Campbells Skillet Sauce Review Creamy Parmesan

In my kit I received a package of Creamy Parmesan Chicken Campbell's Skillet Sauce. Each package serves four people and with there being 8 of us, another package was definitely needed. Thankfully the price was really affordable so I didn't break my food budget. I used the extra $1.00/1 coupon I received in my coupon book and put it to good use! I grabbed some boneless, skinless chicken, some green onions, and I was ready to go.

 The package was really easy to open and contained more sauce than I thought. It's so simple all you have to do is open it up and pour it on top of your cooked chicken. You can bake, broil, boil, or grill your chicken before hand. You don't even need pasta, but I definitely felt like it needed some some so I made some veggie rotini. The sauce was creamy and rich, and thankfully not salty tasting. Since I've started cutting down on my salt intake I've noticed that things that aren't salty to the family, are salty for me. With that I was sure that I wouldn't be able to stomach this because sadly cheese is salty.

The recipe is practically not needed, but here it is anyway just in case.

Creamy Parmesan Chicken

What You Need 

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil 
• 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2" pieces

3 Simple Steps

• Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. 
• Add chicken and cook until browned. 
• Stir in sauce and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 5 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

 Campbell's Skillet Sauces come in 7 different varities including:

• Creamy Parmesan Chicken
• Sweet & Sour Chicken
• Chicken Marsala
• Sesame Chicken
• Thai Curry Chicken
• Bacon Cheddar Beef
• Shrimp Scampi

All of them only require a small amount of ingredients and only 3 simple steps to make the meal. Just because it's simply and easy, doesn't mean you aren't getting quality. From the ones I've tried (shrimp scampi, creamy parmesan, and sweet & sour), you get a ton of flavor for a really affordable price.




Disclaimer: I received the product for FREE in return for my honest review from Crowdtap and Campbell's. All opinions are my own and no further compensation was received.

Swanson Cream Starter Review

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

made with Swanson Cream Starter

So part of my Crowdtap #DiscoverCampbells mission kit I received a carton of Swanson's Cream Starter. I was sort of at a loss at what to make because I've never used this type of cream before. I am not a fan of clam chowder - or any chowder for that matter, so I went online. I went to CampbellsKitchen.com and looked up some recipes using the Swanson Cream Starter. I found the website easy to navigate, but sadly not many recipes utilizing the cream starter. I opted for the very simple and very safe: Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Who doesn't love mashed potatoes? They're certainly a main staple in my household so I knew they would go over well.

The recipe is as follows -
Ingredients:

• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes (about 5 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup Swanson® Cream Starter Traditional or 25% Reduced Fat or Swanson® Cream Starter 25% Reduced Fat
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened 

Instructions

1. Place the potatoes and garlic into a 3-quart saucepan.  Add water to cover.
2. Heat over medium-high heat to a boil.  Cook for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.  Drain the potato mixture well in a colander.  Return the potato mixture to the saucepan.
3. Mash the potatoes.  Stir in the cream starter and butter.  Season with salt and black pepper.

This recipe is so simple that I know the kids could make this themselves. This is so simple that even the person with the worst cooking skills ever couldn't really mess this up. I made some baked meatballs with gravy and some corn to finish off the meal.

The carton was easy to open and easy to hold, so if you have issues with arthritis it won't give you any problems. The cream itself smelled pretty good, the thickness was good, and tasted good as well. I did get a little taste of the cream before I put it in the mashed potatoes. At that point there was still time to back out if I didn't like the smell or taste. The kids and I are those kinds of eaters - if it doesn't smell or look good, we ain't eating it.

The potatoes came out really good, really creamy and smooth. The only thing I'd do different would be to scale back the garlic as it was just too intense a flavor for the kids. They still ate it and said it was good, but just that it was too garlicky. I liked it and thought it was fine, so I would add half the amount of garlic first and then go from there.

Overall the cream starter is super easy to use and I'm looking forward to using it in many more different recipes. If you only buy it for mashed potatoes though, it'll be totally worth it, much creamier than when using milk.

 Disclaimer: I received this product  for FREE with the sole purpose of trying it out in my home. All opinions are my own and no further compensation was given.

Food Recipe: Pico de Gallo

So I'm not really a huge fan of salsa, I'll admit it. I think its a textural thing with it being not really smooth or chunky. I'm big on texture and anything that doesn't seem just right throws me off. Yes this means I end up turning away from a lot of foods, but I can't help it. Salsa is just one of those things that just doesn't rub me the right way, but I love the flavors. A great alternative to regular soupy weird salsa is "Pico de Gallo", which oddly enough means rooster's beak. I'm guessing it comes from the fact that the jalapeno or serrano peppers can sometimes "poke" you with its spiciness. I love making pico de gallo for every occassion as you don't really need a reason to make it. Also because you're just using veggies its actually a great snack, so skip the queso dip! The best thing is that its really easy to make - get ingredients, chop them up, throw them in a bowl, add some lime juice, a touch of salt and all done. Seriously can't get any simpler than that and its great with some chips or put them on some pork, chicken, and even beef.

