- Joined
- Jun 5, 2012
- Reaction score
- 236
Seasons greetings! This review was not destined to be in time for the holidays. I wasn't planning on buying it until it was marked down to half price, just before the holidays were over. Normally, it costs $16 and is a bit expensive. When I saw it for $8, I couldn't resist.
It is by Gardien, so it is an all vegan product. It is a roast that comes with 2 large packets of gravy. Unlike other products that just gives you enough gravy to spread over your roast, this one comes with enough for a side item, such as a baked potato. The package claims it will serve eight people. Well, maybe I'm just a glutton, but it serves me two abundant portions. Yes, half a roast, a pack of gravy and a small baked potato makes a hearty meal for me. I weighed the uncooked roast on my digital scale and it came up 17 oz (cooked, it is probably 16 oz because Gardien products release water when cooked, which this one did). So, a portion that I consider to be filling would be closer to 8 oz, not 2 oz.
I wrapped it in foil and cooked for a little over 1.5 hours. The package claims you can also cook it in a microwave or boil it in the plastic packaging. As with other Gardien products, it released water, but not as badly as I feared. When fully cooked, I was able to slice it surprisingly well. Tofurky roasts seem to warp when you slice them, but this roast held firm and allowed fairly thin slices. Just before slicing the roast, I started heating the gravy. The gravy was thin and lacking salt, so I added salt and simmered it until it thickened a bit.
As for taste, the meaty part was very much like their chicken style products. It was lacking a bit in flavor. Being that it was like their chicken products, it did not come close to tasting like turkey. The stuffing tasted fine, but not outstanding. The gravy was acceptable with the added salt, but Gardien should research adding some more flavor to it.
The packaging is a little deceptive. When you pick it up in the freezer, you think you have a massive amount of food. But half of that weight comes from the gravy. Nonetheless, the roast was a decent size. Although it looks larger than a Field Roast or Tofurky roast, it's only 17 oz, whereas Field Roast is 16 oz and Tofurky roast is 26 oz. OK, how do they rank against each other? I still have to say that Field Roast is tops. Tofurky would be second and this Gariden roast is third. I think most people will agree that Field Roast is #1. Many people dislike Tofurky for whatever reason, but Tofurky has more flavor and tastes more like turkey and dressing in terms of flavor, color and texture (well, texture is arguable) than the Gardien roast. The Gardien roast is not a bad deal at $8, but I wouldn't purchase it at $16.
I hope this helps you guys to decide if it is worth trying. If anyone else has had this product, please give your input. I don't want to be only deciding factor for those reading this review.
Merry Christmas (belated) and Happy Holidays!
Picture of the unpackaged frozen product laid out on my kitchen table:
It is by Gardien, so it is an all vegan product. It is a roast that comes with 2 large packets of gravy. Unlike other products that just gives you enough gravy to spread over your roast, this one comes with enough for a side item, such as a baked potato. The package claims it will serve eight people. Well, maybe I'm just a glutton, but it serves me two abundant portions. Yes, half a roast, a pack of gravy and a small baked potato makes a hearty meal for me. I weighed the uncooked roast on my digital scale and it came up 17 oz (cooked, it is probably 16 oz because Gardien products release water when cooked, which this one did). So, a portion that I consider to be filling would be closer to 8 oz, not 2 oz.
I wrapped it in foil and cooked for a little over 1.5 hours. The package claims you can also cook it in a microwave or boil it in the plastic packaging. As with other Gardien products, it released water, but not as badly as I feared. When fully cooked, I was able to slice it surprisingly well. Tofurky roasts seem to warp when you slice them, but this roast held firm and allowed fairly thin slices. Just before slicing the roast, I started heating the gravy. The gravy was thin and lacking salt, so I added salt and simmered it until it thickened a bit.
As for taste, the meaty part was very much like their chicken style products. It was lacking a bit in flavor. Being that it was like their chicken products, it did not come close to tasting like turkey. The stuffing tasted fine, but not outstanding. The gravy was acceptable with the added salt, but Gardien should research adding some more flavor to it.
The packaging is a little deceptive. When you pick it up in the freezer, you think you have a massive amount of food. But half of that weight comes from the gravy. Nonetheless, the roast was a decent size. Although it looks larger than a Field Roast or Tofurky roast, it's only 17 oz, whereas Field Roast is 16 oz and Tofurky roast is 26 oz. OK, how do they rank against each other? I still have to say that Field Roast is tops. Tofurky would be second and this Gariden roast is third. I think most people will agree that Field Roast is #1. Many people dislike Tofurky for whatever reason, but Tofurky has more flavor and tastes more like turkey and dressing in terms of flavor, color and texture (well, texture is arguable) than the Gardien roast. The Gardien roast is not a bad deal at $8, but I wouldn't purchase it at $16.
I hope this helps you guys to decide if it is worth trying. If anyone else has had this product, please give your input. I don't want to be only deciding factor for those reading this review.
Merry Christmas (belated) and Happy Holidays!
Picture of the unpackaged frozen product laid out on my kitchen table:
I'm always gobsmacked when I read your product reviews and wonder why you don't become a food writer ?
