Tag Archives: yum

Food & Drink Holiday Gifts

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Food & Drink Holiday Gifts

Howdy! The countdown to the holidays is SO on – are you ready for it? I know I am! Family, friends, and sweet sweet time off. What could be better? The answer is literally nothing! If you still have holiday shopping to get done, you’re in the right place. Today’s gift guide will feature ideas for a very popular gifting option: Food and drink. Everyone needs to nosh and sip on something delicious so you know your gift is going to be used and enjoyed. Let’s discuss:

Do you have a coffee or soda fiend in your life? You kind of do, because I am both lol. Countertop appliances like a single serve Keurig or a Soda Stream is sure to delight your giftee who always errs on the side of caffeinated. Johnny actually got me a single serve Keurig for Valentine’s Day a few years back and it was the best gift ever! These appliances don’t take up a ton of counter space and feel like such a treat with each use. If your giftee already has one, that’s okay. You can give them a stockpile of K-cups or soda mixes to keep the go go juice flowing.

DoorDash, restaurants, fast food, or grocery store gift cards are a no brainer if you are looking to make your holiday shopping quick and easy. Johnny and I usually get a DoorDash gift card from his parents and it is SO appreciated. To be able to hit up your favorite eatery with gift card in hand is awesome because it’s literally guilt free. How many times have you bypassed a craving because there’s food at home? Throw that preconceived notion of gift cards being thoughtless out the window. They are as thoughtful as it gets because it gives you the opportunity to treat yourself whenever you want!

Local bakeries often offer cookie decorating kits which is a total win/win. You are supporting local as well as giving a fun gift for a family to enjoy together. These kits usually come with the cookies pre-made and the supplies like frosting and sprinkles to decorate with. It’s a perfect activity for a snowy afternoon and kiddos will revel in creating their own sugary masterpieces. My little nieces LOVE cookie and cupcake decorating and would have a blast with a cookie kit. 😀

Seriously, who doesn’t love a gift basket? I am an avid fan of both receiving and gifting them! Of course you can buy pre-made baskets in store but you could also create them yourself. Hit up your local craft store and get your baskets, then head to the grocery store and get to work! You could fill the basket with something sweet like chocolate and candy or go the savory route with popcorn, peanuts, or pretzels. How about a basket that creates a meal like soup or pasta? Perhaps you could include a muffin tin, mixes, and jams to top them with. No matter what you choose, it’s going to be yummy!

If you have a passion for cooking, share it! One year for Valentine’s Day, Johnny hired our friend who works as a chef to make dinner for us. It was absolutely amazing and one of my favorite gifts ever! You can create menus specific to your giftee’s tastes, purchase the ingredients, and serve a fantastic meal. While it’s nice to go out to eat, there is nothing better than a home cooked meal. This is a bonus gift because it also gives your giftee the night off from cooking which is such a blessing lol.

I hope your giftee’s all brought their appetite with these ideas – can you say YUM?!

Do you like to cook? What is your favorite thing to make? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Lunch Date

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Lunch Date

Hello!! Johnny and I had a fabulous weekend that involved family, friends, and good food. Our nieces came over for a slumber party on Friday, we had an amazing lunch date on Saturday, and I got to chat with my blogging bestie afterwards. Johnny has a deep love for the Popeye’s chicken sandwich and recently made great use of their buy one get one free sandwich promotion. I have been a vegetarian for upwards of twenty years and even though it has been so long since I have ate meat, my mouth still waters at the sight of those chicken sandwiches. They just look SO. Damn. Good. With that recent craving in mind, I knew exactly where I wanted to go for lunch…

Boss ChickNBeer! And no, they do not just serve chicken – they have a fully vegan menu as well. Everything on their normal menu can be made with cauliflower or tofu so people with dietary restrictions have plenty of options. It’s awesome! This is a specific to my area of Ohio restaurant that was founded my two women and has three other locations besides the one ten minutes away from me. I have always wanted to try it and my only regret was not doing so sooner in the year or so since they have been open. It was absolutely delicious and we plan on going back ASAFP.

