Disclosure

There a few things about myself that I cannot deny.
One – I have a terrible sweet tooth.
Two – I’m frugal.

These two factors came into play as I took to the kitchen to create a few custom recipes.
Hey. Stop laughing. I can TOO create stuff in the kitchen and not burn it!

I don’t claim to be creative in the kitchen at all. DH makes most of the meals. Yes, I like to cook but it just seems like more often than not, I manage to mess things up. So when I have the opportunity to create just one item at a time and truly focus, I don’t do too bad. I’m just not great at multi-tasking… in the kitchen.

My challenge was to create two recipes using Nestle Coffee-Mate creamers. One to mimic a coffee house drink and the other something more unique. Seeing as I don’t like to spend a lot of money, creating something to replace the frappe at the coffee shop seemed like a great idea. I headed to Walmart and picked up the needed ingredients and returned home excited about my new recipes.

Know what? I nailed it. Know how I know? Because DH liked it, too. And he’s not a fan of coffee drinks unless they’re the equivalent of a milkshake and don’t taste like coffee.

Not only is this drink inexpensive, it’s delicious. And easy. With only 5 ingredients, two of those to create the yummy topping on the drink and one being ice, it’s really only a two-ingredient drink.

Yeah. EASY. Can’t really mess up with only two ingredients!

Peppermint Mocha Frappe - SahmReviews.com

Here’s the quick and easy tutorial for making one large drink:
Peppermint Mocha Frappe

4 oz Coffee-Mate Peppermint Mocha Creamer
2 Tbsp Mocha Cappuccino Mix (I prefer Daily Chef from Sam’s Club)
3 Cups Ice Cubes
Optional – Whipped Cream and Sugar/Chocolate Sprinkles for topping

Heat 4 ounces of Coffee-Mate Peppermint Mocha Creamer in the microwave. Time varies by microwave but it only needs to be hot enough to dissolve the mocha mix.

Stir in 2 tablespoons mocha mix until completely dissolved. Fill blender or container with 3 cups ice cubes. Add creamer mix to the ice and blend to desired consistency.

Add to tall glass and top with whipped cream and chocolate sugar sprinkles. (I also used a zester to shave some chocolate from one of the kids chocolates.)

Add a straw and enjoy!

For a version that is a little more kid-friendly, replace the mocha cappuccino mix with hot chocolate powder. We made one using Coffee-Mate Hazelnut and hot chocolate and the girls loved it!

As for a second recipe, I decided to go with something a little heartier. Pasta. Being Italian, I could eat pasta every day. But I don’t. It’s more of a treat. I searched for recipes that used pasta, vegetables, cream and hazelnuts and found one that sounded pretty good on BettyConfidential. I modified it to fit my needs and am thrilled with how it turned out. The kids even loved it and didn’t complain one bit about the fact it has spinach in it!

Penne with Spinach & Hazelnut Creme
12 oz package Ronzoni Garden Delight Penne
3 Tbsp Butter
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup Coffee-Mate Hazelnut Creamer
6 oz Goat Milk Cheese (I used a solid cheese, a crumble would work better!)
2 Cloves Garlic
Juice of half a lemon (I used imitation lemon juice)
6 oz Baby Spinach Leaves

Cook the pasta according to package directions. While that is cooking, being to prepare the sauce.

This is a pretty quick recipe so plan accordingly. Measure the ingredients.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. When melted, add the heavy cream and Coffee-Mate creamer to the pan. Warm until it reduces a little, approximately 5 minutes. Add the goat cheese and stir until melted and creamy. Add the garlic and lemon juice as well as salt and pepper to taste.

Drain the pasta well then pour it into the cream mixture. Next come the greens. Stir the spinach and pasta until they are completely mixed in. The spinach will warm and wilt a little.

Serve and enjoy!

Next time you see Coffee-Mate creamer on sale, grab some extra and think outside the (coffee) cup!

For more information on Nestle Coffee Mate products, visit their website or find them socially on Facebook and Twitter. A coupon for Coffee-Mate can be found online so be sure to print it before heading to the store!

Penne with Spinach and Hazelnut Creme - SahmReviews.com

78 thoughts on “Recipe Corner: Frappes and Pasta

  1. I’m so surprised that the hazelnut creamer is in your pasta dish! I often keep it on hand for my tea but never once considered using it in a food recipe. Yummy!

  2. Looks like you did an awesome job for not being a cook. I love frappes at Starbucks but that can cost way too much going there all the time, so I’ll need to try out your recipe. Thanks!

  3. These recipes are so clever! I never would have thought about using these creamers in anything but my coffee. My fridge is almost never without Coffee-Mate Hazelnut creamer. And, I just happen to have some spinach and penne on hand.

  4. Would love to try both of these! The frappe looks delicious. I was just looking for Coffee Mate in the store. I guess the Fat Free Sugar Free is great for adding flavor to recipes without all the calories.

  5. I will have to make this one for myself. My husband will not eat anything with Goats Milk Cheese because it usually makes things too rich. I will give it a try and see if I can convince him, I am curious about the coffee mate and how the flavor turns out using it.

  6. I’ve always used tomato based sauces so this one is a huge stretch for me! Have you tried it with other Coffee-Mate flavors or would you recommend just sticking with the Hazelnut flavor?

  7. I was really surprised to see Coffee Mate in a pasta dish but it looks delicious. I like to think outside the box when creating dishes too. Now I want to come over for dinner. 🙂

  8. My mom is a huge Coffee Mate lover, though she only used it in her coffee. Who knew you could use it for cooking too!? I’ll have to tell her about these recipes!

  9. I am not a fan of coffee drinks either but this one looks absolutely delicious. From reading this post, I can tell that you love to create in your kitchen. The pasta dish with spinach looks yummy too and I love that you have a helper.

  10. Yum! I am going to have to try both! I love pasta, and I think the incorporation of spinach into the pasta dish looks fabulous! This is going on my to-do list.

  11. This pasta… Oh my! That made me so hungry just looking at it! Thanks for the reminder to not drool! I’ve never thought to use coffee creamer in regular dishes like that.

  12. Who knew you could use coffee-mate hazelnut cream in a delish recipe like this. Wow looks amazing. Love how you used all these ingredients. Wonder if I could add a little broccoli.

  13. The Penne with Spinach sounds looks soo good and I love peppermint, so I must try the Peppermint Mocha Frappe!!!

  14. I’m guessing you don’t have a lemon tree in your back yard 🙂 I didn’t known there was such a thing as imitation lemon juice.

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