Color Me Bad: Lean Cuisine Breakfast Panini: Denver Style

I don't know how to begin this other than to say, I was wrong.  I really thought I would like this more than the Sausage, Egg and Cheese variety, I truly did.  But the only word I can find to describe the Lean Cuisine Denver-Style Breakfast Panini is... well, gross. 

I wanted to love it. In theory, a "Scrambled Egg Whites, Honey Ham, Peppers, Onions and Cheddar Cheese Sauce on Parmesan-flavored Multigrain Bread" sandwich sound right up my alley.  Savory, complex flavors, cheese... yum, right?  But in the areas where the Sausage, Egg and Cheese succeeded (even though it wasn't a huge hit with me, personally), the Denver Style was an epic fail.

First sign of failure? The diced red peppers. WHY, frozen meal manufacturers... WHY? Why do you insist on sticking red bell pepper in every light frozen meal out there?  Lean Cuisine does this a lot. I do know that red peppers are often added to impart "color and flavor" to food that might seem less than spectacular -- like a frozen dinner. I understand it, but then every meal ends up tasting like red bell peppers.  I am not a big fan and they seem to be in everything. I could probably go to Albertson's right now and at a glance determine that 80% of the frozen "light" meals include chopped up red bell pepper.  The red pepper flavor takes over, makes me belch and it tastes like ass.

But perhaps that's just me. I was expecting green bell peppers and onions, like a denver omelette, but feel the red was superfluous and just there to try to make it more colorful and appetizing.  It didn't.

Second sign? Soggy bread that smelled like feet.  The bread didn't crisp up or toast at all like the Sausage, Egg and Cheese did.  It was very soggy (which I think may have been due to the "cheddar cheese sauce" inside).  And please note the use of "parmesan-flavored multigran bread".  So, no actual parmesan was hurt in the making of this sandwich... they just used parmesan flavor. And that flavor is sockless, Payless shoe-wearing feet.

I could go on, but the rest was fairly unremarkable. The eggs were normal, the honey ham was ok, I guess. I just couldn't get past the weird smell the combo of it all put off: red pepper, cheap shoe feet.

I took one bite, threw it away and had a Lean Pocket instead. I didn't even finish swallowing that one bite because the smell was so unpleasant to me.  Maybe to some it would smell gourmet or something, but to me, it was plain unappetizing.

Sadly, the fact that I wouldn't buy this variety ever, ever again somehow makes me more inclined to want to buy the Sausage Egg and Cheese again because that, at least, had it's merits.  I think Lean Cuisine has a good concept here in breakfast sandwiches... this one is just a big miss. 

Maybe they should try something simple, like a whole grain sourdough bread with eggs, bacon and simple sharp cheddar cheese. It doesn't have to be fancypants to be delicious, Lean Cuisine.  I know as a brand, you're better than this Denver-Style Foot n' Pepper sandwich.  Please try again.

Nutrition Info:

I give this 1 donut.