Del Monte Chef's Pantry Review

I first heard about Del Monte's Chef's Pantry Meal Toppers on the radio a few weeks ago.  Another quick dinner solution... but this commercial was a little different... focused on adding vegetables to the dinner plate?!  I was intrigued.  Then Del Monte reached out to see if I wanted to review their product, I wanted to see just how healthy and quick it could be.

There are six or seven flavors, and right now it is only available in Columbus.  Each pack has sauce and three servings of vegetables.  The package says all you need to do is cook some chicken and rice... but really, you could go vegetarian and just make some rice, pasta, or quinoa... so that takes about 10 minutes!

I tried the pot pie medley packet.  It's been a while since I've had chicken pot pie, but when I opened that packet, even before it was warmed up with the chicken it smelled like the chicken pie I used to wait for an hour to come out of them oven as a kid... definitely some nostalgia there.  

It was really easy to make!  Cook the rice, cook the chicken, then dump the sauce and vegetables into the skillet to let heat up a minute or two and serve.  Ten minutes, done!  It definitely tasted like pot pie... although I'm used to the frozen pot pies... so both kind of have that canned soup taste to them.  I think Del Monte would agree that if you had an hour, fresh veggies, and someone to clean up the mess... you would have something that would taste a bit better.  But recently there have been at least a few nights every week that a ten minute meal is the only way we're going to eat dinner before 9pm.

So, at $3, definitely worth a try to add some vegetables in a super easy way.  You can find Chef's Pantry at Giant Eagle, Kroger, Target, and Walmart, but only in Columbus.  Give them a try and let me know what you think!

 

 

 

Cheesy Fajita Couscous with Shredded Enchilada Chicken - total time 25minutes

Haha, I used to avoid those cooking game show type things on the Food Network or Cooking Channel (cupcake wars just gives me anxiety), but after participating in the first Chopped at Home challenge, I find myself watching the show on occasion.  The last one I saw had viewers vote for the basket ingredients which included cow eyeballs!  Ick!

Luckily, the at home challenge has much more forgiving ingredients.  This time it is Mexican blend shredded cheese, chicken tenders, salsa, and couscous.  All ingredients the average home cook has used before and almost make sense together.  I love Mexican food, so the Mexican cheese blend round sounds delicious!

If you have never had couscous before, it is kind of like quinoa.  I used to cook with it a lot more as a rice substitute before quinoa became so popular as a super food edging out some of the shelf space at grocery stores couscous once occupied.  You can get different sized couscous, pea-sized to itty bitty grain size.  

I was in the mood for some enchiladas, so this dish could easily be wrapped up in tortillas and baked for 20-25 minutes instead.  But this way, we are cutting the carbs and attempting an artsy presentation that is really easy.  Word of caution, you could use four pots/pans for this dish (which sounds like a cleaning nightmare to me)... Or you could use two and have to be watching things a little more attentively.  Read all if the directions before starting the recipe (best practice for any recipe).  :)

Spicy Chicken and Potato Waffles - total time 40 minutes

You know, there are a lot of fun kitchen gadgets out there!  I mean, you could have the world's largest kitchen and still run out of space if you bought every gadget that might be useful.  That's why I try to limit myself to gadgets that have at least a few uses and I see myself using at least once a season (here is a list of must haves).  So I must pass on that mango pitter despite how useful it would be that one time a year I break down and need some mango in my life (how far did that mango have to travel to get to my plate again?  ugh).

Introducing the waffle iron... used only for making waffles, right?  It's also good for making waffle sammies and potato waffles.  Potato waffles are great way for using leftover mashed potatoes!  I always make soooo much mashed potatoes because it's one of my favorites (I was once known to eat an entire plate of mashed potatoes at buffet-style dinners) so we always have some left.  Potato waffles are great for breakfast (they're like one big hash brown), a side, or with spicy chicken!

The traditional southern comfort meal of fried chicken and waffles gets a little twist.  Take out the fryer and add some potatoes for a gluten free waffles!

Chicken Parm Paninis - total time 45 minutes

If you live in Ohio, you have probably heard of Melt Bar & Grilled.  Even if you don't live in Ohio, you may have heard about these huge gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches on shows like Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.  The first one opened in Columbus last winter (original is based in Cleveland) and I had a Parma, Italy which is chicken parmesan between two slices of Texas toast with a side of fries.  While it was really, really good... I kind of feel like I might have a heart attack afterward!  So I have been wanting to make a healthier version ever since.

So when Food Network teamed up with Sargento to do the Chopped at Home challenge, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to recreate this sandwich.  I buy a lot of local cheeses, but I also love Sargento and their artisanal cheese wedges.  I also like their commercials about how they are "real cheese people"... that cheese slices shouldn't come wrapped in plastic and I couldn't agree more!

