Results tagged “frozen dinner”

Healthy Choice Philly Cheese Steak Panini

By: Delia L | Oct 24, 2009

I've never eaten a Philly Cheesesteak, but from what I hear, they're pretty rich and awesome. However, I've never heard anyone call the cheesesteak healthy either, so I was intrigued to check out Healthy Choice Philly Cheesesteak Panini. I've had a few of the other Healthy Choice Paninis, like the Healthy Choice Chicken Basil Panini, with moderate satisfaction, so I was curious about how this one would turn out.

The whole grain bread is pretty reliable with a soft inside and slightly crisp outside with grill marks. The little squares of beef were supposed to simulate steak, but they lacked flavor and didn't deliver. The cheese portion of the Panini consisted of mozzarella, provolone, and a "cheese sauce," which altogether tasted okay, but wasn't really memorable. There are also diced onions and bell peppers in the mix, which were a welcome addition but not particularly noticeable tastewise.

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Weight Watchers Smart Ones Picante Chicken & Pasta

By: Delia L | Oct 22, 2009

I usually don't associate Mexican food with pasta, but I was intrigued by the apparent fusion of the two in the Weight Watchers Smart Ones Picante Chicken & Pasta. This meal is described as, "Tender white meat chicken tossed with bow tie pasta, yellow pepper strips and black beans in a spicy ancho chile sauce."

I was so curious that I tore into it as soon as I got home. The chicken had good texture and was cut into bite-sized pieces (totally unlike what I considered "mystery meat" in the Lean Cuisine Grilled Chicken Caesar). The bow tie pasta also turned out well and the inclusion of the black beans, tomatoes, and bell pepper strips made this meal totally yum! The spicy ancho chili sauce had a nice, pleasant kick that tied all the ingredients together. I have to admit, I find Weight Watchers meals a little blah - not bad, but not really spectacular either. This was an exception and really exceeded my expectations.

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Weight Watchers Smart Ones Lemon Herb Chicken Piccata

By: Delia L | Oct 22, 2009

Before I bought this Weight Watchers Smart Ones Lemon Herb Chicken Piccata, I had no idea what "Chicken Piccata" was, so I looked it up. According to my research, it's basically lemon chicken (which makes the name rather redundant). This meal is actually described as, "Grilled white meat chicken in a tangy lemon sauce with rice & spring vegetables."

The chicken was standard but had a good texture. The mix of white rice and wild rice was also tasty although I would have preferred the wild rice by itself. The vegetable presence in this dish was pretty minimal with thinly sliced carrots and green beans. Usually, the sauce brings all these different components together, but the lemon sauce was a bit too sweet and just didn't hit the spot for me. The dish was lackluster but still edible.

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Lean Cuisine Szechuan Style Stir Fry with Shrimp

By: Delia L | Oct 21, 2009

Because I love seafood and noodles, I was really looking forward to trying the Lean Cuisine Szechuan Syle Stir Fry with Shrimp (try saying that three times fast)! When raw shrimp is included in frozen foods, it can be a toss up as to whether the shrimp is cooked enough upon microwaving. I popped this meal into the microwave for the recommended amount of time, but I had to add an extra minute to get all the shrimp cooked. Microwaves do vary in cooking intensity, and it was only a minor hassle.

The shrimp ended up tasting great, and I really liked the variety of vegetables which included baby corn, snap peas, carrots, and red peppers. The whole grain pasta also had a great texture. The sauce definitely had an Asian influence, but the hot and spicy kick to the sauce was masked by a lot of sweetness. The entree was very cohesive with all the flavors and textures.

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Lean Cuisine Grilled Chicken Caesar

By: Delia L | Oct 21, 2009

I like uncomplicated food, so I picked up the Lean Cuisine Grilled Chicken Caesar when I spotted it in the grocery store. It's described as, "Grilled white meat chicken with broccoli,red peppers & garlic flavored radiatore pasta in a parmesan caesar sauce." This meal comes in a bowl, unlike most of the other frozen meals which come in trays.