Ingredients:
1-2 tomatoes, chopped or diced (I like smaller pieces)
1 Small onion, chopped or diced (Again your preference small or big)
1/2 Cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional - I personally don't use this in mine)
1-2 jalapeno or serrano peppers (seeded for less heat or leave the seeds in)
1 Clove garlic, minced (optional - I personally don't use this in mine)
3-4 limes (for a juicier lime look for one without a lot of "skin")
Salt and pepper to taste.


Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients and let it sit for awhile, at least an hour. That way all the flavors will be able to mix well together and it'll taste fantastic. So there ya go really simple and easy snack right? Do you guys like pico de gallo or salsa? Have any fun ways you like to eat it? I'd love to hear from ya'll.

belvita

I love these biscuits, they're delish and do exactly what they say they'll do. I can tell ya one thing don't get these confused with cookies because they're not. I didn't really understand why they were called biscuits though. It's true what most of our friends "across the pond'  consider biscuits - we think of them as cookies. Whatever you call them biscuit or cookie they're still pretty darn tasty. They are not too sweet and are a bit harder than I was expecting. I like more chewy soft type cookies and such, this was hard and crisp.  

The biscuits themselves are oval shaped and you get four in the pack. They aren't too thick and at first I thought they would leave me hungry. That wasn't the case at all! After two I was already feeling a bit full, of course I had a glass of milk, but never thought I'd be full. After the third biscuit I bowed out and left the last one to be split in two by my nephews. Three biscuits and I was full and ready to go. As the house passed and when I'd normally start feeling that hunger again...it didn't come. Nope I was still full and didn't feel like eating anything at all. Once lunch time came I hadn't even realized I hadn't snacked on a thing since breakfast. I didn't need to and it was nice. I had myself a salad for lunch and drank some water and wondered.

I wondered what was in those three biscuits that could leave me feeling so full when other breakfasts had not. Because they're made to slowly release carbs to keep your body feeling full and keep you ready to go.
Also they're made with five wholegrains, they’re rich in cereals, a source of fibre, they contain no added colours or preservatives and have a low glycemic index (GI). So far there are only five flavors of belvita in the US. Our UK friends have 6 with two different yogurt varieties. So if you're looking for a great on the go breakfast then you need to check out belvita!



Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received. I purchased these products on my own because I wanted to try them out.

Campbell's Braised Beef Stew

 CAMPBELL'S SLOW KETTLE SOUP

 BRAISED BEEF STEW

I was lucky to get to try out the new Campbell's Slow Kettle Soup. It comes in a pop top small tub, where the top works as the cover. There are 7 different varieties as of now:

• Braised Beef Stew
• Kicken Crab and Sweet Corn Chowder
• Portobello Mushroom & Madeira Bisque
• Roasted Chicken & Chardonnay
• Southwest-Style Chicken Chili
• Tomato & Sweet Basil Bisque
• Tuscan-Style Chicken & White Bean

All of the Campbell's Slow Kettle soups contain less than 300 calories per serving. For every soup you get 2 servings of 1 cup. I got the top off and grabbed the tab, sadly though it was a little work to get the top actually open. I was kind of scared of spilling it every where. Once it was opened up I can honestly say I didn't think it was very appetizing. The orange color with the tiny bits of veggies floating around didn't get me thinking happy thoughts. But you never know how something will taste until you try it out. So I grabbed a pan and dumped the soup into it so it could get nice and hot.

Don't laugh at my extremely beat up pot!

While I waited for the soup to heat up I decided to check out the nutritional values and all that good stuff. I was actually really saddened by what I saw. I have been trying to live more healthy this year which means cutting down on my salt intake, calories, and carbs. The sodium was 830mg for just one serving. Everything else was fine for me, but for having that little bit of a serving it was just too much salt. For adults you should have anywhere from 1,500mg to 2,400mg daily so to have almost half of that in 1 cup of soup is just not acceptable for me. With that being said I measured out my 1 cup and planned the rest of my day around it so I could really try it out and give my honest opinion. It's a good thing I love salads because I had a great salad for dinner.

Now back to the soup! It has braised beef with baby bella mushrooms, carrots, celery, roasted potatoes and burgundy wine. The beef was tender and not chewy at all, it fell apart so easily. The potatoes were firm and not mushy. I didn't notice the mushrooms too much, they were cut a bit small and really blended in with everything else. The carrots and celery were a bit softer than I like, but they weren't unpleasant. The taste was good and wasn't salty at all, which was a good thing.

