Sunshine and Sippy Cups

Simple Cooking for my family…

If you know me, you know that I like to cook, but I like to keep it simple. The whole Semi-Homemade trend is so my style. I’ve got a big bunch of family living with me right now- {4 adults, 3 kids, and 5 dogs- it’s a full house!}– and we all have crazy schedules, with tons of coming and going- so I think it’s so important to gather everyone up at least once a day, and eat dinner together. Good thing I have a HUGE dining room table, right?

Cooking for such a big bunch, on a budget, is a challenge. Finding something that they ALL like is sometimes an even bigger challenge! But one thing that everyone does always agree on is pasta. ANY pasta is a hit. So when the awesome ladies from The Motherhood asked me to try out the new Marie Callender’s Three Meat and Four Cheese Lasagna, you bet your buttons I said yes!

The problem with lasagna…

Remember when I said I like simple meals? Well, putting together a homemade lasagna is NOT a simple meal. It’s super time-consuming, and {for me at least!} it’s super-messy! But we looove lasagna. So of course, I’ve tried a bunch of different frozen lasagnas- and there are some that are good, but….

How do you ever get them to cook right?? You know what I’m talking about- If we cook them in the oven, it takes for-ev-er. We check it after the stated cooking time- but there are always still frozen spots. So we cook it longer. And then they end up with burnt edges. The boys will NOT eat any piece that is burned or hard- they won’t even allow it on their plate. *Sigh*

What makes Marie Callender’s NEW Bakes different…

The new Bakes from Marie Callender’s -there are a bunch of other great varieties too- check ’em out- are different than other frozen lasagnas- And what makes them so cool is that they have a brand new type of baking tray that guarantees you won’t get burnt edges or frozen spots! They’re so good that Marie Callender’s even puts a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE on every package.

Making Family Dinners Simple and Delicious…

A picture is worth a thousand words…

But since the Three Meat and Four Cheese Lasagna got eaten too fast for me to get pic’s, I’ll have to tell you about it. But I’ll try to keep it under a thousand words :) The three meats are pepperoni, sausage, and beef- love the addition of the pepperoni! Then they add 3 great Italian cheeses- ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano. The meats and cheeses, combined with perfectly cooked noodles and a great zesty sauce, are just perfection. This is, honestly, the best frozen lasagna that we’ve ever had- for reals. {Or whatever term kids use these days to mean that they’re super serious. I’m over 30 now, so I’m getting outdated…} We paired the lasagna with a great salad, and this AMAZING Gorgonzola Garlic Bread from one of my favorite food bloggers- Plain Chicken! So yummy.

A few more quick facts:

• You can buy these in 2 sizes- either the single serve (19oz) or a family size multi-serve (31oz).
• These cook right in the microwave, in only 19 minutes- which is waaaay faster than anyone else!
• NPD says more people are eating frozen lasagna than homemade these days- and Marie Callender’s Three Meat and Four Cheese Lasagna is preferred over Stouffer’s 19 oz. Lasagna with Meat & Sauce by consumers two to one in taste tests!

So, what are you waiting for?

Check out the great coupons on MarieCallendersMeals.com, print ’em out, and head to your favorite grocery store to put together a great-tasting, easy to make, dinner for YOUR family tonight!

{Marie Callender’s and The Motherhood provided me with a sample to review and I will be compensated for my time. Even so, my opinions about the awesomeness of this lasagna are honestly shared.}

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