I love, love, love Italian food. To be honest, however, I have not been very impressed with many of the frozen entrees available at my local grocer. Either the ingredients are too salty, the meat tastes bland, or it is entirely too greasy for my taste. I was asked by Michael Angelo's to sample some of their frozen menu items as part of a dinner party I was having for some out-of-town friends. Since I only see these friends one time a year, I was really wanting to impress them. I felt like I took a chance by blindly serving them products I've never tried before, but I took the plunge.
Here is how our dinner party went...
First, I served the Michael Angelo's Flatbread as an appetizer. These are so delicious, because the pepperoni and salami pieces were substantial, and the cheese was authentic and gooey. I sliced each flatbread into 3 pieces, and the kids really loved these the most!
Next, I put out a few Michael Angelo's entrees for the main course. I wasn't too certain these would cook through with just the 45 minutes cooking time from frozen, but they did! The eggplant parm (shown below) had crispy, golden edges, just like I like it. This was supposed to serve just 5 people, but the portions are very meaty with eggplant and cheese. We easily cut this into 8 servings.
Next was the Chicken Piccata. This was a rich and buttery dish with a nice seasoning and chunks of artichokes. I made some whole-wheat noodles to put it on, and it was perfect! The chicken was tender and lemony!
Finally, the Meat Lasagna was very popular. Everyone tried some, and it was your basic lasagna with real ground meats. It tasted homemade!
We also enjoyed fresh salad and a warm homemade garlic bread. It was so much food for the 9 of us, but our guests stayed into the evening, and we enjoyed the leftovers as a second meal.
Finally, we whipped up a homemade tiramisu. I didn't have any marscapone on hand, so I improvised with some cream cheese, whipping cream, and frozen whipped topping. It was delicious!
Our meal was warm, casual, and very relaxing. I can't tell you how nice it was to put everything in the oven the hour before they arrived, kick on our ice maker, and set the table. When our guests got there, all of the work was done. There was no checking on the food -- it baked itself. I was proud of the meal I had made, and I have since purchased several of the Michael Angelo's items for my family while I'm away on trips. (Plus, I have a secret addiction to the Eggplant Parm -- which I think is the BEST I have ever had. I love to bake it up and snack on it throughout the next few days. It's very good reheated!)
Michael Angelo's is available at Walmart, in the frozen Italian dinner section. You can expect each dish to contain small batch, made from scratch entrees with no unnecessary additives, artificial colors/flavors/fillers/ or preservatives. Just read the ingredients; it's a simple list of good stuff you are already familiar with -- and the flavor proves it!
Wanna Win? We are giving one lucky reader 3 coupons good for a free Michael Angelo's Flatbread. To be entered to win, just tell us which flatbread variety you would choose to try first!
You have until May 27th at 11:59 pm CST to get your entries in. We'll randomly pick one winner to get the prize. Open to U.S. residents ages 18+ only, one entry per person. Full promotional rules here.
*Samples and gift card received to facilitate party and post. Opinions are 100% my own.
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