Then came Hamburger Helper. Campbell's Supper Bakes casserole. The rice or pasta, sauce and seasoning come in a box. Add meat and, with five minutes of preparation, the casserole is supposed to be ready in half an hour. Farmland Foods, a major meatpacker, has come out with Ribbits, smoked pork brisket tips that heat in the microwave.
Food has to be quick and easy.
It has to be healthy. Hormel Foods has a line of precooked meat dishes including meatloaf with tomato sauce, beef brisket and sliced pork. Suzanne Weeder Einspahr, a food industry consultant at the University of Nebraska, considers herself one of the last scratch cooks. But even she occasionally buys prepared meat dishes. I've tried a few.