Episode 106: Boston Market Chicken Parmesan

01 Jun, 2009

Posted by: Gregory Ng: The Frozen Food Master

Breaded chicken and pasta all coated with marinara sauce and smothered in cheese. How can it get better than that? This Boston Market Chicken Parmesan has all the ingredients and comes from a rich tradition of comfort food. Unfortunately it also comes from a rich history of meals super rich in sodium and fat. Is the taste enough to overcome these imperfect nutritional facts? Leave it up to the Frozen Food Master to tell you.

Nutritional Facts:
Serving Size: 453g
Servings per container: 1
Calories: 620
Calories from Fat: 220
Total Fat: 24g
Saturated Fat: 8g
Trans Fat: 0.5g
Cholesterol: 50mg
Sodium: 1580mg
Total Carbs: 69g
Dietary Fiber: 7g
Sugars: 9g
Protein: 33g

Price: $3.29

FreezerBurns^TM is a video review show on a mission to deliver you real reviews and real answers to one of life’s most stressful decisions: choosing the best frozen foods on the planet. Greg is the Frozen Food Master^TM and acts as both food critic and guinea pig. Join him every tuesday and friday as he eats his way through the freezer aisle one box at a time, only on Hungry Nation.

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View Comments to "Episode 106: Boston Market Chicken Parmesan"

1 | Jonathan

June 1st, 2009 at 6:46 pm

Ya i've had this meal before. Exactly as you said, the spaghetti isn't great, but the chicken is awesome. I don't get it much often anymore but sometimes I still feel like some chicken parm and it hits the spot.

2 | BearSilber

June 2nd, 2009 at 5:37 am

Oddly enough Greg, the original recipe does not include Pamesean Cheese! It actually gets its name, as does the cheese, from it's place of orgin:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmigiana

This is also maybe how it got it's name:
“This is an ancient Sicilian dish which, in all cookbooks it is erroneously stated that the dish obtains its name from parmesan cheese which is one of the ingredients. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The name “parmigiana” does not derive from that of the cheese but is the Italianization of the Sicilian dialectic word “parmiciana” which are the slats of wood which compose the central part of a shutter and overlap in the same manner as the slices of eggplant in the dish.”

People have since added Parmesan as an ingredient. Looks like the Boston Market Frozen Food Crew is up 2-0 on you bud

I agree with you on the trans fats….if others can make it without any why can't BM. 620 calories for that monster of a breast ain't all that bad….tons o' protein too.

That's one of the worst box photo to actual dish representation I've seen recently. I'm so very curious as to what the photographer & food engineer think of each other. Who's fault is the misrepresentation. The photoshop guy is just doing his job….but totally misleading folks.

Solid review. What's your favorite Italian eatery….dish?

3 | MattUD

June 2nd, 2009 at 7:48 am

Really nice review Greg, I don't know if it was my small breakfast this morning or what, but it made me really hungry. Who doesn't love some chicken parm? My qualms with Boston Market products has always been their nutrition, or lack thereof, but this meal looked great!

4 | Tod

June 2nd, 2009 at 11:38 am

Yeah that chicken did look descent.

5 | Ryan

June 2nd, 2009 at 3:24 pm

That's one big ass box. I hate sweaty chicken. I dig drier spaghetti too…I love leftover spaghetti. Man…I'm hungry for some Chicken Parm now. Great review Greg. Hope you are feeling better.

6 | Meg

June 2nd, 2009 at 3:30 pm

I didn't see any of the sauce..was there sauce in quantity? Why didn't you swirl the chicken or pasta around in it? Maybe you did, but it sure didn't look like it. Personally I also think if a dish has that much sodium, they should get docked a half point. You should be able to use garlic/basil or other spices in enough quantity to make up for lack of other flavors. To me, the over use of sodium is like putting salad dressing on salads. If the salad is made with decent ingredients, you shouldn't need any dressing. BTW, did you wack your eye? it looked like you had a bruise (left eye?) Maybe it was the hat bill shadow effect.

7 | Pat

June 2nd, 2009 at 5:20 pm

Greg — I always enjoy your reviews. Your cooking knowledge is lacking, though. I wonder if you read the ingredients? Parmesan cheese, if used, is in the breading, not on top! I bet there IS parmesan in the breading, since parmesan has a LOT of sodium.

8 | freezerburns

June 2nd, 2009 at 5:36 pm

Seesmic video reply from Disqus.

9 | freezerburns

June 2nd, 2009 at 5:38 pm

10 | freezerburns

June 2nd, 2009 at 5:40 pm

11 | BearSilber

June 2nd, 2009 at 6:13 pm

12 | Sonia

June 2nd, 2009 at 6:36 pm

Yum. I'll have to try that! I used to live on Boston Market frozen mashed potatoes a couple of years ago, but I haven't tried any of their other meals.
Thanks for the review!

13 | 18DJim

June 28th, 2009 at 1:44 pm

Well said Mr Ng.

14 | Chicken_Breast_Recipes

July 4th, 2009 at 8:33 pm

Man o Man that looks good. Nothing like chicken parmesan. Thanks for the great idea. That's coming in my freezer real soon.

15 | Chicken_Breast_Recipes

July 5th, 2009 at 3:33 am

16 | Ashley

June 27th, 2010 at 9:42 pm

Companies use transfat because it packages long term better. From a chemistry standpoint, you're taking plant fats and turning the “kink” in the chain around to be more “straight” that makes it pack better.. behave more like butter instead of oil at room temp and even when frozen. Plant oils don't freeze well, animal fats do better. Plant oils are easier to come by (you dont' have to kill animals to get it).

17 | Ashley

June 27th, 2010 at 9:53 pm

Just had this for lunch Yummmy. I usually get this once a week, or once every other week. I pay $3.98 for it, and penny for penny it is superior.