Prego Value Challenge

A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by a PR rep from M80 for Prego and asked if I would be interested in testing out their new $10 Value Pack. Being someone who is always interested in new products and ways to save money and time, I was happy to jump in on this one. If dinner can be made quickly and inexpensively (especially in the current economy), I'm all over that.

I received a box that included a pound of penne pasta, a can of green beans, a small container of Kraft Parmesan cheese, a bottle of McCormick California Style Garlic Powder and Prego Tomato Basil and Garlic Sauce. With these ingredients to be used, I began thinking of the different ways I could use them. Based on the ingredients on hand, I went with a dinner that could go together quickly and without the need to refer to a recipe. Not that hard to do since a large portion of the meal was made up of products that were provided by Prego.

I decided that I would use some Pillsbury Bread Sticks that I had on hand and seasoned them with the Garlic Powder and sprinkled each with the Parmesan cheese. Then just to make them more interesting, I "tied" them into mini knots, and baked for about 12 minutes. The seasoning was very flavorful and could be used in many different ways, but if you don't like garlic go a bit lighter on this one. Everyone in my family enjoyed these quite a bit. They were also delicious dipped in the Tomato Basil sauce.

Next, I decided that I'd cook up the pasta and heat the tomato sauce in a separate pan so that we could each add the amount of sauce we like. Everyone has a different preference in my family, and that's a simple thing to accomodate. I also like to add chicken or some other protein to dinner each night. So, I used two chicken breasts and sliced them into very thin pieces. I liberally seasoned them with my favorite Italian seasoning - Tuscan Sunset from Penzey's. After a saute in extra virgin olive oil, they were cooked up in no time at all.

With only the addition of some bread sticks and chicken, this was a complete dinner for a little over $10. Everyone enjoyed each part of it. The sauce was delicious, even though it was slightly sweeter than others that we frequently purchase. I was even told by My Boys that they liked it so much, we should have this meal again. I'm sure I'll accomodate them since it was a simple dinner to make and it made everyone happy. You also can't beat the price!

We even had enough leftover for 2 additional servings that My Husband and I can take for lunch tomorrow! Double Bonus!