Nestlé USA has expanded the Lean Cuisine Marketplace line of Asian and Italian frozen ready meals produced by its Stouffer’s unit in Solon, Ohio. Inspired by travels to top restaurants and culinary hot spots, the company’s in-house chefs have crafted new dishes and reinvented classics using ingredients that one would in a home kitchen cupboard.
The dishes, all of which contain no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, are:
Garlic Sesame Noodles with Beef. While recently exploring restaurants and food carts in San Francisco’s Chinatown, Lean Cuisine chefs zeroed in on the authentic Asian culinary scene. Pairing their insights from the tour and in-house experience with tasty pasta dishes, they created infused rice noodles that maintain maximum flavor and intended texture after freezing and ultimate meal preparation. The noodles are tossed with prime rib beef, broccoli florets, ribbon-cut carrots and julienned red peppers in a sesame soy garlic sauce – together offering 15 grams of protein and just 27% of one’s recommended daily sodium intake.
Mango Chicken with Coconut Rice. This limited edition dish was inspired by the popular Thai dessert, Sticky Rice with Mango. The gluten-free option is packed with 19 grams of protein and combines tender white meat chicken, edamame, long-grain white rice, diced mango, julienned-cut red bell peppers and toasted coconut with a sweet and savory mango sauce.
Sesame Chicken. This version of the best-selling Lean Cuisine dishes now features white meat chicken, house-made pasta, julienned red peppers, cut green beans, plum sauce, a splash of soy sauce and a pinch of toasted sesame seeds.
Chicken Fried Rice. This authentic version of a takeout staple is now gluten-free and made with ingredients free from artificial preservatives. This recipe features white meat chicken, white rice, peas, diced carrots, green onions and scrambled eggs with a gluten-free roasted garlic sesame soy sauce.
Two New Italian Recipes
Drawing on international inspiration for modern tastes, the latest Italian-influenced Lean Cuisine dishes are:
- Roasted Garlic White Bean Alfredo. This new limited edition pasta promises to deliver “an unexpected burst of flavor.” Prepared with organic fettuccine, the recipe combines creamy roasted garlic and white bean Alfredo sauce with a splash of olive oil, grated parmesan cheese, spinach and yellow shoestring cut carrots for 16 grams of protein.
Spicy Penne Arrabbiata. Made with organic ingredients, this dish adds a bit of heat to a family favorite. Organic penne pasta, spicy tomato basil sauce and aged Parmesan cheese cater to consumers’ desire for spicier flavors.
All of the new products have a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $2.99 and are currently available at select grocery and mass retailers. Full national distribution is scheduled to begin in July.
“The Lean Cuisine culinary team is continually trying new approaches to create delicious dishes shoppers crave, whether it’s focusing on ways to add flavor, exploring new types of cuisines or working with familiar recipes in different ways,” said Chef David Bailey. “We find new inspiration on culinary trips and perfect recipes back in the kitchen alongside our nutrition team to deliver a dish we’re proud to serve.”
With more than 100 varieties, the Lean Cuisine brand continues to evolve to meet changing demands, from reducing sodium to including more varieties with vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins such as poultry, beef and seafood.
