This post is sponsored by Marie Callender’s.
This time of year my family is very busy and we are always looking for ways to save time. It is important to my family to sit down together for a family meal most week nights, but that doesn’t mean it has to be an elaborate time consuming meal. I find that a frozen dinner is a great way to save time and still allow us to enjoy eating together. And it is fun and easy to add a little bit of a twist to the dinner to make it even more special, like I did this week when I served Marie Callender’s Cheesy Chicken and Rice in Puffed Pastry Cups.
The dinner looked and tasted great, and it took no extra time to make the Puffed Pastry Cups to add to the meal. I simply unrolled 2 puffed pastry sheets and cut them into squares. I put the squares into greased muffin tins, poked the bottoms with a fork, and baked them in the oven at 400 F for 15 minutes.
While the puffed pastry baked, I heated the Marie Callender’s meal in the microwave, following the directions on the package. The meal and the puffed pastry cups were done at the same time, making the timing easy! I spooned the casserole into the cups and served it with a simple tossed salad. The two puffed pastry sheets made 18 cups, just the right number to hold the family sized casserole.
Dinner was on table in 20 minutes, and it looked fancy! I love when I can make a nice looking dinner without much effort. And it tasted delicious too. The cheesy sauce was perfect with the crisp pastry cups, and the large pieces of chicken and broccoli were tasty. I used this as a dinner, but it could also make an easy holiday appetizer for a party!
The holidays are all about spending time with family and friends. So, when prepping for a holiday meal, the secret to spending less time in the kitchen is to know where you can save while still creating a look, taste and smell that’s just like homemade. The time I saved make a filling for the pastry cups was time I could use to relax and get chores done.
Marie Callender’s has other suggestions for quick and easy dinners this holiday season. A fridge full of leftovers is a fridge full of opportunity. You can top a Mac & Cheese dinner with leftover turkey and cranberry sauce for quick comfort food. Making a meal for the entire family to enjoy is a delicious way to show you care.
And don’t forget about the Marie Callender’s Comforts from Home program, which I posted about a few weeks ago! Your purchases can help to bring a little bit of home sweet home to our U.S. servicemen and women overseas. Find more tips on how you can enjoy the homemade goodness of Marie Callender’s on the Marie Callender’s Meals Facebook page or Marie Callender’s Tips page.
I am participating in a VIN campaign for Marie Callender’s. I am receiving a fee for posting; however, the opinions expressed in this post are my own. I am in no way affiliated with Marie Callender’s and do not earn a commission or percent of sales.