Shredded cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich can get a little messy, but it's the best way to get all of those Italian flavors without tons and tons of cheese.  Some other big differences between my sandwich and Melt's is that the chicken just has a light breading instead of being fried and the sauce is for dipping (kind of like tomato soup) because I hate, hate, hate soggy bread (can't have condiments of any sort actually touching the bread, ew).  With the garlic butter, the bread ends up becoming garlic bread, so this really is a complete Italian meal without the pasta.  Buon Appetito!

Fajita Campfire Packets - total time 40 minutes

You know that perfect spot in a campfire to roast marshmallows?  Right by the red embers not too close to the flame.  It gets the marshmallow gooey and lightly toasted without catching them on fire.  Well, that same spot is the perfect place to cook your dinner too!  Just wrap the ingredients in heavy foil, spray with cooking spray, carefully put the foil packet in that perfect spot, and enjoy some perfectly cooked dinner in about 30 minutes.

I made this dinner while we were camping last weekend.  As soon as I got everything on the campfire to cook, the sky opened up and it started to pour.  We took cover in our Jeep and checked every single weather app on our phones... possible tornadoes.  Eek!  Thankfully the storm passed by pretty quickly.  There were a lot of puddles and the ground was muddy, but the campfire was still hanging in there (thanks to good tree cover)... but only by a little bit.  The rain made the whole fire those perfect red embers for cooking.  Surprisingly everything cooked just right and as the sun came out, we were chowing down on some delicious camp food.  :)

Loaded Shredded Chicken Nachos - total time 20 minutes

So before I started reading about nutrition and really learned how to cook, occasionally I would just make some nachos for dinner which involved some chips, lots of cheese, and a little bit of salsa.  It was quick, of course.  Only about one minute in the microwave.  But had no nutritional value what-so-ever.  

After reading a couple books about digestion and the ways what you eat can cause certain annoying symptoms, most of which you might blame genetics on like unclear skin, stuffy nose, or trouble concentrating... I realized that there was more to food than just tasting good.  Food is really about nourishing your body because it takes a lot just to keep our heart pumping, lungs inhaling, and brain thinking.  I started to make a conscious effort to make sure vegetables always had a spot on my plate for both lunch and dinner.  I started to cut back on meats and gluten.  I tried to limit how much dairy I ate, but I just couldn't give up cheese.  It is little steps that make the difference.  Going to the extreme will leave you hungry and feeling deprived.  Being too strict makes it nearly impossible to enjoy a meal out with a friend.  With most things, a happy medium is best.

It's been several years since those old microwaved nachos days, but sometimes you just want what you want.  I follow a couple bloggers that plan out their meals as well and one of them posted that they were making nachos for dinner one night.  I've been thinking about whether nachos are really dinner food ever since.  I decided to make my version of loaded nachos and it was quite filling and loaded with veggies (and cheese!).  This makes a great quick meal that you eat with your hands.  Perfect for a casual weekend dinner or to have with a couple drinks tailgating.  

Broccoli Chicken Alfredo Pizza - total time 30 minutes

Seems like every night this week I've been rushing to get dinner on the table before 9:00!  Whether it's work, after work activities, working on our fitness, or running after kids, we all need a quick go to meal.  My first mainstay is tacos, but sometimes get tacoed out (it takes a lot of tacos to get there, but occasionally I reach that tipping point).  So my plan B menu item... pizza, of course!

I always have a ball of whole wheat dough in my fridge just waiting to be made into a pizza, stromboli, or calzone thanks to GreenBEAN delivery.  It makes homemade pizza night sooo easy!  

Usually we stick to traditional red sauce with mostly traditional toppings.  But this time I changed things up a bit by making a white pizza!  And what goes best with alfredo sauce?  Chicken and broccoli!  This pizza has become the new favorite in our household.  Can't wait to make it again.  :)

Get Your Greens Yakisoba - total time 25 minutes

If you're like any college student ever, you have probably had your fair share of Ramen noodles in your life.  Probably to the point of never wanting to see a pack of those noodles again!  But then a couple years ago, Ramen noodles came back in a more sophisticated, trendy way with chunks of fresh salmon and cute little restaurants.

As the Ramen goes, so goes the Soba noodle.  Maruchan used to make a yakisoba kit available in the refrigerated section next to the wonton and eggroll wrappers.  It had instructions on how to prepare vegetables to go along with your soba noodles and "yaki" sauce pack.  Several years ago, they got rid of that option and opted for a version just like those Ramen noodles we loved to hate in college.  Added in more preservatives to give it a shelf life of forever and has about a teaspoon of dried veggie pieces to try to pass as real yakisoba.  Ugh.

