I think the last sort of back of the box recipe I followed was some Goofy frozen hash brown potato casserole thing I saw on YouTube, and I want to say I actually posted a picture of it. It was literally frozen hash browns some butter a can of cream of chicken soup whatever cheese I had on hand, baked in the oven and it was kind of like a gratin, and it was utterly delicious.
I think the difference is you were making a quick and easy frozen potato casserole and it was represented as such. Which is cool and that sounds good to me.
It gets more tricky if you're making (or in the case I brought up sharing or advertising) a classic dish and it's not only not traditional but uses imo unnecessary cheater ingredients but is represented as being traditional or the best ever.
If I'm taking about potato soup and I mention I use potato flakes for flavor or thickener, then that's just an ingredient or trick to use.
But if we're talking about potatoes au gratin and you say you have a great recipe that is the best ever and it's just boxed au gratin but you put extra real cheese on top... Nope. That's not a recipe. You're just heating up or fixing another person or company's food.
In the recipe I linked, for instance, even though cream of celery could be seen as just a trick or cheater step, it stood out because imo it was completely unnecessary, nontraditional without any explanation or acknowledgement, and arguably not easier. Still a recipe, maybe delicious (doubt it), but still bullshit and laughable.
It's like office potlucks where there's always someone who will talk up a recipe and always bring in their signature pot luck contribution, and then you learn it's just packaged meat balls warmed in a crock pot with bottled sweet and sour sauce. Uhh, not a recipe. You're just warming up other people's products. And please stop bragging about it.
Similarly, my girlfriend will make chocolate chip cookies that are really good and people often ask about her recipe, and she just tells them it's on the back of the Ghirardelli bag. And people are surprised both that it's that good and she's honest about it.
So I think it's partially about intention and representation of one's efforts. And aptitude of someone that has found a worthy short ut vs just throwing shit in a pot because shrug it's still edible.