The broccoli turned out great, but the pieces of chicken had some areas that were hard to chew. It kind of bugs me when the texture of the chicken makes me wonder what part of the chicken I'm chewing. The best part of the meal, though, was the radiatore pasta, which is Italian for "little radiator." Their chunky shape was fun to eat and held the parmesan-caesar sauce quite well.

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Trader Joe's Lemongrass Chicken Stix

By: Laura S | Oct 20, 2009

I was craving Asian food, but wanted something light for dinner. Spotting Trader Joe's Lemongrass Chicken Stix on my shopping trip, I decided to supplement a healthy bowl of miso and vegetable soup with a few of these delicious treats. I was not disappointed!

The cooking instructions indicate that you can bake these spring rolls in a conventional oven for 10-12 minutes, or deep fry them for 3-4 minutes. I opted for the healthier approach (baking), but you could probably also put them in the microwave for a quick solution; they would just lose a bit of their crispness. Peeking in at them while baking, they looked a bit greasy, but when they came out, they were fine - no blotting required.

Each stick is about half the length of a restaurant-sized spring roll, but unlike restaurant rolls, you get a lot of meat in each one with just a bit of cabbage and vegetables. This bumps the value up and makes you feel like you're getting a lot of bang for your buck. The flavor was delicious, though the lemongrass was very strong. I love lemongrass, but it definitely overpowers the flavor of the chicken in this filling.

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Kashi Lemongrass Coconut Chicken

By: Allison P | Oct 20, 2009

I recently purchased several Kashi meals on clearance at my local Wal-Mart for $1.69 each. One of those meals was the Kashi Lemongrass Coconut Chicken. Kashi describes this as, "Chicken with broccoli florets, carrots, and sugar snap peas are all served over our Kashi Seven Whole Grains and Sesame with red quinoa pilaf. It's then topped with a lemongrass coconut sauce and coconut flakes." Sounds good, right?

This was seriously, seriously BAD. When they say "Lemongrass", what they really mean is lemon scented Pledge. The lemon is so overwhelming that it tastes like you're eating a can of furniture polish. I'm a charter member of the clean plate club, but after the first couple of bites of this, I had to throw it away. It was that nasty. I'm sure the chicken, the grains, etc. would have been fine on their own but anything doused in lemon pledge is just not edible. The only good thing I can say about this meal is that it looked pretty - colorful and basically as advertised on the front of the box.

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Healthy Choice Lasagna Bake

By: Delia L | Oct 19, 2009

It looks like Healthy Choice may no longer be making this as it has the old design, but I found it on sale at Kroger for $1.50 - so in my shopping cart it went. Lasagna is delicious, but calories can be high for a small portion size because of all the pasta, cheese, and sauce tightly packed together. While this Healthy Choice Lasagna Bake isn't my image of quadrilateral-shaped lasagna, it basically has the same ingredients, and altogether, the meal is pretty hearty.

Shaped like crinkled ribbon, the pasta held the cheese and meat sauce well. There was just enough mozzarella cheese to add flavor without going overboard, and the sauce had the standard kick of a tomato sauce. The ground beef and pork contributed another texture to the lasagna, and to round out the meal, there was also a small, separated section for some mediocre broccoli and carrots. While I love vegetables, clearly, the focal point of this meal is the lasagna.

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Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Grilled Whiskey Steak

By: Delia L | Oct 19, 2009

When it comes to meat in frozen meals, I usually go for chicken, but beef can be a healthy option too if it's lean. The Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Grilled Whiskey Steak is a nicely portioned, traditional "steak 'n potatoes" meal. It's described as, "Premium hunks of beef steak, roasted potatoes, and healthy vegetables with a whiskey barbecue sauce, and serving up a whopping 6 grams of fiber."

The beef was cut into bite-size pieces and had a nice texture. The potatoes were delicious and kept their shape well, while the vegetables which included green beans, corn, and tomatoes, added a subtly sweet adjunct flavor. The predominant flavor by far came from the BBQ sauce, which was appropriately sharp and sweet. Although I wouldn't say this is my favorite frozen dinner (or even my favorite from Healthy Choice), it still made for a tasty and delightful lunch.