Well, now soba noodles are getting trendy and I'm loving this Japanese fast food!

In this recipe, we're piling on the veggies and they happen to be all green (with at least one serving of green veggies per plateful, you're mom approves of this recipe).  The sesame oil makes this dish a real treat with tons of flavor.  And it truly is fast food, taking less than 30 minutes from start to finish.

Rosemary Chicken - total time 20 minutes

Do you ever have those moments where you learn something that seems like it should be common sense and it changes the way you think about everything?  Basically like there must be a better way to do everything... I just don't know it yet.  

That's how I felt after watching one of Jamie Oliver's 15-minute meal episodes.  

After having issues cooking chicken breasts all the way through (you know, there's the thinner side that's done in seconds and the thicker end that can sometimes seem to take an eternity to cook)... I started buying cutlets or actually using my cooking mallet (I have no idea if that's what it is actually called).  And of course, I always season my chicken.

The new-to-me, crazy easy trick... pound the seasoning into the chicken while your flattening it out!  Seriously so simple and the flavor is so much more pronounced.  Wish I would have had this moment years ago!

Roasted Chicken to Use All Week - total time 1.75 hours

Many nights we aren't eating dinner until 8:00 or 9:00 at night.  Not really ideal, since you really don't want to sleep with a full stomach.  You should have at least three hours active digestion so your body can focus on resetting itself while you sleep.  That means we wouldn't be getting to bed until after midnight on weeknights... which is actually closer to average than we would like it.

I'm not a morning person (which that midnight bedtime probably doesn't help), so I go into work later than most and then leave later as well.  Most of my recipes take about an hour from start to finish. That combination is the reason we are eating so late.  So in an effort to get dinner on the table quicker, it means planning ahead even more than weekly meal plans... it means doing some of the prep on Sunday.

I've seen those pins on Pinterest about buying rotisserie chickens from the grocery store and using them throughout the week.  It's a great idea, but who knows how long that chicken has been sitting there and what they used to roast it.  

I'm fortunate that the Kroger down the street from me carries local, antibiotic free chicken.  For $8-10 I can get a full chicken, roast it myself, and have about eight servings of chicken to use throughout the week.  There is very little prep involved in roasting a chicken, you just need to be home to take it out of the oven, really.  And then you can make chicken stock afterward to use as a base for a soup in your meal plan.  Now that is using the while bird!

There are probably hundred of ways to use this chicken, but we made tacos and sandwiches.  I a small mixing bowl, we mixed the chicken with some chipotle salsa and chipotle chili powder and heated it up for our tacos.  Then we made some pulled chicken sandwiches by heating of up the chicken and mixing in some barbecue sauce (which allowed mine to be sweet BBQ and his to be spicy BBQ).  And then some buffalo chicken wraps.  Each meal took less than ten minutes to get to the table!

Chicken, Bowties, and Vodka Sauce - total time 30 minutes

You might have noticed there aren't really any red meat recipes on this blog.  That is because I rarely eat it.  I just don't care for it.  There are several reasons for not eating red meat, or any meat in general.  I find that most of these ideas are a little extreme.  

For example, the health claims that red meat is bad for you.  Yes, it might have more cholesterol and fat than other foods, but it also has more protein and iron.  Or maybe you have seen PETA videos about the treatment of animals in CAFOs.  But thanks to journalists and authors for bringing issues like this to the public, grass-fed, free-range, organic options are available at nearly every grocery store.  This change also essentially eliminates other worries (Mad Cow disease, "pink slime", or other recall issues).

So when I saw Food Inc posted this article on Facebook defending Publican's Quality Meats against PETA, I was a little confused at first.  But after reading the article, I realized their point was exactly the same point I took away from their documentary.  It's not that eating meat is bad, it's a natural thing for most of the animal kingdom, it is about doing it with a conscious.  This means voting with your dollar by purchasing that grass-fed, free-range, organic meat or going to restaurants that serve it.  If everyone made this change, but our current quantity demand remained the same, there wouldn't be enough land to raise enough livestock.  So, it also means reducing that quantity in favor of quality.

To all of those vegans and vegetarians out there, more power to you!  I know I could do it, but I also don't want to know what is in that mock meat.  I like to keep my options open so I don't feel bad about indulging in a hamburger on occasion or trying something new (like Anthony Bourdain) while still trying to be conscious about my decisions and keeping produce and grains the bulk of each meal.

