Betty Crocker Bowl Appetit: Pasta Alfredo Review

Overall 3.00 of 5 (by 1 user)

VixenViewTreasures
Coventryville, PA

Easy to travel with, quick and has great flavor!

noticing the details, computer literate, Every day computer user

Pros

Quick, Easy

Cons

Look at the ingredients list

MAR

2009

When we recently planned a weekend skiing trip and wanted to find ways to save a few bucks, we thought, "hey, let's bring some of our own food." We stayed in a hotel that had a microwave and a refrigerator right in the room, so why not utilize those benefits to the fullest extent and save some moo-la while we're at it. While packing sandwich fixings is relatively easy, we thought it would be nice to have a hot meal too...enter: Betty Crocker's Bowl Appétit! A hot meal in a short time and with pretty good flavor too.

Betty Crocker's Bowl Appétit! has many different flavors. The one I tried was the Pasta Alfredo.

Some merits of this meal:
1. Easy to transport - no refrigeration required
2. Comes in its own serving container (recyclable)
3. Just add some water, no other extra supplies needed
4. Quick cooking and preparation - 4-5 1/2 minutes cooking, with a 2 minute rest time
5. Tastes pretty good

A couple of negatives:
1. At only 3 oz before water, it's not much of a meal, even after you add water, you will need some additional substance if you plan to use this for a meal other than lunch
2. Container says: No preservatives or Artificial Flavors, but the ingredients list Sodium Citrate, which is a food additive used for preservative as well as a flavor.

Overall, we liked the easy transportation of a meal that we could then make hot with little effort and the flavor was good, and we would probably have this product again in the same situation. However, I wouldn't use it on a regular basis, for instance lunches at work because of the ingredient list and because I would feel hungry after a short while if I didn't also have something else.

Product Information and Description
This is a ribbon pasta tossed in Alfredo cream sauce. It's a pretty easy 5 minute preparation, all you need to do is add water & microwave. The flavor was good and it was smooth and creamy not dry or sticky. Spices and seasonings were good. The box says: No preservatives or artificial flavors - I'm not sure I agree with that claim.

Serving size: 1 bowl
Amount Per Serving and/or % Daily Value*
Calories 360
Calories from Fat 110
Total Fat 11g (17%)
Saturated Fat 4g (21%)
Trans Fat 3.5g
Cholesterol 15mg (5%)
Sodium850mg (36%)
Potassium 290mg (8%)
Total Carbohydrate 53g (18%)
Dietary Fiber 1g (6%)
Sugars 10g
Protein 13g
Calcium15%
Iron10%
Niacin15%
Riboflavin10%
Thiamin30%
Folic Acid25%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower based on your calorie needs.

Nutrition Facts:

Safety Information
Contains wheat, milk, egg and soy ingredients.

Ingredients
Enriched Pasta (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Parmesan Cheese (Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes), Maltodextrin, Whet, Butter Milk, Nonfat Milk, Processed Cheddar Cheese (Dried) (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Corn Syrup (Dried), Salt, Garlic (Dried), Romano Cheese (Dried) (Made From Cow's Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Sugar, Blue Cheese (Dried) (Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes), Mono and Diglycerides, Sodium Citrate, Spice, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Caseinate, Disodium Phosphate, Cultured Nonfat Milk, Parsley Flakes, Natural Flavor, Modified Corn Starch, Wheat Starch, Dipotassium Phosphate, Soy Flour, Egg (Dried).

Directions
Important: Do not cook in oven or toaster oven. Do not use bowl for reheating. Because microwaves cook differently, time is approximate. Microwave in minutes. 1. Remove film. Add hot water (not boiling water up to (not over) fill ledge. 2. Stir until well blended. Microwave uncovered on high 4 to 5 1/2 minutes or until tender (sauce will continue to thicken as it cools). 3. Remove carefully, using both hands. Caution: Hot. Stir and let stand 2 minutes (If you'd like thinner sauce, stir in more hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time). High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): After adding hot water to fill ledge, add 3 more tbsp hot water. Stir; microwave uncovered on high 3 min. Microwave on medium (50%) 5-6 min.

I gave this a 3 out of 5 because it seems to provide a false sense of food purity with the claim NO Preservatives or Artificial flavors - yet one only needs look at the ingredients list to determine the claim validity. However, one does expect some preservatives in a meal this type and it did have good flavor and was quick as promised. We would eat this again in the same situation - I would not recommend it for a nightly meal, however.

Last edited on Mar 26, 2009