Blog POP!: Anthony's Hidden Veggie Pasta Bacon Mac Recipe + Jamie Oliver T-Fal Cookware Giveaway~ 4/6

Momma Told Me: Eat your veggies!

No matter the parents all children have their dietary challenges. Most mothers go straight from discouraging the eating of paste and Play-Doh (and everything else in sight) to defiant tight lipped mouths demanding consistent rations of pizza and chicken fingers. And the older they get, the harder it can be to 'sneak' in the nutrition their growing bodies need. When I was a child Momma found solace in the fact she could coax me to eat just about anything dipped in ranch. While mothers today might be horrified, it got the job done and was considerably better than the phase  where I swallowed undesirable food whole to circumvent the taste. With most children, the sheer concept of something being 'healthy' is enough to turn them off from even trying it, despite taste. In our house, we have a child with an aversion to meat, who will thankfully eat veggies and fruit happily. Even that presents it's own jumble of challenges.

Perhaps one of the oldest 'Mom Tricks' in the book is to hide undesired ingredients to trick children into eating them. As the lead chef of our household, I do this constantly with the other half. It turns out eating sensibly does not always get easier with age! I rcall, at one time, watching Jay scarf down an entire pot of Macaroni and Cheese with the fervor of a starving Doberman and thinking, 'I wonder if I could hide veggies in there?' A crunchy, cheesy, delicious casserole later I had my answer. Luckily, thanks to Anthony's latest pasta, mother's and wives everywhere can solve a similar problem with new Hidden Veggie pasta. Packaged much like their classic counterparts these pasta varieties feature minimal indication of their ulterior motive. Okay, so the front of the box does say 'Veggie' but it's sure to sneak past most of the younglings, and from below counters it's easy to miss. You'd be surprised just how 'normal' this Hidden Veggie pasta looks, and even more impressed with how it tastes!

I'll admit, I hymmed and hawed a bit when Anthony's approached me with a chance to review the new Hidden Veggie pasta line. We have a pantry full of boxed pasta in ever conceivable shape, and I've been known to sample high fiber, whole grain, and veggie variations in the past. My family has detected my ruse every single time. While the results have been edible, thoughtful smiles were quickly followed with "This is good but.....can we have the real pasta next time?" comments. What convinced me to sample Anthony's new range was the unique veggie composition that supplemented the traditional 'semolina' grain ingredient. The three proceeding ingredients are; dried sweet corn, dried carrot, and dried squash. Unlike cauliflower veggie pasta blends made by other companies, Anthony's had carefully crafted a truly unsuspecting blend that would have the toughest critics fooled. And 2 servings (4oz) of Hidden Veggie provides 1/2 C of vegetables, that's 1/5 the daily recommendation!

Deciding how to prepare Anthony's Hidden Veggie pasta was a cinch; there's an abundance of simple recipes on the Anthony's website. You can not only browse by health factor, and kid friendliness, but simplicity as well. While there are recipes directly on the boxes, I opted to make Anthony's 'kid friendly' recipe for Baked Macaroni with Cheese and Bacon. It didn't take much convincing, really, I'm sure I could serve my family re-purposed garbage with bacon atop and they'd scarf it down! As it turns out, I think the bacon brought out a little bit of the unique flavor of the pasta, and the two worked together quite nice in this from scratch 30-minute recipe. I loved how mellow the cheese was, and how the sauce clung to the Hidden veggie noodles, and never seemed thin or runny. For our bread crumbs I smashed some Italian Croutons and drizzled them on with butter prior to baking for a crunchy 'crust' that was truly adored.

Baked Macaroni + Cheese With Bacon

Ingredients:

* 1 PCKG (12oz) Anthony's Hidden Veggie Twisted Elbows

* 4 TBSP Butter, Divided

* 2 TBS All Purpose Flour

* 2.5 C Reduced Fat Milk

*  2.5 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese (we used Sharp)

* 1/2 C Shredded Parmesan Cheese

* Salt and Pepper (to taste)

* 8oz Diced Bacon, cooked until crisp and drained

* 1/2 C Fresh Bread Crumbs

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 375F

Prepare an 8" x 12" baking dish with nonstick spray

1.) Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.

2.) Return hot, empty, pan to medium-high heat. Add 3 TBS Butter to the pan and allow to melt. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk and continue to cook, stirring frequently until mixture begins to simmer. Remove from heat.

3.) Add Cheddar and Parmesan cheese, stirring until evenly melted. Add cooked Pasta and Bacon, blend gently.

4.) Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs. Dot with remaining TBS butter. Bake uncovered 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.

New Orleans Shrimp Fettuccine Skillet

Ingredients:

* 12oz Anthony's Hidden Veggie Spaghetti (I know, it says fettuccine in the title)

* 1/4 C Butter

* 1/2 Onion, Chopped

* 2C Chicken Broth

* 2 Cans (14.5oz each) Diced Tomatoes w/Green Peppers and Onion, drained

* 1/2 TSP Sriracha Sauce (Or Pepper Sauce substitute)

* Salt and Pepper (to taste)

* 8oz Shelled, De-veined, Large Shrimp

Directions:

1.) Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes, stirring often.

2.) Break uncooked pasta in half and add directly to skillet. Cook, stirring frequently 2 minutes, or until onion is tender and pasta is coated evenly in melted butter, and beginning to brown.

3.) Add broth. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 8 MINS, stirring often.

4.) Add tomato blend, pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, at a gentle boil for 4 MINS, or until pasta is tender.

5.) Stir in shrimp. Cook 2-3 MINS, stirring often, until shrimp turns pink and is done.

Okay, so I know the photos clearly don't show fettuccine noodles, that's because I received Hidden Veggie Spaghetti- same noodles, different shape. I think the whole pasta name game is pretty pretentious if you ask me ;) In any case, I made the Anthony's New Orleans Shrimp Fettuccine Skillet recipe from their website, so the adults could have a hearty meal. This turned out amazing for such minimal effort, and really felt like an indulgent and pricey dish. This is where I could really see the Hidden Veggie pasta perform, I didn't tell a soul, and nobody caught on! I don't see a reason why I wouldn't choose Hidden Veggie for all of my pasta dishes in the future. I am always in need of a little extra nutrition, and the price point is right on target with competing brands. For now, the only downside I see it the select market range Anthony's seems to be targeting. The local Los Angeles area stocks Hidden Veggie, but you will want to check with the product locator to determine if it is in stores near you. If it's not, don't be afraid to make a request with your local grocer! Visit the Anthony's Facebook page for an exclusive downloadable coupon to try new Hidden Veggie pasta.

What Daughter Says: With Anthony's Hidden Veggie pasta I can get away with fooling the entire family into eating healthier!

One Momma Told Me reader will win the above 10PC Jamie Oliver T-Fal Cookware Set and 8 Boxes of Anthony's Hidden Veggie pasta! When you're done entering, be sure to check out the event LINKY for more giveaways!

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