Item: Betty Crocker Cheesecake mix
What you get: 1 cheesecake, 8 servings
Cost: About $3.50
Nutritional content: Original - 400 calories per slice; 12 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 240 milligrams sodium
Preparation time: About 40 to 50 minutes, including baking in conventional oven
Review: I counted on Betty Crocker to rescue me when I needed a last-minute dessert to take to a friend's potluck dinner. I wasn't disappointed. This plain cheesecake was creamy and sweet and had a crunchy graham-cracker crust. It was easy to make. That said, I'm not sure this mix is more convenient than the three-step cheesecake recipe you find on many cream-cheese packages. After you get this mix, you still need cream cheese, eggs, butter and milk. You'll have to decide for yourself if that's true convenience or not.