Item: Taco Bell Home Originals dinner kits

What you get: 5 to 6 servings

Cost: About $4

Preparation time: 10 to 12 minutes in the microwave, 20 to 22 minutes conventional oven

Review: Though I'm not sure everyone wants to duplicate the fast-food taste of Taco Bell at home, these dinner kits earn high marks for convenience. We tried the Soft Taco Dinner and the Ultimate Bean Burrito kit. All of the nonperishable ingredients -- including flour tortillas and, in the case of the burrito kit, refried beans, cheese sauce and salsa -- came in the kit. This is not authentic Mexican food with real heat, but it's still satisfying. My 15-year-old baby sitter pronounced the kits "cool." And the step-by-step directions, illustrated with photographs, mean even the youngest taco lovers can help get dinner.

Pub Date: 7/29/98