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Lean Cuisine Baja Style Chicken Quesadilla

By: Emily W | Oct 18, 2009

I spotted Lean Cuisine Baja-Style Chicken Quesadilla in Wal-Mart for $2.29 and decided that it would make for a quick lunch when placed atop a bed of crispy romaine. Better yet, who doesn't love trying a new product?! Lean Cuisine describes this as, "Grilled chicken strips, black beans and corn salsa with reduced fat mozzarella, monterey jack and cheddar cheeses in a flour tortilla."

A few days later, I decided to take it to work with me where I would have it for lunch. After folding the box in an origami manner, you simply place the stuffed tortilla on top of the "crisping panel" and microwave for 2 minutes. Well, being the genius that I am, I realized that the shiny silver crisping panel would only come in contact with one side of the tortilla; so I cleverly (or so I thought) flipped the quesadilla over after 1 minute. When the microwave told me that it was time for lunch, I swung open the microwave door to find lots of the gooey cheese seeping out onto the box. I would not describe the tortilla as crispy in the slightest.

I bit into it and found there was no shortage of robust, southwestern style filling with crunchy corn, smooth black beans and genuine tasting grilled chicken. Best of all, there is an abundance of oozing cheese that just can't be beat. The only turn-off was the slight toughness of the flour tortilla, especially around the edges. Overall, the filling was so good that I almost overlooked the subtle toughness of the tortilla.

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Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake

By: Allison P | Sep 3, 2009

Recently I spotted some Kashi meals on clearance at my local Wal-mart for only $1.69 a piece. Sure enough, 6 of them went into my grocery cart - one of which was the Mayan Harvest Bake. This meal features plantains with roasted sweet potato, black beans and kale, along with a spicy ancho sauce with pumpkin seed garnish served over Kashi seven whole grain polenta - definitely not your garden variety microwaveable meal.

(Photo Credit: FitSugar)

As reported by FitSugar and Vegalicious, this meal is in fact delicious. All the elements were perfectly cooked - no big globs of squishy and unidentifiable veggies. The plantains were WONDERFUL and really make the dish and the spicy ancho sauce is the perfect accompaniment to their sweetness. The polenta was creamy and perfectly seasoned and the pumpkin seeds added a nice crunch. There were plenty of black beans, although there could have been a few more sweet potatoes - but I'm a big sweet potato fan. I ate this for breakfast and it reminded me a lot of the sweet and savory breakfasts I enjoyed while visiting the Dominican Republic a few years back.

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Cedarlane Beans Rice & Cheese Style Burrito

By: Delia L | Sep 2, 2009

I wanted to get away from the usual frozen meals I have for lunch and try something different. As I was cruising the supermarket aisles, I came across Cedarlane Beans Rice & Cheese Style Burrito (Organic) and thought this would do nicely. It seemed quite large, but it turned out that was just a trick of packaging. Nevertheless, it still turned out well.

Based on the name of the burrito, I was expecting lots of beans and grains of rice mixed with melty, stringy cheese, but that's not what I got. While the burrito had plenty of pinto beans, I did a double after seeing the scant amount of rice and cheese. Upon further examination of the burrito and ingredient list, I learned this uses brown rice and non-stringy soy cheese that weren't as noticeable. Though the filling wasn't what I expected, I did find it tasty with a very slight kick and appreciated the extra healthy edge to the burrito.

See more on: Frozen Meals , Organic , frozen dinner, tortillla wrap

Weight Watchers SmartOnes Honey Dijon Chicken

By: Delia L | Sep 1, 2009

When I saw the box for Weight Watchers SmartOnes Honey-Dijon Chicken, I wasn't expecting much flavor from the dish, forgetting that honey dijon has a pretty distinct taste.

