Chef Boyardee “Almost Homemade” Meals: Yummy Chilli-roni!

One of my favorite meals as a kid (and college student!) was Chef Boyardee. I loved the taste and convenience of cooking.  I am not sure what happened but I kind of forget about Chef Boyardee.  Now though that I have three kids (one being a newborn) and therefore not a lot of time for dinner, I have found Chef Boyardee to be a lifesaver.

To help out moms prepare simple and delicious “Almost Homemade” meals in 30 minutes or less, Chef Boyardee has come up with some great recipes.  These new recipes incorporate Chef Boyardee products as the main ingredient and range from Ravioli Lasagna to Chilli-roni – check out the five new recipes at http://bit.ly/qq5ucw.

I admit I never thought of using Chef Boyardee as an ingredient in a recipe but it is a great idea.  I love too that I can use Whole Grain versions of Chef Boyardee for an even healthier version of the dishes.  The recipes on “Ready Set Eat” feature the ingredients required, prep time, total time, serves, and reviews.

I found myself craving the Chilli-roni (yes even though it is 100 degrees outside):

Chilli-roni

Ingredients

• 2 can (15 oz each) Chef Boyardee® Beefaroni®
• 1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt’s® Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, drained
• 1 can (8 oz each) Hunt’s® Tomato Sauce-No Salt Added
• 1 can (16 oz each) reduced sodium dark red kidney beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz each) Rosarita® Premium Whole Pinto Beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon Gebhardt® Chili Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in large saucepan; stir to combine.
2. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cook’s Tips

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions or crackers, if desired. Let the kids get involved by placing the ingredients in the saucepan. To help give your family even more of the good stuff they need, you can use Whole Grain Beefaroni instead of Regular Beefaroni.

My kids loved the Chili-roni, which is funny because they won’t eat my homemade chili but when they saw the Chef Boyardee can they decided they would try it.  My husband, who refuses to eat Chef Boyardee after pretty much living on it in college, gave it a try and was also surprised with its taste!  I love that it was quick and easy and gave me the feeling that I whipped up something that wasn’t frozen (which I do most nights!)  I also usually have the ingredients on hand for most of the Chef Boyardee recipes so that is always a plus too!

VISIT:  Look for Chef Boyardee products at your local grocery store and don’t forget to check out the new recipes here for “Almost Homemade” meals for your family!

Mom and More Disclosure:  I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Chef Boyardee and received a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.