As soon as we walked into the restaurant, we bellied up to the bar and within seconds we realized that this was going to be an excellent experience. No sooner than we were seated, we were greeted by the general manager and began to gab. He introduced himself, asked us for our names, and explained the story of the restaurant and the menu too. All the while, The Humpty Dance was playing on the speakers, which I told him how much I appreciated lol. We got to talking about music and it was like talking to a friend. He told us that a manager at an old job once told him to talk to the people you are serving like they’re a friend at a backyard barbecue. It sure worked because we were cutting it up with all of the employees throughout our meal and it was just FUN. Old school hip hop playing, cracking jokes, and telling stories. I’ve never had a dining experience like it and we both loved it!

The restaurant vibe was a twenty out of ten and the food scores the same marks because holy WOW. Johnny opted for the tender meal and I went for the cauliflower wings with a side of their queso mac. As we sipped on our apple cider beer that tasted like a cabin, as per Johnny’s description, we could see the food being made right before our eyes. All the while, we were getting to know our new friends better. Our food arrived speedy quick and felt even more so as we were immersed in conversation. We couldn’t wait to dig in and every bite was like a little slice of heaven.

My queso mac was out of this world crazy good. It was creamy and cheesy with a little kick and I am so excited to get it again. It was the best mac n cheese from a restaurant I have ever had. The cauliflower wings were crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside and tasted great with their homemade gold sauce. This meal was a vegetarian’s dream come true. As for Johnny, his French fries were crisp and perfectly seasoned and sent his compliments to the staff for being the best chicken he has ever had. The tenders were huge and he was so happy to have some to bring back home so he could eat it again! He dipped his tenders in the Ghostface Killah sauce which was the hottest on the menu. Despite its high ranking, it was tolerable as it provided heat without feeling like it was going to burn your tongue off. I really liked it too and want to get it next. 😀

This local chain has turned everything we thought about going to a restaurant on its head. It was such a personable, friendly atmosphere. Everyone seated at the bar was talking with each other, the staff knew patrons by name, and it was all complimented by a fantastic meal. In fact, the couple we were sitting by was from Pittsburgh and whenever they come to the area, they go to Boss ChickNBeer every time. Who can blame them? It was that good!

As soon as we left the restaurant, Johnny and I began making plans. When we were going next and who to invite for double dates. It can’t be soon enough!

What is your favorite local restaurant? What other local businesses do you like to frequent? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Pizza Grilled Cheese Recipe

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Pizza Grilled Cheese Recipe

Yoohoo! My dad did not plant his usual vegetable garden this summer and opted for beautiful flowers instead. However, he did end up with a cherry tomato plant from seed and it went crazy during the last warm days in the past few weeks. I absolutely love me a cherry tomato and happily took some so I could create one of my favorite meals: Angel hair pasta with pesto, pine nuts, fresh mozzarella, and cherry tomatoes on top. It is heavenly! There is nothing better than huge pieces of fresh mozzarell *chef’s kiss* and I dreamed up a little dish to use the rest of it: Pizza Grilled Cheese. It has become one of mine and Johnny’s favorites and I actually made it a few days ago. 😀

If you are in the mood to just carb out – you are going to freaking love this cooky concoction:

Ingredients:

  • Bread of your choice – I use sourdough
  • Parsley, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste
  • Butter
  • Shredded Mexican cheese
  • Fresh mozzarella
  • Pasta sauce
  • Pepperoni if you would like

How To:

1) The first step is to prep the slices of the bread to turn it into a pseudo garlic bread. Spread the butter and then add parsley flakes and garlic powder. I also use a fair bit of pepper and a pinch of salt. Then sprinkle some shredded Mexican cheese on top.

2) After your bread is ready, transfer one piece of it to a pan but do not turn the heat on yet. This is when you will add the filling. I use four pieces of fresh mozzarella for mine and top Johnny’s with the same as well as four pieces of pepperoni. Then you will add a few spoonfuls of pasta sauce on top and spread evenly. I use three to four spoonfuls.