In actuality the sauce didn't look that great, but I was pleasantly surprised by the mild sweetness of the Honey Dijon. The chicken was cut into small squares, but there could have been more chicken to fill out the meal. The rice and thinly sliced veggies were fine, and although I don't typically associate honey dijon with rice, it all worked well together.

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Weight Watchers Smart Ones Shrimp Marinara

By: Delia L | Sep 1, 2009

Some people say that seafood tastes better when you're near a harbor, but I get excited by seafood anywhere. I'm even willing to take a chance on seafood in frozen meals. There were so many pieces of shrimp in the picture on the box of this Weight Watchers Smart Ones Shrimp Marinara that I decided to try it out.

Surprisingly, there were quite a few pieces of shrimp in the actual meal, but they were small and precooked, so while all the shrimp were hot at the end of the microwave cycle, there was a resulting lackluster texture. The linguine was fine, and I liked the addition of mushrooms, however, the marinara sauce was too salty, which was unexpected because I have liked the tomato sauce from other frozen meals in the series, like the WeightWatchers SmartOnes Three Cheese Ziti Marinara.

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Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Grilled Chicken Marinara

By: Delia L | Aug 31, 2009

When I bought the Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Grilled Chicken Marinara, I wasn't expecting much with the ordinary description and picture on the box, "chicken breast, pasta & broccoli florets in marinara sauce." When I ate it, though, I was really surprised by how good it was.

The packaging allows the meal to be steam cooked in a compartment that sits on top of the larger bowl of sauce. The penne pasta, bite-sized chicken, and broccoli came out with a nice texture. The Parmesan cheese was sparse but nicely melted on top. The marinara sauce had more dimension than I thought it would with its zing and mild sweetness. Altogether, I would say this was a solid meal.

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Healthy Choice Pumpkin Squash Ravioli

By: Emily W | Aug 31, 2009

I have never been a huge fan of Healthy Choice meals, but after their recent makeover and introduction of new meal options, I figured that it was time to give them another shot. Therefore, I picked up a box of Healthy Choice Pumpkin Squash Ravioli (which is a vegetarian meal by the way), and headed home with an open mind.

The first thing that caught my eye, after spending 6 minutes by my microwave, I cannot say I was thrilled with the appearance. There was something that looked like oil suspended within the watery substance. I had mixed feelings about the taste. The Healthy Choice Pumpkin Ravioli is described as having, "Ravioli stuffed with tender pumpkin and combined with crisp asparagus, sweet butternut squash, and juicy Granny Smith apples, topped with a butter-sage sauce." I thought the pumpkin filling was delightful - each mouthful is rich and flavorful - but, the rest of the meal was mediocre.

The sauce was sub-par and lacking in flavor. As far as vegetables go, the plentiful asparagus was a welcomed addition; but the butternut squash chunks, while flavorful, were way too mushy. Furthermore, I found about 3 random cubes of apples (despite being listed as the fifth ingredient, they fail to make the "front-of-the-box" description). It is almost as though the apples accidentally fell into the tray on their way to the dessert section of the Healthy Choice's Fire Roasted Tomato Chicken entree.

See more on: Frozen Meals , Vegetarian , frozen dinner, pumpkin, ravioli

Garden Lites Broccoli Souffle

By: Jessica | Aug 19, 2009

The first product I tried in the Healthy Delites ... now Garden Lites brand was the Healthy Delites Roasted Vegetable Souffle. I was slightly disappointed, given the incredible nutritional stats, but more relieved that never again would I be tempted to splurge on these, especially after the sale was over. Since I had bought a couple different souffles that first time, I decided to give them a second chance. They were sitting in my freezer anyway, and who knows? Maybe the first one had somehow passed through quality control unnoticed and most were, at the very least, acceptable. I took a deep breath, popped the Garden Lites Broccoli Souffle in the microwave, and prepared for the worst.

