Tag Archives: gluten free comfort food

Blake’s Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie

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blakes-chicken-pot-pie-gluten-free-img_20160627_084529163_hdrI absolutely love these Blake’s Chicken Pot Pies. OMG so good. I have eaten them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (not in the same day, but I absolutely would…). You can tell that it is all natural and it really does taste homemade. What a nice departure from “churned out” tasteless and unsatisfying gluten-free microwave meals. Thank you, Blake’s.

The first thing you’re probably wondering about is the crust. Well, it’s delicious. Really. I’m sure the consistency would be better if this was baked (but in Phoenix during the summer, no way I’m turning on my oven. How about you try it baked and tell me how it is?) However, the crust is still good. The flavor is a little on the sweet side, but it’s not a gritty crust like a lot of places try to pass off on you. It’s more of a pastry crust. Even though there’s no bottom crust, it’s still just the right amount for this pie.

blakes-chicken-pot-pie-gluten-free-img_20160627_085528482The best part is the big chunks of tasty white meat chicken. In fact, it’s a generous amount of chicken considering the size of the pie. And this isn’t fatty nasty chicken. It’s breast meat – and really good breast meat at that. Add to it the skin-on red potatoes, carrots, and peas in a very smooth and delectable sauce and you have a winning combination.

Believe it or not, I purchased this at Walmart in the gluten-free or healthy eating freezer section (in WA State, and in Phoenix, so it should be available in a Walmart near you). I’ve also found it at Sprouts stores. Sometimes Sprouts will have them on sale for $2.50 each – if you see that sale, stock up!

If you are looking for something hot, hearty, and delicious, this fits the bill. You can read more about Blake’s here.

HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Blake’s Gluten-Free Shepherd’s Pie

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blakes-shepherds-pie-1Blake’s wins the gluten-free comfort food crown as far as I’m concerned. Their chicken pot pie (which I review later) is amazing, and their shepherd’s pie is hearty, delicious, and oh-so satisfying.

Each forkful is loaded with savory beef, sweet corn, and real potatoes. The flavors complement each other perfectly. If you’re a fan of shepherd’s pie, you’ve got to try this. You can tell they use simple, high-quality ingredients and that makes this dish all the more enjoyable. From their packaging: “Ingredients: potato, cooked ground beef (raised without antibiotics or animal by-products) organic corn, onion, beef stock, natural flavor, whole milk, butter, salt. No artificial ingredients.” What a pleasure. Continue reading →

Amy’s Broccoli & Cheddar Bake

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amys broccoli cheddar bake IMG_9994Amy’s and I don’t have the best of relationships. I find some of their foods a little too “earthy” for my taste. But this gluten-free Broccoli & Cheddar Bake is a winner.

It bursts with robust cheddar flavor and is creamy and smooth. There is always a hint of the broccoli throughout, of course more so when you bite into a floret. And these are nice, bite-size florets – not the “leftover stems or stalks or whatever” pieces you often find in frozen meals.

This dish is certified organic, and has 430 calories, 20 grams of fat, 640mg sodium, 44g carbs, and 16g protein. It heats up in less than 5 minutes and is fantastic comfort food for those cold winter days. Only one thing could make this dish better: meat. (You didn’t realize I was a meatatarian? *sigh*) So I sliced up and heated a hot dog, and then mixed it with the dish. Awesome!

If you love cheese, this is the dish for you. You can always find more information at www.amys.com.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Creamy Polenta & Vegetable Medley

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IMG_4360 creamy polentaThis dish by Eating Right is described in small type on the package as creamy polenta and vegetable blend topped with Marsala sauce. Honestly, I’m not sure how I feel about this. The first time I tried it, I assumed by the photo on the package front – which is loaded with diced tomatoes and sprinkled with melty cheese – that it was going to taste like tomato sauce. But instead I got the Marsala sauce, which has a little sweetness to it that just doesn’t seem right with this dish. I thought maybe that since I was expecting one thing but got something else, that might have been my issue with this.

So, I tried it again. This time I added some cooked, cubed chicken for a little more protein. I feel the same way about it. I really think it would be better with tomato sauce (and I’m not a big tomato fan) than with the Marsala. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t taste badly at all, there’s just a disconnect in the flavors, in my humble opinion. And I don’t get the “creamy” in the name – do they mean the polenta is creamy? I dunno.

For $2.99 (at Safeway), 330 calories, 18 grams of fat, and 8 grams of protein…. If I want comfort food, I’d rather go with the Homestyle Chicken & Rice Pasta, which is lower in fat and higher in protein.

Recommended? Eh. I dunno. I won’t be buying it again.

Udi’s Lasagna

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IMG_4211 udis lasagnaYUM! Hot, hearty, quick, easy, reasonably priced, and delicious. How can you go wrong with that combination? Udi’s has hit it out of the ballpark with this lasagna. So satisfying. The flavor, consistency, and appearance – all great.

Even though when you take the tray out of the microwave the sauce looks a bit soupy, it’s really not. There’s just enough of it to keep it moist. And the sauce is light and flavorful. Spicy smell while cooking, but not spicy to taste. There’s just enough sausage to give it a hint of a very pleasant kick.

The cheese consistency was good. At 5:45, the cook time was very convenient. While it’s frozen, it may look like it needs more cheese on top, but it really doesn’t.

I don’t know about other gluten-free lasagnas, yet, but for $4.99 a single serving, I’ll be looking for this on sale and will buy a few when that happens. Thank you, Udi’s.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Wolfgang Puck Free Range Chicken Soup

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IMG_5659 wolfgang puck compWhen I feel crummy, I want chicken soup. Of course, when I feel crummy, that’s when I don’t feel like making chicken soup. Who wants to go to all that trouble? You? Then send me some chicken soup, will you? (I will say, last time I was ill, a dear, sweet friend made me some turkey soup. All hail turkey-soup-making friends!)

This time, I was prepared. At least I hoped I was. On a recent trip to Safeway trolling for gluten-free foods, I found Wolfgang Puck Free Range Chicken with White and Wild Rice Organic Soup on sale. So I got a can.

I will be completely honest. (What else is new?) When I opened this can, I almost hurled. It smelled TERRIBLE. If your stomach is at all off, I recommend you have someone else open the can. (Sorry, I just call ’em like I see ’em.)

I heated one can of soup in one bowl (see photo). It says on the can there is enough for 2 servings, but I beg to differ if you’re serving it as a meal. If you’re serving it as an appetizer, well, you can probably get away with that. I cooked it for 2-1/2 minutes on high as per the instructions. I recommend putting a plate underneath. It didn’t boil over, but there was a lot of  condensation under the microwave-safe cover.

IMG_5661 wolfgang puck compThe broth was not runny – it was a nice thickness for dipping toast or crackers (or in my case, 1/2 an Udi’s bagel). The texture of the rices was very good. The chicken chunks were a little tough, but not chewy or nasty. My sensitive palette would have liked just a tad less paprika, but for normal people, I’m sure it was fine.

Would I buy it again? I consider this one of those “break glass in case of emergency” foods, so yes. I have a container of Pacific Foods g/f chicken soup ready to try next. We’ll see who wins the spot on my lazy Susan.