3) Top the sammy with the second piece of bread and turn the heat on to three or four. You don’t want the sandwich to cook too quickly because then the thick pieces of cheese won’t get as melty and delicious. Flip occasionally and wait until the cheese has melted down before turning the heat up to six or so to get the bread grilled. It will be done when the Mexican cheese is a golden brown but Johnny and I like ours a bit crisper.

4) Serve and dig in!

Carbo load? Totally. Yummy AF? TOTALLY! Also, in case you were wondering, this was not a “highdea” even though it really does look that way! 😀

Have you tried cooking something new recently? Is anyone else already excited for Thanksgiving? (I sure am!) I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Let’s Make Caramel Apple Bites

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Let’s Make Caramel Apple Bites

Hello! If there is one thing that I am guilty of, it is endlessly scrolling through Facebook and saving a bunch of recipes that I will never make. Seriously, I must have hundreds of saved videos and posts at this point that I have done literally nothing with lol. UNTIL THIS PAST WEEK! A post for Caramel Apple Bites showed up on my newsfeed from a creator named Andrea and I just had to try them. I LOVE all things caramel apple and this tasty treat only required three ingredients which is my kind of recipe. They were a huge hit with me, Johnny, and my dad! Check it out and be sure to follow her page for more yummy and simple recipes:

^^^ Very aware that my chocolate is a little burnt lolol -_-

The Caramel Apple Bites required round pretzels, Rolos, and Granny Smith Apples and all you had to do was stack them! To start, I covered a baking pan with aluminum foil and placed my pretzels in orderly lines. The next step was the most annoying one because I didn’t realize that a bag of Rolos still came individually wrapped. I kind of assumed they wouldn’t be but you know that old saying about making assumptions! Unwrapping the Rolos was the most time consuming part of this process and I couldn’t resist snacking on a few of them and some salty pretzels as I unwrapped, and unwrapped, and unwrapped some more!

After the Rolos were on top of the pretzels, I stuck them in the oven but made the mistake of broiling them instead of baking them like the recipe called for. I kind of assumed it would have the same result but you know that old saying about making assumptions SMH! My chocolate did turn out a little burnt but it actually wasn’t a bad thing because it tasted like it was made over a campfire. Once the pretzel/Rolo combo was out of the oven, I topped each one with a piece of apple and put them in the fridge to cool down.

The end result of this treat was absolutely delightful despite the burnt parts. The salt of the pretzels were complimented with creamy and smooth chocolate and caramel. This would have been delish on its own but the Granny Smith Apples created the perfect bite. It added some crispness, juice, and a slight tartness for an explosion of flavor. These were a home run and I can’t wait to make some more and, yes, I will be baking them this time!

If you are looking for a quick and easy fall treat, this is the recipe for you. It will be fabulous for Halloween parties, bonfires, or an after school snack. Highly recommend!

Have you made any new recipes recently? How did they turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Amazing Elote Recipe

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Amazing Elote Recipe

Howdy! During a grocery shopping trip, I couldn’t resist buying a few ears of corn before the summer is out. On a whim, I decided to kick things up a notch by trying my hand at making elote. I was feeling very inspired by the amazing elote I had at the Italian Fest that Johnny and I attended in July and knew it couldn’t be that hard to make. I am SO glad that I gave it a go because not only was it easy peasy but it was absolutely delicious. In fact, I’m like ninety-nine percent confident that the food truck I purchased elote from used the exact same recipe I did and I thought mine turned out even better! Check it out:

Recipes I Used:

To bake the corn: cipherbabe on Food.com

Elote: Love and Lemons

I don’t make corn on the cob very often and the few times I have, I boiled it. I genuinely had no idea if you could bake it in the oven or not so after giving it a Google, I thought that was the best way to go. After removing the husks, I wrapped each one in foil, painted them with butter and olive oil, and let it bake in the oven for about twenty-five minutes and turned them halfway through. My one note is that I wish I let them bake a hair longer at thirty minutes. The corn was fully cooked and easy to sink your teeth into but it wasn’t quite as tender for my liking.

As the corn baked, I began making the aioli to coat the ears with. This consisted of mayonnaise, lime juice and zest, and cilantro. I used more than the recipe called for for the lime juice and zest and am glad I did because the flavor was so tangy despite the creaminess of the cojita cheese. I also added additional chili powder for good measure for an extra kick. After the aioli was made and the corn was baked, all that was left to do was the assembly.

