Schwan's dishes up Top Chef entrees

richcianchi/Flickr

For between $9.99 and $11.99 a crack you too can have Top Chef-inspired dishes, courtesy of Schwan's. The Marshall-based frozen foods delivery service is now offering five different entrees prepared on Bravo's popular cooking show, including one from the current season: Kevin Gillespie's polenta with braised meatballs. How does it stand up? About like you might expect it seems.

Time's Joel Stein reports:

For frozen food, it was pretty good. The polenta with braised meatballs, concocted by the current season's Kevin Gillespie, was particularly good. The polenta was better than what I make, the tomato sauce better than a lot of jarred sauces, and the cauliflower -- though a weird glop that was totally unlike cauliflower -- kind of compelling.

Stein's eating companion, reality show producer and Top Chef enthusiast Jonathan Karsh, wasn't so sure.

"I wish I could tasate what I see on TV," he said. "They used fresh ingredients. By the time this gets to you, it's a salty mush. I'm sure Kevin didn't put guar gum in it."

Touché.