining experience, but even the best cooks know we have to occasionally supplement our fresh ingredients with something quick and convenient.
The runnerups are: 1. Anything Glory makes, but especially the mustard greens; the delicate blend of spices makes this the only acceptable substitute for fresh greens. 2. Campbell's Soup-at-Hand, especially the tomato; heat in the microwave and drink it down. 3. Chicken of the Sea tuna. 4. canned beef and chicken broth (numerous brands); unless you want to spend all your time boiling bones, indispensable for everything from soups to pot roast gravy. 5. Beanee Weenees. No excuses offered, but it must go back to childhood somehow. And the winner is:
Skyline chili. Despite the name, it's really thin, so it's more like a coney sauce, and, man, is it tasty! Here's a recipe page right from the company, but all that stuff seems like a lot of work. I just use it for chili dogs. I use Ball Park singles, so I can make however many I like without worrying about the rest spoiling. Three usually make a good meal. I split the franks down the middle ("butterflying" seems like too precious a term to use for hot dogs) and brown them on both sides in a skillet. I heat the Skyline in a small pot on the stove and toast the buns in the toaster oven. The franks go in the bun split side up. Into the split go yellow mustard, the chili and chopped onions. The whole thing takes about five minutes . . . and suddenly, I know what I'm having for supper tonight.
