Frozen pot pies can be a quick and delicious meal or snack, often prepared in the oven or microwave. When it comes to pot pies there are two brands that are commonly sold in most grocery stores, Banquet and Swanson. These frozen pot pies are often found for less than a dollar each which makes them cheap eats. While these two brands of pot pies share a cheap price tag and the ability to prepare by microwave or oven, they differ in taste. I have tasted both the Banquet and Swanson brand of pot pies and will now tell you what you can expect when eating these brands of pot pies. It’s the battle of the frozen pot pies and you are about to see just who will end up on top.
Frozen Pot Pie Taste Test: Crust
When it comes to a tasty pot pie you must have a good crust. The crust of the pot pie serves as the “crunch” factor as well as a dipper. I have prepared both the Banquet and Swanson frozen pot pies in both the microwave and the oven and here are the results.
Microwave Crust Winner: Banquet
I have come to expect a soft crust every time that I microwave a frozen pot pie. When it comes to a soft microwaved crust Swanson delivers every time. Unfortunately a soft crust isn’t the desirable crust when it comes to pot pies. Until recently Banquet did not offer pot pies which were microwaveable. However, Banquet has changed and now offers microwaveable pot pies. The best part being that the crust from a microwaved Banquet pot pie has a bit of a crunch to it, unlike Swanson pot pies. My winner for best microwave crust therefore goes to Banquet’s frozen pot pie.
Oven Crust Winner: Banquet
Just like with the microwave crust, Banquet is the clear winner when it comes to the oven baked crust as well. I have found that the crust on a Banquet frozen pot pie cooks more evenly than Swanson’s frozen pot pie crusts. While both crusts become well browned on the edges, Swanson makes a crust that becomes nearly burnt when the center of the crust is cooked just right. Banquet on the other hand produces a more mildly browned outer edge crust which makes it the winner of the oven crust challenge.
Amount of Filling: Swanson
When it comes to the actual amount of filling Swanson beats Banquet by a mile. I have found that the Swanson frozen pot pie comes with more gravy and filling than the Banquet brand, not just by a little but, by quite a bit. I found myself disappointed as I cracked open the crust of the Banquet pot pie and found the middle to be almost dry from the lack of ample gravy and the vegetable and meat filling. Swanson however seems to provide the diner with plenty of filling to enjoy, making it the winner of this challenge.
Taste of the Filling: Swanson
When comparing the flavors between the Banquet and Swanson frozen pot pies, Swanson will win every time. I have found that the filling of the Banquet pot pies to be bland and mild in flavor, whereas the Swanson’s filling is more flavorful and delicious. My only complaint when it comes to the filling for the Swanson pot pies is that the beef chunks are often chewy and tough. Otherwise I give top prize for filling flavor to Swanson frozen pot pies.
Budget Friendly: Banquet
Both Banquet and Swanson frozen pot pies can often be found for under a dollar a piece, depending on location and store. However I have found that Banquet pot pies are often cheaper than Swanson frozen pot pies. For example, I recently purchased several boxes of each brand of frozen pot pies. The Swanson pot pies were retailing, on sale, for 80 cents apiece. The Banquet pot pies? They were on sale for just 60 cents apiece. Keep in mind however that the cheaper price may be linked to the lower amount of filling and therefore the two frozen pot pies may be equal in value. If you are only interested in spending less money, regardless of amount of filling, then Banquet pot pies are the brand to buy as well as the winner of the budget friendly pot pie challenge.
Overall, which is better?
If I were to pick an overall winner, I would have to pick Swanson pot pies. While the crust isn’t made for microwaving the taste of the filling and the amount of filling are even more important to me and makes this brand of pot pie the clear winner. If you do decide to purchase Swanson pot pies I would recommend you bake them in the oven. You may even try putting some tin foil around the edges of the crust to prevent over browning. If you are looking for just a quick snack that can be microwaved then Banquet pot pies make a great low cost choice.
The best pot pies are of the homemade variety, however frozen pot pies can be convenient and offer you a quick snack or lunch in a pinch. If you are looking for a more filling pot pie you may want to try Marie Callender’s instead.
