Chef Boyardee has always been a favorite in our house, but usually we would just have it as a quick and easy go to meal. But what if you could turn it into an entire meal for your family or entertain a houseful? Well, this weekend, I put that idea to the test. We rounded up some of our favorite people and went to work in the kitchen!
I decided to invite my neighbors and their family over for a fun dinner and dessert. One of their twin daughters loves to cook so she was very excited to come over and help. We decided to make a top secret dinner for her Mom and Dad and brother and sisters. So on party day we turned on some music, and put together a masterpiece for dinner. To help us out we were sent all the right tools, aprons, chef’s hat, mixing bowls, baking dishes, and a timer. I think everyone had just as much fun wearing the aprons and hat!
As part of our party, we had to create a Chef Boyardee recipe to share with everyone. We chose to make the very tasty Pepperoni Spaghetti Bake and added some of our own little touches to the recipe. We added some grated Reggiano and Romano cheeses and baked garlic bread on the bottom. We made a side salad and the meal was complete! Everyone had their own job in the kitchen, and the boys got a kick out of helping mom. This has been a really wonderful opportunity for me and the kids, and the recipes offered really were not that difficult to prepare. This made it easy for the boys and the other kids to participate and enjoy something that they made. The end result was a really tasty meal, spending less time in the kitchen, and more time enjoying family and friends.
Right now through March 11, 2012, you can submit an original recipe that uses Chef Boyardee as an ingredient (anything you can dream up). All you have to do is upload a photo of your recipe, and share why your family loves it. A winner will be chosen based on creativity, all-family appeal, ease of preparation, and palatable appeal by an expert panel of judges. You can win a $500 prize as well as $75 in Chef coupons or the grand prize of free groceries for a year! I don’t know about you, but who couldn’t use a stocked fridge and pantry for the year to make delicious recipes like the ones offered by Chef Boyardee? You can visit the facebook contest for your chance to win.
After all was said and done, everyone loved the meal that was prepared and we could hardly believe that it only took 30-40 minutes to prepare. We loved throwing a party and I loved getting my kids involved in the meal preparation process. It was a great learning experience and most kids like having a role in helping. You can find some more really great Chef Boyardee Recipes on their site. Don’t forget to enter to win free groceries from now until March 11, 2012!
“I wrote this review while participating in a In Home Party campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Chef Boyardee and received product samples to facilitate my party and review, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.”
