Morningstar Farms Grillers Recipe Crumbles

Two nights ago, I made myself a tasty vegetarian lasagna using MSF Grillers Recipe Crumbles. It was relatively simple and came out pretty well, if a little overcooked. The Grillers Crumbles really made the dish for me, and it wasn't far off from my old favorite meaty lasagna.

I didn't use a recipe or measure anything, but it was something like this:

- 12-14 wide lasagna noodles, cooked
- 1 jar of vegetarian spaghetti sauce
- 3/4 of a bag of Morningstar Farms Grillers Recipe Crumbles
- 15 oz. ricotta cheese
- 2-3 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- garlic powder, oregano, and basil to taste

Preheat oven to 350F.
While noodles are cooking, mix ricotta, parmesan, and herbs/spices in a small bowl. Also, thaw Crumbles in microwave (30 seconds at a time, then stir; don't let them cook) in a medium bowl, then stir in spaghetti sauce, reserving about 1/4 cup. Spread reserved spaghetti sauce over the bottom of a 13"x9" baking pan, and lay out one layer of noodles. Spread a thin layer of cheese mixture over noodles, then a layer of sauce mixture. Continue layering, ending with top layer of noodles, sauce, and grated mozzarella. Bake about 40 minutes, or until hot all the way through. Don't judge doneness by appearance of mozzarella cheese on top! I was waiting for the cheese to melt, and it never happened -- thus my top layer ended up overcooked.

I think this product would also be delicious in tacos, or other Mexican dishes. MSF also makes a crumbled sausage product, which I would love to try but can't find anywhere...

**2/25/09 Edited to add: This stuff is also really good sprinkled onto a cheese or veggie pizza!

Protein source: Soy, wheat
Allergens: Soy, wheat
Vegan

Gardenburger BBQ Riblets

I have never eaten real ribs, so I can't really compare this product to the real thing, but...

I've been a fan of this product for a while now -- pretty much ever since I discovered that I love barbecue sauce about a year or two ago.

Unlike many other veg*n convenience foods, you only get two servings per package. Each veggie riblet comes in a plastic pouch, which is microwaveable. Be very, very careful when you microwave this product! It is very easy to overcook, especially if you have a powerful microwave oven. I only have to cook mine for about half the recommended time for it to be heated through. If it is overcooked, it will chewy and tough to the point of being inedible... which is very sad when it smells so good!

The sauce is delicious -- sweet (but not too sweet) and spicy (but not too spicy). I think they should bottle it and make it available separately. The riblets are tasty too, and have a sort of chunky texture. I have eaten the riblets as a sandwich on a long roll or toasted bread with swiss cheese, or as-is with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. Yum.

And yes, it's even vegan! Yay!

On my last shopping trip, I noticed a suspiciously similar product from Morningstar Farms. I purchased it, not realizing that I already had a box of Gardenburger riblets at home. I compared the list of ingredients on the two boxes, and sure enough, they were identical. I wonder what this means..? Did MSF purchase Gardenburger? Hmm...

Protein source: Soy, wheat
Allergens: Soy, wheat
100% vegan

Morningstar Farms Chik Patties Original

I bought these one day while at a grocery store that doesn't carry my beloved Quorn "chicken" products. I knew it wouldn't be the same, but I thought trying something new might be good. Morningstar Farms has rarely ever disappointed me. Besides, the Chik Patties now have received the Chef's Best award... though I'm not quite sure what that means (and I wonder what other fake chicken patties they could have compared this to? Hmm).

Overall, this product was about what I was expecting. They do have a different sort of "chicken" flavor and texture than Quorn or Gardenburger; I'd say it resembles more of a dark meat chicken flavor -- only more, um, blah. The "meat" flavor and the breading reminded a bit of something like Banquet chicken nuggets.

The product does stay together better than a Quorn patty -- the breading doesn't just fall off -- so it does have that going for it. Oh, and it cooks at a lower oven temperature, so the oven preheats faster, thus you can eat it sooner (always a bonus in my book!). And, though it still may not be quite as good IMHO, it is nice to have a little variety once in a while.

Protein source: Soy, wheat
Allergens: Soy, wheat, milk, egg
100% vegetarian

Morningstar Farms Grillers Prime Burger

This has been one of my favorite veggie products since I started sampling vegetarian foods. Of all the beef burger substitutes I've tried (Boca, Gardenburger, Amy's, and MSF), this has the most burger-like flavor. It doesn't taste like vegetables or have visible vegetable particles like other burger substitutes, and it has a good texture. It's definitely my first choice when I'm craving a big, juicy cheeseburger. Yum. :)

Obviously, if you're a vegetarian because you don't like the taste of meat, this would not be a good sandwich patty for you. But if you do sometimes miss hamburgers, I absolutely recommend this product.

Protein source: Soy, wheat
Allergens: Soy, wheat, milk, egg
Vegetarian