dinner in a box

Every once in a while, I come across a product at the ole' supermarket that makes my life in the kitchen easier, and is worth spreading the word.   I saw this on the shelf a few weeks ago (not sure if its new, but it was new to me) and decided to give it a whirl. 

We usually like eating at Macaroni Grill, but we try not to eat out too much since a) its expensive and b) eating out with Logan is usually about as much fun as pouring rubbing alcohol into an open wound.  Sometimes we do torture ourselves, but for the most part I try to cook most meals at home.   I also try to find things the kids will like, so I'm not making the kids one entree, and us another entree.  I try to make things they'll at least eat part of, and maybe add some additional fruit, etc.  My kids are picky eaters, so I'm slowly trying to expand their tastes to new variations of things I know they like (i.e. chicken, pasta).

Everything you need to make this yummy meal comes in the box, except the chicken (tip: buy raw chicken tenders, and not split breasts, and you'll save yourself the step of cutting them up..even easier).  The two flavors we've tried so far (Chicken Marsala and Creamy Basil Chicken) also required a couple of TBSP's of butter and/or a small amount of milk.  The amount of dry pasta they give you isn't impressive and my boys are heavy pasta eaters, so just add another handful of dry pasta to what they give you.  It makes plenty of sauce and you'll be fine.

I think this runs about $5 a box, but if you click here you can get a coupon for $1 off.

In a word, we think they're delicious.  The Marsala sauce was awesome, really rich and flavorful.  And the creamy basil sauce was delicious too...full of flavor and tasted like a homemade sauce.  Didn't have a 'boxed' flavor at all.  If you wanted to cut a few fresh sprigs of basil and put on top, you could fool company!

My boys have eaten both flavors and liked them, and we'll be trying others.  I think there's a Chicken Picatta, Chicken Alfredo, and a Garlic and Herb Chicken Penne.

Don't get me wrong...we love good homemade food and making fresh food from scratch is first choice.
But when its a weeknight, and you need something quick and easy but still want it to be relatively nutritious and delicious, I'm all for dinner in a box.