Creamy Parmesan & Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Penne {McCormick Gourmet Seasoning Mix}

January 13, 2013

Creamy Parmesan & Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Penne {McCormick Gourmet Seasoning Mix}

Sometimes when I'm grocery shopping, I like to stroll slowly through some of the aisles to see if there is anything new that I've been missing when I'm rushing through to get the items on my weekly list. Occasionally, I'll pick up a new product and bring it home to see if we like it or not... other times I just shake my head and wonder why {whatever product} would be better than the way I already make that dish.

A week ago, I was doing some browsing in the seasoning mix section since I needed some more chili seasoning for that weekend's dinner... when I noticed that McCormick now has gourmet seasoning packets. There were a few to choose from, and the Creamy Parmesan & Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Penne packet looked promising.

Each packet has a recipe on the back with cooking instructions... kind of handy as you are already in the grocery store doing the weekly shopping anyway. This works well for someone {like me} who sometimes doesn't have a meal plan and shopping list to guide her through the store. Yep, has happened more than once in the last month.

I didn't realize it until I was writing this post, but the McCormick website also has other recipe ideas beyond what is shown on the back of the package. Kind of a cool option once you find a seasoning packet that appeals to your family.

I have gotten to where I find most recipes are more like suggestions or jumping off points to begin working from... this one didn't say to include baby spinach, but with my goal to eat healthier on a daily basis adding another veggie to this dish was simple and I think it also made it even more visually appealing. Afterall, we do eat first with our eyes. The more colorful the meal is, you'll tend to enjoy it that much more.

I wasn't totally sure my family would all be happy with this dish as I was making it. I got a few odd looks when My Oldest came into the kitchen to see what I was making. He's not a huge fan of pasta, but some nights I make it because it makes dinner so much simpler.

As I taste-tested the sauce, I knew I had a winner here. Creamy and full of flavor... but, the sun-dried tomato is not terribly intense (which is good because not all of my family enjoys sun-dried tomatoes). I might opt to drain some of the juice from the diced tomatoes next time as the sauce could be a little creamier. If I'm going to have pasta with a creamy sauce, I want to thoroughly enjoy the richness it has to offer.

The recipe for the dish I made can be found at the McCormick website HERE. A bonus to this particular seasoning packet is that it is all natural. No weird ingredient names and the different spices are coarsely ground so that you can see what's in there. I think that added to the overall flavor of the dish.
Note: This is not a sponsored post, I purchased this product for my family to try on my own. I wanted to share our experience with it so that readers of famfriendsfood would know if it was something they might want to try.