Overall, the taste was good, the quality was there and it made a good, albeit small, lunch. I really hope that Campbell's makes a lower sodium version of these because they are really tasty. I did also try the chicken chili and wow - delish!

Disclaimer: I was sent this product by Smiley360 for the sole purpose of trying the product out. All opinions are my own and no compensation was received.

Lean Cuisine Salad Additions

 SALAD ADDITIONS: SOUTHWEST-STYLE CHICKEN

So I have been really trying to stick to my guns when it comes to eating healthier. That means watching my salt intake, portion sizes, and cutting out junk food. I love eating salads and happily will eat them for lunch or dinner, granted they have tons of carrots. So while perusing the frozen section I noticed Lean Cuisine's Salad Additions. Sadly my area store only had the Southwest Style Chicken, but there are three other varieties. The other three are: Asian Style Chicken, Bistro Chicken and Cranberry & Chicken. The salad additions are pretty affordable with them being about $249 each. Don't forget to check your papers for coupons because there are usually some for $0.75/1.

The kit came in three different packages: the chicken and veggies, chipotle salad dressing, and crispy tortilla shreds. The chicken comes with corn, roasted red pepper, and poblano peppers.

The chicken and veggies went straight into the microwave for about 2 1/2 minutes. Leave the bag in there for a bit because it is steaming hot. Believe me do not just try and grab it because you will burn your fingers. After letting it cool down I opened up the bag and this is what I saw. Yup the colors are that bright! The reds, yellows, and greens really livened everything up. Sadly I found that I'm not a fan of roasted peppers. The texture just threw me off and I'm a sucker for texture. For me it was just too soft and so out the went, but not in the trash. I put them aside and ended up saving them for breakfast - mixed them with some eggs and onions, yum!

For me a salad isn't a salad without cheese. Okay so I know cheese isn't the healthiest option as it can have a lot of salt, but its skim milk cheese okay? I used a mixture of baby greens, which I love, and added the chicken and what was left of the veggies right on top. I threw the tortilla shreds and some cheese and got some light ranch dressing to finish it off. Yes I also found that I do not really like chipotle. I thought I'd give it a try even though I didn't like chipotle dip, yea not happening.  I don't think the ranch dressing took away from the salad additions though. Everything was super crisp and tasty, and the chicken was so tender and juicy. I definitely would like to try the other varieties as I am really going to do it this time. I've gone down one pant size so far and hoping to drop some more.

So have any of you out there tried the Lean Cuisine Salad Additions? If so what did you think about it? I'd love to hear your opinions about it.

Disclaimer: This review is my opinion only and no compensation was given. I purchased the products for myself and loved them.

MorningStar Farms Grillers Original

MorningStar Farms Grillers - Original

So I hadn't tried the meatless hamburgers ever because lets face it, I'm a meat eater. I like hamburgers on a grill with some sharp cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, and some mayo. That sounds good doesn't it, well good in taste but not so much in health. A hamburger has tons of fat so good look finding a tasty hamburger for 130 calories. Well I've found one and it was really surprising.


So my first thought when I hear veggie burgers is some weird smelling and tasting hockey puck with no real meat flavor. I envisioned some weird cardboard texture as those health "nuts" try to sucker me into thinking their meatless burger is better than the real thing. So I didn't want to be to adventurous and try the black bean versions, I can say I've never even tried black beans. So I went with the original. You can't really ever go wrong with the original. The price was pretty affordable for 4 burgers and I was completely surprised that they were only 130 calories. They came four to the box and were packaged in singles. I wasn't too sure about how the little plastic package would hold up to my freezer. Nothing worse than some freezer burned burgers. *Note: the next day I did make another burger and no freezer burn. I still would  like to see different packaging, maybe one you can either pinch or zip close.

Another thing that I would have really like was for the burger to be a little more juicy. It was kind of flat and just sat there staring at me with its little sad flat face. Okay so it was kind of like a flat hockey puck after microwaving it. It was kind of dry and that really frightened me. I want a real burger feeling when I eat this so wasn't hopeful at all that this would turn out to be good. Guess what, I was wrong! Okay now make sure you screen shot that because it isn't often that I admit my errors. While the burger wasn't juicy, there wasn't any weird taste nor weird texture. It didn't feel like I was eating a piece of cardboard, or even a hockey puck. It had great flavor and I really didn't think it wasn't real meat. The next time though I did add some seasoning to it, something that I would do if I made hamburgers myself. These could have totally passed for a "insert fast food restaurant name here" burger, as it had the same texture just was that these are way healthier for you. I enjoyed my meatless veggie burger on some white bread with some nice juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and some mayo. The tomatoes and mayo definitely helped with keeping the burger moist.

