Stouffer’s Monterey Chicken

May 27, 2008 | Reviewer: Nicole

Stouffer’s Monterey Chicken Calories: 530
Total Fat: 32%, 21g
Saturated Fat: 30%, 6g
Cholesterol: 27%, 80mg
Sodium: 54%, 1300mg
Carbohydrates: 18%, 54g
Fiber: 20%, 5g
Sugars: 19g
Protein: 31g
Weight Watchers Points: 12 Points

Stouffer’s says: Grilled chicken tenders with BBQ sauce, topped with bacon and monterey jack and cheddar cheeses with mashed potatoes.

Nicole says:I previously reviewed a Stouffer’s Chicken Monterey. This is a different meal, completely. Just to clarify. Strange? Perhaps. Stouffer’s should think about working on their adjectives/regional or ethnic references.

This “Restaurant Selects” meal is a “NEW Larger Satisfying Size”, at 14.5 ounces and 530 calories.

Instead of the monterey jack cheese sauce, this chicken baths in barbecue sauce with both monterey jack and cheddar cheeses. And bacon. Very different, but probably a good different.

My current hamburger obsession (formerly bleu cheese) is the “Texas” burger, which in the best version I have seen is topped with bacon, barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese, red onions, and coleslaw. This is the healthy alternative to that burger, minus the coleslaw and red onions.

Yes, my chicken has grill marks, so barbecue sauce is the right condiment. The chicken is moist and well-portioned, with about 8 pieces ranging from niblet to finger-sized, mostly on the larger end. However, the flavor of the chicken is lost in the sauce and the added yummiyummiyumminess of the pieces of bacon in that sauce. The cheeses in the sauce also pretty much get lost, except where they have melted together into balls of cheese (in sauce), which are pretty yummy but still rather barbecue flavored. The sauce goes take on a gelatinous texture around the edges, but stay away from those edges and you’ll be fine. I did get one bite of chicken that was a bit too “gristly” for my liking. Don’t worry, I discreetly spit it into a napkin, so as not to offend my keyboard, monitor, telephone, or coffee mug.

The mashed potato portion is huge - approaching the size of my hand with fingers spread, and I have long fingers. The herbs present in sight, taste, and smell are really lovely, but I can’t place the herb and it’s not one you’d generally pair with a barbecue dish. I really enjoyed them, but the meal might feel better rounded with a smaller potato share and a small third side. I recommend cornbread or baked beans.

The meal is definitely filling and would be suitable for a dinner or a lunch for a hearty appetite. It’s overall very tasty and I’d buy it again without a second thought. I will reiterate:

How does changing the name from Chicken Monterey to Monterey Chicken turn a chile cheese sauce to a barbecue sauce and switch the sides from mashed sweet potatoes and mexican rice to mashed herb potatoes?
A big part of the reason this is filling is the above-average size of the potato portion. Split the side portion of the tray and offer another side dish! It’s be great to get more than starch from my “side vegetable”.

comments

2 Responses to “Stouffer’s Monterey Chicken”

Chavi on May 27th, 2008

Hay-zeus freakin’ christo. Really? 12 points? That’s ridiculous!
Justin on May 29th, 2008

Mmmm,,, Baked beans sounds like a good compliment to this.

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