Comfort Foods – From Restaurant to Box
When we first moved to California, DH and I spent a lot of time just soaking up the new environment. There was so much to see and do. So much to take in. So much culture.
One of the things I loved most was the change in food. So many restaurants with flavors I had never experienced before. Of course, we also discovered home-style comfort foods at restaurants like Marie Callender’s Restaurant and Bakery.
When we moved back to Iowa, we gave up some of our favorite restaurants. Luckily, we still get a taste of some of those restaurants in the freezer section at the store.
I enjoy a lot of the products from the Marie Callender’s line of foods, but one of my favorites is their line of pot pies. I mostly enjoy the plain Chicken Pot Pie that we’re able to pick up in bulk at Sam’s Club. I just discovered via this campaign through The Motherhood there are several other varieties I didn’t even know existed!
After checking out the selection at the grocery store, I opted for two that I’ve never had before – Creamy Parmesan Chicken Pot Pie and Creamy Mushroom Chicken Pot Pie.
I had to work the other day so I decided to pack a pot pie for my lunch instead of the typical sandwich. Concerned for calories, of the two in my freezer, I selected the one with the least calories – Creamy Parmesan Chicken Pot Pie. Cooking it up was a snap. Since I was at work, I tossed it in the microwave there. Surprisingly, the crust came out of the microwave flaky and brown. I totally expected mush!
Once I cut into it, I was met with the same hearty and delicious characteristics as the traditional Marie Callender’s Chicken Pot Pie that I was used to eating. The crust is like homemade while the inside is full of chunks of meat and vegetables. It was excellent and kept me satisfied until dinner.
The only thing that I didn’t like about these pot pies is something that I wouldn’t complain about if I wasn’t watching my calories. The size of each package is two servings. I’ve always considered a pot pie to be something you eat alone. Not something you share. Certainly not something you put in the fridge as leftovers. I was able to eat the pie as one full meal and was perfectly happy but wouldn’t have realized it was the equivalent of two if I hadn’t scanned it into my diet planner. It’s a silly complaint, I know!
There are several varieties of pot pies, including Chicken Pot Pie, Turkey Pot Pie, Beef Pot Pie, Creamy Mushroom Chicken Pot Pie, Creamy Parmesan Chicken Pot Pie along with two that I didn’t find at any of the stores around here – Honey Roasted Chicken Pot Pie and Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie.
If your taste buds are encouraging you to find out more about Marie Callender’s products, visit their website.
I've always loved Marie Callender's pot pies too, so hearing about these new (to me too) varieties is good news.
I do consider the "two servings per package" a problem, and I've noticed it with a lot of products lately. Things you think are for one meal are listed as 2 servings, or even worse 2.5 servings! Before nutrition labeling requirements we would have been