Product review – Boca Meatless ‘Ground Beef’ – WW Friendly comfort food

I made shepherd’s pie this weekend to have for lunch for a few days, instead of ground beef or chicken, I used that Boca Ground ‘Beef’.    It came 3 packets in a box, each packet was supposed to be equivalent to 2 servings aka ½ lb ground beef.  I figured the points on ALL 3 COMBINED to be 6 points. 

I put it in a saucepan with ½ water, a bouillon cube (which I actually may have been able to do without – but hey 0 points and I was worried it wouldn’t bear any resemblance to actual ground beef; next time I’ll skip that and just add salt I think)  and chopped up carrot (1), onion (1), and garlic (a couple cloves).  When the water was almost evaporated I added a little flour and put that in the bottom of a 2 qt casserole.  I topped that with ½ cup frozen corn and a 10 oz pkg. of frozen green beans.  Then I mashed up 3 med potatoes with a little ff milk, and spread it on top. 

I figured the whole thing as 4 generous servings (cause I’m a generous servings kind of gal) and – get this — at around 5.5 points per serving.   It’s not as much as it sounds, it made a small casserole and could have fit in a 1 ½ qt casserole easily, but since the veggies were frozen I was worried about boiling over.  I always put the veggies in frozen (as well as a little flour in the meat) if I’m not using actual gravy in the meat because the veggie liquid makes a nice gravy with the meat and onions.

Popped it in the oven today for lunch and cooked for about an hour at 350 (it was cold from the fridge so normally I don’t think it would take that long), it just has to heat through and brown on top.  The Boca Ground ‘Beef’ was surprisingly good. 

 I’d had high hopes since I LOVE the Boca Chick’n patties, but it surpassed my expectations.  The taste, the texture, it was everything I’d hoped it would be.  I bet if I served it to you, you wouldn’t notice anything unusual.   It was tasty, moist, filling.  A+ and this is definitely a keeper.

Shepherd’s pie is one of my absolute favorite comfort foods, and I’m thrilled I found a guilt-free way to work it into my repertoire. 

Butternut Squash Ravioli – Lean Cuisine product review

Butternut Squash Ravioli in a creamy sauce with walnuts, snap peas and carrots

This is my favorite frozen lunch EVER.

I love all the new Spa Classics, but this one is beyond tasty!  It’s slightly spicy, slightly sweet with more veggies than you usually get in any reasonably healthy frozen lunch.  

I suspect I’m not the only one to think so, either, since I rarely see them in the stores.  When I do, I stock them up!  Try it!  You won’t regret it!  

~Irene