Chef Boyardee-licious & Easy Recipes

We love to cook, and if we had all the time in the world we’d do a lot of from-scratch cooking. Unfortunately with work, soccer, and other mid-week happenings, we’re often too strapped for time (and energy!) to spend hours cooking.

I recently got the chance to host a Chef Boyardee party and showed friends how quick and simple recipes using Chef Boyardee can be. My husband has fond memories of eating Chef Boyardee growing up, but he said he remembers eating it as it was, so trying it in a recipe added a new dimension.

I’ve been excited to have our Chef Boyardee party ever since getting our party kit filled with aprons (big and little) a chef’s hat, coupons, recipes, bakeware, {absolutely adorable, colorful} mixing bowls, measuring cups and notepads!

We tried two of the recipes – Chili-roni and Ravioli Lasagna (by the way, be sure and go here to see a ton of great recipe ideas!), both of which seemed really easy and like something the kids in the bunch would like, too.

Right off the bat I loved that I didn’t have to buy much. Some cheese, some beans & tomatoes, and of course the Chef Boyardee items! Each recipe called for some spices too, but I had them on hand.

We used two cans of Beef Ravioli for the lasagna, and two cans of Beefaroni for the chili. Both were incredibly easy! For the lasagna, it was just a matter of layering the ravioli mixed with tomatoes and Italian seasoning, ricotta (or, as they suggested, cottage cheese mixed with spinach), and shredded Italian-blend cheese. Voila! It took about 5 minutes to assemble and then I think 20 minutes in the oven. Super easy!

As easy as the lasagna was, the chili was even easier! We just opened cans, put them in the pot and let them cook away – Beefaroni, fire-roasted tomatoes, pinto beans, kidney beans, tomato sauce, cumin and chili powder. This would be something you could throw on the stove as soon as you get home and let it simmer until you’re ready to get to the table! And both recipes are perfect for little chefs to help with.

I really liked both dishes. I think I’d like adding some sauteed onions and fresh parsley to the lasagna to add in more flavors to it, but even as it was we all enjoyed it. The chili was the favorite of the night for the adults, though. The flavors were great and had a little bit of a kick. What I love about the chili is that you can keep the ingredients on hand to make in a pinch.

Don’t forget, you can get Chef Boyardee recipe ideas to try! Click here to get started.

If you’re like me and love to cook, you’ll also want to know about a fun recipe contest through Chef Boyardee:

• Enter the Make it Boyardeelicious Recipe Contest on the Chef Boyardee Facebook page for a chance to win a grand prize of free groceries for a year. The Facebook Contest page is here.
• Now through March 11, 2012 (you still have four more days to enter!), you can submit an original recipe that uses Chef Boyardee as an ingredient. Just upload a photo of the recipe, and share why your family loves it.
• Each week, a winner will be chosen based on creativity, all-family appeal, ease of preparation, and palatable appeal by an expert panel of judges.
• The weekly winner receives a $500 prize as well as $75 in Chef coupons.
• Each of the top ten finalists from all the accumulated weeks will have the chance to win the grand prize of free groceries for a year. The winner will be chosen based on a combined score of taste points and voting.
• The voting period lasts March 26-April 8, 2012. Voters get entered into a daily sweepstakes for the chance to win $100. Share it on Facebook and get an extra sweepstakes entry!

Note: 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.