With that being said, here is another chicken recipe!  The pasta and chicken are pretty standard, it's the sauce that has a bit of a twist.  Vodka sauce was new to me a few years ago.  After having regular marinara all my life, the creamy, cheesy goodness became an instant favorite.  If you remove the cheese and use fresh cherry tomatoes, you keep the flavor and make the dish a little lighter.

Coq au Riesling - total time 40 minutes

During the holiday break, I was pretty lazy... had a whole to do list and just wasn't motivated.  I slept in, took my time making breakfast, watched some TV and movies, and crossed just a few things off my to do list.   One of the things I enjoyed watching on TV was the cooking shows.  They never air after 5:00 and I'm not sure why Food Network thinks we all want to watch cupcake competitions, restaurant takeovers, and average people battle it out in the kitchen.  

One of the shows I watched was a French Food at Home where Laura made coq au riesling.  Ironically, I had made this dish the night before (and twice since then), but I wanted to see if she made hers any differently.  Turns out, pretty much the same (hers had bacon instead of prosciutto, so I like mine better)!  

This dish is rich!  Any time you make a sauce with cream using all flavors from the pan, it is going to be good.  Add in the saltiness of the prosciutto and the tenderness of chicken thighs... it pretty much melts in your mouth.  Pair it with some roasted vegetables or salad and you have a great meal... and it's French, so extra fancy too!  :)

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole - total time 1 hour

Hmm, chicken cordon blue... I actually cannot recall ever having it before.  Something so infamous in the cooking world that the largest culinary school is named after it!  So it is about darn time!

I blame the ham... never been a fan (not with green eggs, in a box, or with a fox).  I don't know what it is about it though.  I am picky about bacon too.  It has to be a certain thickness and have a crunch... otherwise I won't eat it (no, bacon doesn't need to go on everything, ick).  However I haven't had a dish with prosciutto that I didn't like... but if you're making something with prosciutto, odds are you're making something special.

So let's make something special!  Turning chicken cordon bleu into a casserole takes out all of the pounding the chicken flat, rolling it all together, and then somehow securing it without having the cheese melt out.  It also takes the pan frying/searing out of the equation... so the not-so-healthy dish gets a little lighter.

Oh, and get some good swiss cheese!  The swiss cheese I have had in the past didn't have much flavor (so I usually avoid it in favor of goudas and white cheddars).  But the swiss I picked up was delicious and so creamy.  I couldn't stop snacking on it while I waited for the chicken to cook!  :)

Chicken with Creamy Dijon Sauce - total time 20 minutes

I love to cook (...obviously).  And the more fresh, whole ingredients involved in the recipe, the more time I am willing to commit to making dinner.  Kind of like a return on investment, I expect the more time put into dinner the better it should taste.  Most nights, dinner can take an hour or more to prepare (especially stopping to take photos along the way).  But some times you find those recipes that defy this logic and it is always a surprise when dinner is on the table before 7:00!

Everyone is always looking for a new, fast chicken dinner.  Something a little more flavorful that grilled chicken and steamed broccoli, but quicker then something that requires marinating, slow cooking, or a lot of extra ingredients.  This recipe is so simple, so fast, and so delicious.  The wine deglazing the pan utilizes all of the caramelized  browned butter.  Dijon mustard adds that slightly spicy complexity.  And the cream adds richness.  Finishing off the chicken in the sauce while it thickens only helps incorporate the flavors even more!

Sticky Drumsticks - total time 45 minutes

Everyone likes a good chicken recipe (well, except vegetarians).  Too often we only use chicken breasts though.  Yes, it is a very meaty portion and has the least amount of fat, so in that sense it is the best cut to use.  But that only makes up a quarter of the chicken (or even less), what happens to the rest?  If we're going to eat meat, we should eat it responsibly, not just by choosing free-range chickens, but also using the whole chicken.

When I saw the Novice Chef's recipe on Pinterest using chicken drumsticks, I knew I wanted to try it.  But knowing we don't like things too sweet, I had to make some edits.

These drumsticks are kind of like a teriyaki glaze, sweet from the honey and a little salty from the soy sauce.  Perfect combination!  Don't forget the wetnaps... you're going to need them!

Broccoli Stuffed Chicken - total time 35 minutes

I used to buy those premade stuffed chicken breasts from the freezer section of my grocery store.  That used to be one of my "I'm in the mood to cook so I'll put these in the oven with some potatoes and we'll have a gourmet dinner that I slaved over a hot stove for".  How times have changed!  I don't even want to know what all was in those little plastic pouches.  I'm sure it was still better than going to a fast food place, but I would rather spend a little more time and energy on what is fueling my body.  Plus, I get to pick the filling... and I pick gouda!

This really is pretty easy.  If you start out with chicken cutlets, you really just lay out the chicken and filling, roll it up, and tie it closed.  I like to use really thick freezer bags covered in a towel to flatten meat... it keeps everything nice and clean.  And then another trick... instead of using toothpicks which can be hard to find once cooked and easy to find when you're taking a big bite... use baker's twine.  At the end you just give it one snip and the twine is easily peeled off.  Plus, it is usually in bright colors and easy to see once cooked.

This recipe is pretty versatile too.  Try it with turkey, pork, of fish.

Buttermilk Ranch Chicken - total time 20 minutes

Can we talk about the easiest chicken recipe ever?  It is fast, simple, few ingredients, flexible... and delicious!

We usually do not have salad dressing in our house, because frankly, we prefer olive oil or just cheese topping our salads.  But recently I bought some buttermilk ranch dressing because people were over for dinner, salad was part of that dinner, and I know most people like a little dressing on salads.  Maybe it is a Midwestern thing, but everyone seems  to love ranch dressing.  I know a few people who put it on everything.  But those few people were not at dinner that night, so of course we didn't finish off a whole bottle in one dinner.  I don't like having half full bottles in my fridge for too long... so I thought... if the main ingredient was buttermilk, it might make for some good pan fried chicken!

While I don't have any doubt that buttermilk ranch pan fried chicken would be delicious, we already had the grill ready to go while I was trying to figure out what to throw on it.  So we ended up trying it two ways... the first way was coated in ranch then covered in bread crumbs and the second way was just ranch.  The breaded one had a bit more ranch flavor, so I'll claim that one as the winner this round!

Oh, and as the runner up recipe... try subbing two tablespoons of ranch in your mashed potatoes instead of sour cream.  Holy moly!

Guinness Pulled Chicken - total time 5 minutes prep & 4 hours cook

Pretty sure this could not get any easier!  I came home for lunch the other day and threw all these ingredients in my slow cooker in about two minutes... went back to work and then came home and dinner was ready to eat!  I may have to do this every time I come home for lunch.  The chicken is so tender.  I think the bed of onions might be the trick though.  Maybe having the chicken lifted away from the pot makes it taste better.  Or maybe the onions are caramelized on the bottom.  Or maybe it is the mix of ingredients for the sauce.  Whatever it is, it is the perfect mix...

Broccoli Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Rollups - total time 1 hour

I have developed a Nat Geo addiction over the past week or so.  Last weekend I watched too many hours of The 80s: The Decade That Made Us which I thought was fascinating.  Two things kept crossing my mind while I stared at the screen... 'how did I not know any of this was going on while I was growing up?' and 'wow, I can't believe we lived without ___ 20 years ago'.  Things I take for granted now, like computers that fit on a desk, internet, cell phones, etc.  Now I do remember the progression of all this technology... the green and black computer screens, getting on the internet for the first time in fourth grade, using my dad's cell phone for the first time in eighth grade... but it is hard to think of life without these things now.

And now Nat Geo has me hooked on Brain Games and I am sure I'll get hooked on The Numbers Game.  Can't multi-task and watch these shows... they take you're full attention. At least one network has something interesting to watch.  I used to default to Cooking Channel or Food Network (are you surprised?), but now those channels are full of reality cooking/baking crap.  I tried to sit through an episode of Cupcake Wars (while doing other things, mind you) and had to change the channel... 

Any way... here is a recipe that you can prepare on a night you have time to cook and save it for a night you don't want to or don't have time to cook but still want a home-cooked meal!

Chicken & Spinach Baked Taquitos - total time 45 minutes

With as much Mexican food that I eat, how could I have lived so long without knowing about taquitos?  They are pretty easy to make.  Pretty much like a sauce-less enchilada, although I believe taquitos are supposed to be fried... they still get a nice crispy shell in to oven.  These make great appetizers with some salsa, guacamole and sour cream for dipping.  Or serve them as a meal with corn and spanish rice.

8 small tortillas
1 lb chicken, shredded
.5 can of beer
1 cup queso cheese, shredded
1 medium onion
2 cups spinach, chopped
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 green onion

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sear chicken in pot, pour beer over chicken and continue to cook for about 8 minutes.  Once cooked, shred chicken with two forks.  While shredding chicken, cook onions and spinach in pot until spinach is wilted.
2.  Combine shredded chicken, spinach, onion, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and shredded cheese in miking bowl. 
3.  Scoop about two tablespoons of mixture into tortillas and roll closed tightly.  Place in casserole dish and bake for 15 minutes.  Turn taquitos and bake for additional 10 minutes