I coated the corn generously with the sauce, cojita cheese, and chili powder. I love the flavor of lime so I squeezed a couple of wedges onto my elote for good measure. The end result was just fantastic if I do say so myself. So good, in fact, that I had two ears of elote along with my veggie burger! I couldn’t believe I made something that tasted even better than the original elote I tried and was very proud of myself. The lime and chili powder were bold but not overpowering and the pairing with cojita cheese provided a sweet heat that I couldn’t get enough of. Now I know that whenever I have a craving for elote, I can make it myself and enjoy every bite.

If you love a good ear of elote too, then I truly can’t recommend this recipe enough. You will be the star of end of summer barbecues!!

Have you tried any new recipes recently? How did it turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Let’s Get This Bread

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Let’s Get This Bread

Howdy! While I absolutely love my apartment, the one thing I don’t like is the kitchen. It’s pretty small and counter space is incredibly limited. Even more so by the fact that we have several countertop appliances taking up room like our air fryer, ice machine, toaster, and Keurig. As you can imagine, this makes cooking really difficult and it’s frustrating because I love to cook so much! With cooking being a struggle, I rarely even think about baking and that is a shame because my mom and sister are absolutely excellent bakers.

My sister makes a mean sweet treat and I am still daydreaming about a blueberry cheesecake she made several years back. My mom is a genius in general and in terms of baking bread and I have the fondest memories of helping her knead the dough when I was little. I always fancied trying to bake bread myself but it would be basically impossible at chez moi. The only table we have is my work desk and it’s covered in all of my random odds and ends and I don’t think kneading the dough on the floor is a good look lol.

As it just so happens, I might be able to make bread yet. Just not in the way I would want to. I recently acquired a bread machine that a friend had and never used. I figured it couldn’t hurt to at least give it a shot and it’s super cute to boot:

As the daughter of a mom who always poo pooed a bread machine, I felt slightly guilty for taking my friend up on the offer. In fact, when I called my mom to tell her about my newest countertop addition, I prefaced it by saying “don’t be mad” lol! Of course she wasn’t mad in the slightest and encouraged me to give it a go. She also told me a lot of bread recipes she has that I love have an adjoining bread machine recipe for me to use. 😀

Although this bread machine won’t give me the same “kneaded with love” (My mom’s official slogan) effect, it will still provide one of the best things about baking bread… How freaking amazing it smells as it’s baking!! I promised the friend who gave me their bread machine that the first loaf I bake will be for them. The next one I plan on making will be used for grilled cheese sandwiches paired with tomato soup for my mom and I to share. I know it won’t be as good as my mom’s but I’m excited to try something new!

During my next trip to the grocery store, I will be buying all the goods for my first time baking bread with the machine method. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Do you have any pro tips for bread machine usage? What is your favorite bread machine recipe? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Date Day!

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Date Day!

Hello! On Saturday, Johnny and I had plans to meet up with his old band mate for some lunch and a jam session. That plan fell through, but we had literally no food in the apartment and were dressed up with nowhere to go so we decided to do lunch anyways. We hit up Mr. Zubs in Highland Square for some drinks and grub and had the absolute best time. By the time we were done with our meal, we both REALLY wanted to go home and take it easy because the food coma was intense. Even though our initial plan was a flop, the day truly couldn’t have gone better!

Mr. Zubs is a funky little place that has an eclectic menu, a full bar, and fun events happening constantly. In fact, Johnny and I might attend their newest hangout called Tubi Tuesdays where they literally just play Tubi all evening and provide snacks. It sounds like a hoot! Lol, anyways, after ordering our food we went to the bar for a libation. I got a Diet Coke, of course, and a Lady which was a tasty concoction of vanilla vodka, cranberry, and Sprite. Johnny, on the other hand, thought he was trying out a new pineapple seltzer…

