“Italy Is Served” with Bertolli

November 7, 2013

One of the biggest struggles I’m learning to overcome with my new job is balancing work and home. When I was working from a home office just a few short months ago, I could take a little bit of time during the morning or afternoon to prep a few things for dinner. It wasn’t like I presented a six-course meal each night, but I felt as though I was putting new dishes on the dinner table on the regular. I have long felt that one of the best ways to show love is through food. Sharing food with my family is extremely important, and the ability to share a meal with Justin on a weeknight is still just as paramount now that I’m busy in the mornings and afternoons as it was when I had more time to experiment in the kitchen. Even if our days are overloaded, we always take the time to sit down at our table and have dinner together. It’s a time for us to relax, recount the events of the day to one another, and enjoy something delicious on our plates. Both of us were lucky enough to grow up in homes where we sat around the table each night with our families. It’s a tradition I want to continue in the future, even if it takes a bit more effort to do so, it is absolutely worth it in the end! I’ll be completely honest: Ordinarily, the terms “frozen meal” and “Katie” do not go together. I feel like a lot of you might be reading this and wondering why in the world I would be talking about one. I am usually not the biggest proponent of frozen meals; I think back to the days of the TV dinners with the sectioned microwave trays (I know I ate a few when I was a kid). However, frozen food has really come a long way, and bringing some prepared meals into my kitchen on occasion might not be out of the question any longer.

I recently sampled one of Bertolli’s Frozen Single-Serve dishes. There are six varieties of Bertolli’s Rustico Bakes to choose from: Stuffed Shells Alla Vodka, Chicken Parmigiana and Penne, Italian Sausage and Meatball Rigatoni, Chicken Portabella Ravioli, Ricotta and Spinach Cannelloni, and Creamy Spinach Rollatini. I thought the Chicken Portabella Ravioli would be a treat for dinner, and I was happy to discover I was correct. The ravioli were generously stuffed, and the pasta was actually al dente, as advertised! There was just enough sauce included with the dish; it was rich and creamy but didn’t overpower the pasta. As I was heating the dish (you can use either the microwave or the oven), Justin began to notice the aroma of mushrooms and sauce wafting from the kitchen and commented on how great it smelled. I served up the pasta on a bed of fresh arugula from our garden to add an extra kick, as well as a side salad for added vegetables. I have to say the meal turned out quite wonderfully, and was prepared quickly to boot! Now, are all of my meals going to turn into this? No, and that’s the truth. However, I am glad to know there is an option available to me for those days when I just don’t think I can put together a meal from start to finish in the amount of time available to me. Everyone has their meal shortcuts. You might keep a bag of frozen mixed vegetables in the freezer for an emergency stir fry; you might keep a box of macaroni and cheese on hand in your pantry for times of weeknight desperation. It happens. Here’s another potential dinnertime savior to add to your list. And it is even easy enough to put together that I can task Justin with getting dinner ready if the need arises. Hey…I can’t say that doesn’t sound tempting at times! The Bertolli Rustico Bakes could certainly serve as a stress reducer for me. Plus, who can resist a little comfort food? Visit Bertolli’s website or Facebook page to see all the new flavors and varieties of meals. Visit your local freezer aisle to bring home restaurant-worthy meals today! And guess what? You can be entered for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card! Comment below and tell me:

Which Bertolli meal is your favorite or which would you most like to try?

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This sweepstakes runs from 11/7/2013-12/4/2013.

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