Jeff’s basic cooking discovery for those who cook from cans, including Dinty’s La Choy, chili, any soup/stews, even any pot pies if you break the crust: The problem aways is once the canned/pre-prepared food in question has been heated appropriately is what to do with so much left over sauce/syrup/gravy whatever. The traditional method, which I find unappetizing, crude, and certainly not in the best interests of elegant cuisine for your guests, is to have some sponge-like bread available, such as Wonder Bread, to slop up the liquid/gravy in the plate.  Aside from perhaps ruining the mood of the dinner, this can be hard to do if you are using paper plates, as in camping or being unable to find a china plate that is not crusty.

Consequently, Jeff’s tip: Once the canned/packaged food in question has been heated appropriately and the gelatinous gravy/juice has melted down to a liquid, add in a couple of handfuls (according to size of portion, of course) of 1 minute instant rice, right from the box. Do NOT cook the rice in water first. Stir the rice into the saucepan or whatever you are cooking in, cover, and let sit 3-4 minutes. The once bland rice will have soaked up the gravy/juice and be surprisingly delicious, and you will have added double to the amount of your meal, and all without slopping up gravy with cheap bread, drooling down your chin, or watching paper plates dissolve in your lap. Honest, this really works, if you like the canned food you are having to begin with, of course.