I was compensated by Bertolli to participate in the Weeknight Meal Special Challenge.
Bertolli recently invited me to participate in a unique mealtime challenge. The goal? Create an elegant and memorable meal. The catch? I had just 1 hour from start to finish to do so! I was provided with Bertolli’s new frozen Meal Soups to help make this quick meal happen. So, is it really possible to create a fancy meal with only 60 minutes and one bag of frozen soup? I decided to chronicle my progress as I went, so you could see exactly what I did, how long it took me, and what the final result was:
4:18 pm: Set the table.
4:21 pm: Log onto Pinterest and look for napkin folding ideas.
4:24 pm: Can’t find anything on Pinterest, and a Google search yields some pretty tutorials that are far more complex than I want to take on right now. Then I remember that Sweet T Makes 3 has a tutorial on folding a pretty napkin in 20 seconds.
4:28 pm: Success! Thanks Jenn!
4:29 pm: Place a candle in the center of the table.
4:32 pm: Decide which soup to make.
4:36 pm: Decide on Tomato Florentine & Tortellini with Chicken, get pot out of the cupboard, add soup and water, turning stove on to high heat.
4:46 pm: Soup is chugging right along.
4:49 pm: Garnish plates with crackers while soup cooks.
4:56 pm: Soup has come to a boil. Reduced the heat and covered to simmer for another 5 minutes.
5:00 pm: Fill champagne flutes with soda water.
5:04 pm: Soup is done!
5:08 pm: Soup is finished, ladled in to bowls, and ready to eat – with 10 minutes and to spare! Bon Appétit!
So there you have it: A nice meal, ready in less than one hour! Jai and I both really enjoyed the soup – it’s a hearty combination of chicken pieces and cheese-stuffed tortellini shells in a delicious tomato bisque. I love how quick and easy it was to prepare! This dinner was fun and elegant, but not a lot of work. Keep this in mind the next time you have unexpected guests!
To learn more about Bertolli Meal Soups, visit their official website at VillaBertolli.com and keep up with them on Facebook and Twitter.