I'm definitely glad I gave these a chance and actually bought more because you can't beat a great tasting burger with only 130 calories. I really want to go back and get the "meat" crumbles because I totally see some "nachos compuestos" being made with them. So if you're looking for a meatless alternative I would really check out MorningStar Farms. The make a wide range of meatless products from burgers to sausages! They're products are all pretty affordable and available in many different stores across the country.





*Disclaimer: I got coupons from BzzAgent and MorningStar Farms to try out my choice of their product. All opinions are my own and no further compensation was given.

Kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce

 

Less Sodium Teriyaki

 So I got some coupons courtesy of Smiley360 to do a review on Kikkoman's Juicy Bird Project using Soy Sauce. I was given 2 coupons one for a free product and the other was a buy 1 get 1 free product. With the latter I bought this bottle of Low Sodium Teriyaki Marinade and Sauce. I am trying to cut my salt intake so opted for low sodium in the teriyaki, it is still a little high at 13% DV but it could have been worse.

I had some beef short ribs already thawed out and waiting to get tasty. I grabbed a bag tossed them in and added some teriyaki sauce to it. The smell was pretty strong and it was everywhere in the kitchen. I knew it was going to be even better on my beef. I then thought, hmm what would take it up another notch? ONION! I love using onion in my dishes to add some extra flavor. I just cut them up in slices and threw them in the bag, and then I threw in some pepper as well. I let it sit in the bag for about 35 minutes and then it was ready to cook.


I placed them on a pan added a tiny bit of water and put them in the oven at 350. I would have covered them up with some foil, but sadly I had run out of it. I let them cook till their inner temp was 160. Always make sure your meat, pork, and poultry is cooked all the way through. I'd hate to see any of you guys on an episode of, "Monsters Inside Me". Temps should be between 140 and 160 to make sure all the bacteria inside your protein is good and dead.

I had some of the ribs just tenderized with some of my regular spices as well as some onion to see if there was a difference between the two. The beef that was marinated in the Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce was juicer and much more flavorful. It had a great taste to it and everyone loved it!

If you ever have a chance then you need to go out there and buy yourself a bottle of Kikkoman's Teriyaki Marinade and Sauce. It isn't very expensive, about $2.84, so it definitely won't hurt to try it out. You can find them in grocery stores all over the world so keep your eyes peeled.



*Disclaimer: I received coupons for free product from Smiley360 and Kikkoman to do a review. No further compensation was given and all opinions are my own.

Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce

COUNTRY BOB'S ALL PURPOSE SAUCE

So was excited to be able to review Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce. I got two 13oz bottles which I knew would be put to some good use in my home. We love bbq and bbq sauce, we go through at least 6 bottles a month! Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce has been made since 1968, so you know it's got to be good!

This isn't your typical bbq sauce though, its more like a steak sauce. The consistency of the sauce is really loose, but not watery. It has a great flavor with it not being too spicy at all. You can use it on almost anything from steak, chicken to pork - either grilled or marinated. You can use it in other recipes as well like soups, stews, and baked beans! It is the most versatile "bbq sauce" I've ever had.

Tiny bits of bbq goodness!

Now I had my choice of things that I could make using it and for one day I decided a bbq breaded popcorn chicken salad would be super tasty. I got my chicken pieces lightly breaded them, popped them in the oven to bake, and when they were done I splashed some Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce on them and tossed them around a bit. A little went a long way so just about a tablespoon was enough to evenly coat the chicken. I then got my greens - a mixture of baby lettuce, a tiny bit of sharp cheddar, and dinner was served! The kids loved it and it was a healthier treat that everyone could enjoy. The kids wanted me to make this again so I guess it's on the menu from now on.

The next day I figured I'd marinate some pork ribs in it, can't get more bbq than that, right?  Anyway I poured some on and let it sit for about 1hr before I started cooking it. I like my pork a little softer so I add a tiny bit of water to the bottom and cover it up with foil. The sauce left the pork super juicy and tender and full of flavor. For good measure I added some more to it because I love tons of sauce! Of course everyone loved it and they what kind of sauce was on them. Did I mention the kids love sauce? I ended up running out of one bottle that day because they all wanted some more to dip their pork ribs into to. Sadly I had to oblige because there would certainly have been a small riot.

If you're looking for a great tasting, versatile, flavorful sauce you definitely have to get some Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce. You can get 6 bottles for about $25.00 shipped, or about $4.17 ea, straight out of Illinois, USA. They have more great products on the website so head on over to check them out for yourself!


Disclaimer: I received two bottles of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce to do a review with. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was given.