After taking a sip of his drink, Johnny realized he was not sipping on boozy bubbly water in the slightest. He just took a sip of a THC drink!!! It was SO. Funny. and because he was driving, he let me have dibs on the cannabis bubbly water. Ourselves and the bartender were in stitches and we couldn’t get over my Holy Trinity of drinks. The young chap tending bar said it was a “bisexual drink order” and I’ve honestly never felt more seen or heard. I immediately quipped back “how could you tell?!” 😀

Our food arrived shortly after we returned from the bar and, as always, everything was delicious. There is no one who appreciates a restaurant with a really good vegetarian menu more than me and Mr. Zubs delivers. They have a ton of meals and apps for vegetarians and vegans alike and it’s nice to be able to have my pick of a bunch of different things rather than a lone veggie burger. Whenever Johnny and I DoorDash Zubs, I have to get their grape leaves and this time was no different. They are not the best I have ever had – that is reserved for a tiny Mediterranean market up the road from my place but they still hit the spot. I also got their triple decker grilled cheese which was worth every difficult bite because it was delicious!

With nothing left to do for our day but to lounge and veg, we headed home and spent the rest of our time listening to music and watching stand up specials. It was a wonderful Date Day, indeed, and be sure to peep a brand new OOTD from our outing coming soon!

What is your favorite local restaurant? Where is your favorite place to go on a date? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Soup’s On!!

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Soup’s On!!

Hello!! One of my girlfriends and I had plans to visit our favorite bar, the Cashmere Cricket, this past Friday. I put in a reservation and we were on pins and needles for the big day to arrive. We couldn’t wait to nosh on Grilled Cheese Dippers, sip on pickle martinis, and catch up in the most charming martini bar in town. Unfortunately, these grand plans were not seen through because our reservation was cancelled due to renovations. It was Earth shattering, to say the least, and we were both so disappointed because we had this date set for at least a month.

At this point, our appetites were so ready to go for Grilled Cheese Dippers and I simply refused to give it up that easily. Grilled Cheese Dippers are the bomb and are exactly what they sound like – ooey gooey strips of grilled cheese with a tomato bisque to dip in. How hard could that be? So, I let my friend know that we were still going to have them a la Lil Red and ended up having a two person dinner party at chez moi. It was the best and the food couldn’t have turned out better! Check it out:

I am quite possibly soup’s number one fan. However, it is actually something I have never made at my apartment. Johnny and I agree on almost everything except soup lol. My love for it is undying and he, on the other hand, can’t stand it. Because of our polar opposite tastes, I’ll buy pre-made soup at the store rather than home cook it because I have no one to share with. And, blessedly, my mom makes soup fairly frequently so I can still get my fix of the homemade good stuff. When it came to making tomato soup, I was already ahead of the recipe game because I knew exactly which one I was going to use: A creamy tomato soup by King Arthur Flour that is one of my mom’s go to staples.

I don’t say this lightly, but the King Arthur Flour tomato soup will change your life. It is creamy and thick like a bisque, hearty, and has the most divine, rich flavor with just the perfect touch of sweetness. Not to mention it is easy as pie to make! The prep time for this soup was minimal and it took about fifteen minutes in total to get everything set to simmer away. My only issue that came with making the soup wasn’t the recipe itself but utilizing an immersion blender. When I gave it a go, the soup literally got everywhere and I had to take a break to clean off my walls lol. If you would like to blend your soup, a food processor would definitely be the way to go. Should you not have access to one like me and prefer a less oniony concoction, do not use as much as the recipe calls for. Sans blend, there was way too much onion for my liking but you live and you learn!

After my soup was fully prepped, I let it simmer for a good hour and a half. Then I made grilled cheeses on sourdough and pumpernickel bread with sharp cheddar cheese as my friend was on her way. By the time she arrived, everything was ready for us to dig in and we ate like queens! Granted, we might not have had pickle martinis to enjoy but the Grilled Cheese Dipper sentiment was the same and that was good enough for us. ❤

This meal was comfort food at its finest and I am so happy that our favorite dish at the bar we were going to go to was so easy to replicate. Even when plans don’t go accordingly, there is always a Plan B!

