Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Lean Cuisine's New Veggie Cuisine - Featuring Gardein

Oh, happy day!  Gardein - my absolute favorite meat substitute - is now available in select Lean Cuisine entrees.  Dubbed "Lean Cuisine Veggie Cuisine," these vegetarian microwaveable entrees (not vegan, sorry folks - maybe they'll add a vegan one down the line if these sell well) feature nice little slices of Gardein along with what you'd typically find in a Lean cuisine - pasta, rice, etc. 

As soon as I saw a random tweet about this new product line, I ran to my local grocery store.  One that doesn't sell Gardein, but does sell every kind of Lean Cuisine known to man.  I wasn't really expecting to find these new entrees there, but I found all 4 of them - Roasted Red Pepper Fettuccini (pictured, post microwaving), Indian Style Masala, Enchilada Rojo, and Tuscan Style Vegetable Lasagna. 

Feeling lazy and needing something to blog about (ahem), I decided to have the Red Pepper Fettuccini entree for dinner.  I'm picky about my frozen entrees (I'm pretty sure I've tried all of the vegetarian and vegan ones on the market - everything from Amy's to Candle Cafe and everything in between), and to be honest, I had lowered expectations for this one.  I find that Lean Cuisine zucchini tends to get mush-tastic in the microwave.  And sadly, that was the case with this meal.  Great flavor - the Gardein was a nice touch - more like an afterthought than the center of the meal - but the veggies were a little mushy.  But in a pinch, this would be a great quick meal with a decent amount of protein and veggies.

I plan on trying the remaining Veggie Cuisine entrees this week...more to come on that.  Have you tried them yet?  Or more importantly, do you love Gardein as much as I do? 

35 comments:

  1. I tried the Lean Cuising indian-style masala. It is abosultely wonderful.

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  2. I usually eat the Kahshi brand frozen meals, but decided to try the Veggie Cuisine Indian-style masala. I loved the freshness and and flavor. I'm looking forward to trying other entrees.

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  3. Funny, I just posted an entry about this very same thing on my blog, and in doing a little research for it, I came across your blog! I guess Denver is a little behind on getting the latest and greatest, but I'm glad we finally got it. I looove gardein, so I am very happy to see it in Lean Cuisines!

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  4. i had the roasted red pepper fettuccini yesterday and the veggies were actually better than any other lean cuisine i've had. surprisingly, they were fresh and crisp! i am eating the indian-style masala as we speak and actually like this one better than yesterday (maybe it's my love for curry). anyhoo - i'm excited they finally came out with these!!

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  7. I haven't tried the Gardein yet but the picture makes me crave for it even more. Thanks for sharing. Keep posting. catering nyc

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  8. OMG!!! I was shopping at Wally World the other day and came across the VeggieCuisine....I bought the Tuscan Style Vegetable Lasagna...and WOW! It was very deliscious. It was better than Marie Calender's, Stouffers, Smart One, the regular Lean Cuisine, and all the other veggi lasagnas on the market. This is a winner! Thanks for the blog.

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  9. I am eating the Masala one now and like you, I wasn't expecting too much from it, but the sauce is very impressive along with the Chk'n and veggies....I love Indian Food and this didn't disappoint. I was once a die-hard fan of Gardein but my love affair with it has since waned a little.

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  10. Had the Tuscan Lasagna... and must say that was probably one of the -best- frozen lasagnas I've ever tried (I'm big on Amy's roasted veggie). And, yes, gardein is a staple in my house these days. We just had a buy one, get one free sale on all gardein products at my local grocery store.

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  11. I love pasta and veggies. Aside from it taste really good, it's very healthy for the body.

    catering new york

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  12. I live in St. Louis, MO., & I would love to know where to buy these new products. So far I've checked my local Shop'n Save, Dierbergs & walmart, all with no luck.

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  13. I am not a vegetarian but when I tasted Lean Cuisine Veggie Cuisine, it's not that bad at all. In fact, I liked how it tasted because it's like meat. It could be perfect for wedding reception particularly for vegetarians.

    Long Island wedding halls

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  14. I love the Lean Cuisine Veggie Cuisine meals. They are all good, but the Masala and the Lasagna are my favorites. I was so happy to find them in Wal Mart. Even my daughter, who is not vegetarian, likes them!

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  15. I bought the pasta and veggies at WalMart. It was okay, but I thought the sauce was way too salty. Very encouraging trend, though.

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  16. I love the Masala! I have to avoid the fettucine and lasagna due to gluten issues. I've had the enchilada, too. It's pretty good, but not a -love it- kind of dish. I'm not fond of corn tortillas.

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  17. These veggie cuisines are a home run. I keep near 20 of them in my office freezer. The price is fair and they are surprisingly delicious. We are fortunate enough to have Gardein widely available at grocery stores and even restaurants like Yard House.

    I can tell you, the staff here at Best Name Badges love them as much as me. They are all meat eaters so it's nice to see them enjoy a veggie meal time to time.

    I do agree that the noodles are a bit less al-dente than other companies like Amy's.

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  18. i just had the Enchilada Rojo for lunch... ahhhhmaaaaazing!

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  19. LOVE the Enchilata Rojo and Rice - Wonderful. Thank you Lean Cuisine for the vegetarian options!

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  20. I tried the Roasted Red Pepper Fettuccini today; I think they need to us a different recipe. I am glad the Lean Cuisine finally made dishes that are really lean. It was priced on par with Amy's and Kashi; considering the bland taste, I'd pick up a competitor's meal before this. To top it off the pasta did not taste whole grain.

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  21. The masala was amazing. It was hard to believe it only had 290 calories, and it tasted fantastic. The cauliflower was perfectly firm, and the gardein was delish. I hope they make more of these. It wasn't cheap, but I will buy them again.

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  22. I love bothe the marsala and the tuscan style veggie lasagna but all the stores in my area have stopped carrying them and I asked to get it special ordered and they said they can not. I contacted Lean Cuisine and they can't help either...I am totally bummed.
    If anyone knows where in Central Florida I can get these..please let me know.
    almostdoctorcardillo@gmail.com

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  23. veggie lasagna!! I've made it before for the office over here at Imperial Expressions

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  24. Just had the Veggie roasted red pepper fetuccini. I thought it was very good. You need to make some vegan dishes (my sister is a vegan). I would buy this one again and will try the others.

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  25. These just showed up in my local Jewel (North Center-Chicago) 2-3 weeks ago. They are now on 'while supplies last' clearance for $2.28. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they're here to stay.

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