This was much better. When I took it out, piping hot, I was actually met by a pleasant aroma. Upon taking the first bite, the first thought that came into my mind was "Where have you been all my life?" The souffle did not look or taste burnt in any way, unlike the Roasted Vegetable Souffle I'd previously tried. The outer layer was just slightly crispy, and the inside was soft and moist. The entire thing was bursting with flavor, and I enjoyed every last bite. There is a definite onion undertone, which didn't bother me as I love onions, but if you don't you may want to be aware of this beforehand.

See more on: Frozen Meals , Natural Foods , Vegetarian , frozen dinner

Kashi Veggie Medley Pocket Bread

By: Delia L | Jun 26, 2009

I'm always looking for new frozen lunch options. I spotted Kashi Veggie Medley Pocket Bread in the supermarket, and since this was new to me, but looked like a healthy option, I decided to try it. My enthusiasm waned when I saw the price tag, but serendipity intervened, and I got a great coupon from my market, making it a more realistic purchase for me.

The pocket bread looks like an elongated dinner roll and was denser than I expected. After microwaving, I cut it in half so that it matched the picture on the box. The thick, soft outer covering of bread, which is made from 7 whole grains and sesame, was very satisfying. It's full to overflowing with vegetables that make up the filling, including red peppers, onions, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, and white beans. The balsamic basil sauce is fairly mild but tasty, and the entire pocket bread is vegan.

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Kashi Sicilian Veggie Pizza

By: Emily W | Jun 26, 2009

Pizza is one of my top 5 favorite foods. Because of this, I am determined to find nutritious varieties that will fit into my healthy dietary regime, without sacrificing on taste. When I first saw the description of Kashi Sicilian Veggie Pizza, I knew I had to find it. Kashi says, "Experience taste inspirations from the south of Italy with this new stone fired pizza. This pizza blends all-natural ingredients and appealing flavors with its caramelized onions, grilled eggplant, fire roasted red peppers and kale that lay on top of a balsamic infused white bean tomato sauce."

Kashi wasn't lying. The Kashi 7 Whole Grains & Sesame crust is tried and true - soft and doughy, with an irresistible crunch taking emphasis. The cheese is not missed here because there is so much flavor going on. The caramelized onions, eggplant and roasted red peppers add not only their own unique flavor, but also a delightful textural element; while the subtle, yet flavorful balsamic-infused white bean tomato sauce completely makes the dish. The curly kale contributes to the colorful appearance, but does not add too much to your palate taste-wise. Overall, I feel that Kashi really stepped it up and created a great addition to the frozen food market for vegans and non-vegans alike.

See more on: Frozen Meals , Vegetarian , frozen dinner, pizza

Amy's Mexican Tamale Pie

By: Ellen | Jun 25, 2009

When I read the review of Amy's Kitchen Shepherd's Pie, I was intrigued - a wholesome, healthy microwaveable meal? I had to try one of these products for myself. Since the Amy's Mexican Tamale Pie was on sale for $2.79 at my local grocery store, I decided to go with that hoping it would be just as good as.

The picture on the front was appealing, and the ingredient list was pretty simple (94% organic), a mix of mostly pinto beans, tomato puree, corn, zucchini, onions, cornmeal). The first thing you should probably know is that this is definitely not large enough to be considered a meal; however, it does make for a good-sized mini-meal. I popped the tamale pie into the microwave to test it out. Unfortunately, I had a lot of trouble getting it to heat thoroughly - frustrating! I found that the sides would boil up and threaten to spill, while the center remained frozen. However, after a bit of trial and error, I was able to get the pie heated thoroughly, mostly by turning the power on the microwave down a bit. When it was finally heated, I took the pie out of the microwave to let it cool for a few minutes.

I cut into the corn meal polenta topping with a spoon and took a bite. The combination of polenta, veggies, and beans was tasty without being overly flavored or spiced. The beans were definitely my favorite part as the polenta was a bit chewy, but then again I'm not a huge polenta fan to begin with. The topping did pair well with the veggies and beans, though, so it wasn't a big deal.

See more on: Frozen Meals , Gluten Free , Natural Foods , Vegetarian , frozen dinner