Do you have any favorite restaurant taste alike recipes? What is your favorite kind of soup? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Beyond Meat Veggie Burger Review

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Beyond Meat Veggie Burger Review

Hello! Whenever Johnny and I are in the mood for veggie burgers, we tend to go with the MorningStar Grillers. However, we had the opportunity to try a new to us meatless brand called Beyond Meat. This “opportunity” was completely random. I have NO idea where or how Johnny’s dad acquired two big bags of the Beyond Meat patties but he did and bequeathed them onto us lol. My father-in-law is always ragging on me for being a vegetarian (It’s hilarious – seriously!) but he sure is supportive and provided us with the best veggie burger we’ve ever had at home:

^^^ You can check out my prep video on TikTok! @lilred6794 !!!

Meatless options have truly evolved over the years and Johnny and I have tried several that we were genuinely concerned was actual meat lol. I hate that!! In fact, the first time I ever tried a Beyond Burger in a restaurant, I had to have the waiter double check that that was for real what I was eating. Ever since that fateful incident, I have never had a Beyond Burger again. I can’t enjoy my food if I am worried with every bite I take! For a majority of my life, the meatless brands didn’t taste like the real thing in the slightest. It’s just what I’m used to, what I like, and what I feel comfortable eating.

I was a tad concerned that these Beyond Meat burgers would be a bust due to my preferences and, happily, that was not the case at all. These burgers were delicious! In stark contrast to the MorningStar Grillers, the Beyond Meat burgers were thick and juicy. The hint of flavor of a real burger was subtle and I appreciated that a lot for my own sanity lol. This also allowed for the toppings and the fluffy and sweet Hawaiian roll bun to do the talking. I put mozzarella cheese on my burger as well as a healthy dollop of Taco Bell Chipotle sauce. The end result was a flavor symphony and, boy, was it filling. We were totally stuffed at the end of the meal!

If you are like me and shy away from the “taste alike” meatless options, I cannot recommend the Beyond Meat burgers enough. If you are just looking for a yummy new veggie burger to try, I also cannot recommend the Beyond Meat burgers enough!

What is your favorite meatless brand? What are your favorite toppings on a burger? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Gardein Ultimate Chick’n Filets Review

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Gardein Ultimate Chick’n Filets Review

Hello! I have been a strict vegetarian for longer than I can remember and my, how times have changed. Way back when, I feel like there was only MorningStar and Boca for “fake meat” options. Now, the selection is seemingly endless and I am always excited to try what’s new in the meatless market. I am especially partial to the brand Gardein and so is Johnny! Despite being anything but a vegetarian, he loves when I make a meatless dinner and that is a beautiful thing. During my last curbside order, the Gardein Ultimate Chick’n Filets caught my eye and Johnny and I couldn’t wait for a taste test. Let’s discuss:

When Johnny and I first made fake chicken sandwiches with the Gardein filets, we made them in the air fryer and it was just okay. They definitely weren’t as crisp as we would have liked and that left us less than impressed as the taste was kind of bland and it was a much thicker patty than our usual offering from MorningStar. HOWEVER, I had the last filet in the bag for a chicken sandwich last night and I made it in the oven because our air fryer basket needed washed. We should have made them in the oven from the jump because the difference was night and day.

Our oven cooks really fast so I had to modify the amount of time the filet cooked. Mine was in the oven for eighteen minutes with a flip halfway through and it was perfect. I made my sandwich with a Hawaiian roll hamburger bun, mozzarella cheese, and chipotle sauce. The end result was, easily, one of the best meatless sandwiches I have ever had. The filet was nice and crisp and the sauce and cheese combo was spot on. It was delicious, filling, and was the closest thing I have had to a “real” chicken sandwich since I stopped eating meat. My only qualm with this option by Gardein is the flavor because these filets absolutely need some dressing up and are pretty bland sans sauce. They do have a “spicy” option for the Ultimate Filets and I can’t wait to try them – I think they will be even better!

If you are a vegetarian or simply trying to add more meatless options to your diet, the Gardein Ultimate Chick’n Filets are a fantastic place to start. Just be sure to make them in the oven!

What is your favorite meatless brand? Where do you like to grocery shop? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah