Gluten Free Food Reviews

I am actually embarrassed to write this review.

This gluten free pasta has been a staple at my house for over a year now. My husband and picky children really love it in a variety of recipes. However, imagine to my surprise when I was cleaning up my sidebar categories and realized I hadn’t reviewed this brand of Tinkyada gluten free pasta. You would think this would be one of the first! I can’t believe I overlooked this. Yikes.

In fact, the above photo is my favorite pasta dish Creamy Chicken and Pasta. My family slurps up and asks for seconds ( trust me, this rarely happens at my house. Too many picky eaters!). To try the recipe, stop over and check out my Dish of The Week feature on my family blog.

I usually purchase the 16 ounce bag of this gluten free penne pasta for $3.69 and it easily feeds my family of four two hearty meals.

This Tinkyada pasta is easy to prepare- simply boil the noodles for 15 minutes, and after a cold water rinse you are ready for your favorite sauce. I found these noodles be slightly larger than a traditional wheat penne noodles. These gluten free noodles also cook up soft and slightly chewy; it really doesn’t result in a firm al dente, though. The flavor is light and mild, and pairs well with any sauce. I did not experience any aftertaste or strange texture. These noodles also hold their shape well with no splitting or cracking. It’s all good!

Seriously, with these noodles, you really can’t go wrong. Tinkyada has a great reputation, and these noodles are no exception.

Pros: pleasant, mild flavor; holds shape, simple ingredients,

Cons: doesn’t cook al dente; softer density and texture

Rating: 5 stars

Want to try it for yourself? Click the link below:

Ingredients: stone ground brown rice, rice bran, water

Click HERE for my other Tinkyada reviews and HERE for my other gluten free pasta reviews!

Have you tried this pasta? What did you think?

OK, these noodles are just too much fun!

I picked up this 16 ounce bag of gluten free pasta noodles for a hearty spaghetti dish when my local supermarket was sold out of my favorite gluten free Tinkyada penne pasta.

Straight from the package, these noodles were a bit strange, almost like a loose wave- curvier than a gluten free spaghetti noodle but smoother than a spiral noodle.

After boiling for 11 minutes, the noodles became slightly thicker, but retained their wavy shape and overall length. These gluten free pasta noodles also appeared slightly textured. This seemed perfect for my hearty, meaty, stick to your ribs spaghetti sauce- the sauce clung to the noodles perfectly. Yum!

These gluten free noodles cook up perfectly soft and slightly chewy- not quite al dente, but definitely not soggy and squishy. I thought the texture was excellent as well- comparable to gluten noodle with no splitting or breaking.

The best part of these noodles: They tasted just as good as leftovers for my lunch the following day and my kids slurped them up, too. Perfect.

Overall, I really liked these noodles and plan to buy them again. Way to go Tinkyada- another great brown rice noodle product that my whole family enjoys.

Pros: great texture, mild flavor, pairs well with any sauce or pasta dish, no sogginess or splitting

Cons: noodles are a little longer than a standard penne noodle- may be an issue in some recipes

Rating: 5 stars

I want to try these fun noodles! Where can I buy them?

Click the link below:

Ingredients: Stone-Ground Brown Rice, Rice Bran and Water.

Since I enjoy Amy’s frozen version of gluten free macaroni and cheese, I was curious to see what this packaged product would taste like. I purchased the 9.1 ounce bag for $4.59 at my local natural food store. After tasting it myself and researching this gluten free macaroni and cheese online, I have found that you will either love the Heartland Finest white cheddar macaroni & cheese, or you will hate it. Unfortunately, I did not love it.

This gluten free macaroni and cheese is fairly easy and quick to prepare. Just boil the noodles for a mere four minutes, then mix in butter, milk, and the cheese pouch, just like most boxed or prepared macaroni products. This mac and cheese was ready and on the table within 10 minutes! That was impressive! What was also impressive was the fact that each serving provides a whopping 14 grams of protein and six grams of fiber. Very nice. It’s too bad I didn’t like the flavor.

The noodles seemed dense and chewy with a heavy bean flavor and a hint of corn. To me, they just didn’t taste that good, but that may be because I am not a huge fan of bean flour used in noodles and baked goods. The sauce was thick and creamy, but had a slightly sour aftertaste that did not compliment the flavor of the noodles. To me, it isn’t as good as some of the other gluten free macaroni and cheese products out there. I prefer a softer, lighter pasta with a heavier cheddar flavor, and this product featured neither.

Did you try it and like it? Post your comments!

PROS: fast cooking time, high in protein and fiber

CONS: heavy bean flavor, cheese has an odd taste

Rating: 2 stars

Wanna try Heartland’s Finest White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese for Yourself?

Click HERE to purchase from glutenfree.com.Â

Ingredients: Navy Bean Flour, Yellow Corn Flour, Cheddar Cheese (milk, salt, cheese cultures, enzymes), whey, buttermilk, salt, disodium phosphate.

Yummmmm, a steaming hot bowl of pasta on a chilly November afternoon. Sounds good to me! As I go about my cleaning and errands during the day, I sometimes keep a frozen gluten free product in the freezer to cook up while I put away groceries or get ready to pay bills. Brown rice pasta is something I have grown to love, and enjoy to even more than the gluten pasta I used to consume. It’s lighter, more flavorful and just tastes GOOD. On one particularly chilly day, I popped one of Amy’s gluten free Baked Ziti Bowls in the microwave for five minutes. You can also bake it in the oven for 55 minutes, but really, who wants to wait that long for something that is supposed to be a convenience food? Each bowl is one serving size.

This is what the pasta bowl looked liked fresh from the freezer:

To my surprise, it actually looked pretty good. A sprinkling of soy cheese graced the top of the noodles with green peas peeking out on the sides. However, it didn’t look that good for long:

Wasn’t there soy cheese on there? Where are the peas? I felt a bit nervous at the scary site- the way the soy cheese cooked with the organic tomato sauce didn’t look tasty at all. Stirring the ziti helped a bit. And, it did smell realllly good!

 The yummy smelling sauce was thick, nicely seasoned, and complimented the ziti noodles with just a touch of sweetness. The addition of soy ricotta, garlic and olive oil were simply scrumptious. However, the noodles cooked unevenly in the bowl; some noodles tasted perfectly cooked, while others were dense and chewy, and not pleasant to eat. The peas cooked nicely without mushiness and held their shape well. However, I am not sure that the peas really complimented the sauce- the peas almost seemed out of place when it came to flavor. I wished the peas weren’t in there at all. But, that may be because I am not used to adding peas to my pasta.

Overall, it is a decent gluten free product that would be great for a quick lunch idea.

PROS: great flavor and aroma, tasty sauce, organic ingredients, non dairy

CONS: noodles cooked unevenly, we want more soy cheese Amy’s! ( it disappeared!), appearance doesn’t look good after cooking

Rating: 4 stars

You can buy this product from Wellnessgrocer.com or in the frozen food section of your local grocery store. This link also lists ingredients.

Read what Cybele of the Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook says about this product!!

It’s been a while . . . almost a week and a half since my last review frozen foods review- uugggh. Now that my busy/crazy comittments are past, I am back on the GF review bandwagon. I also had high hopes of reviewing a great pie crust mix- Cause You’re Special Homestyle Gluten-Free Pie Crust Mix. However, on my last trip to my local natural foods store, I puchased the last two mixes, and I need those for my Thanksgiving meal. Therefore, it leaves me without a mix to photograph and review for my site! Oh well . . .I used this mix with great success last year an would highly recommend it. I will at least have a review up in time for Christmas baking though. I am interested to see if this mix is as good as I remember.

In the meantime, I just had to review one of my favorite frozen food entrees:Â

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Amy’s Garden Vegetable Lasagna made with organic rice pasta and vegetables. I purchased this gluten free food product at my local Wegman’s Grocery Store for $4.99. This is perfectly portioned for one person, and I think it would make a great gluten free lunch product for work or school.

This is what it looked like straight from the freezer and removed from it’s colorful cardboard box. Not exactly impressive . . .

This Amy’s lasagna may be heated in the mircrowave for five minutes or baked in the oven for 35-40 minutes. If you have read my reviews, you probably know I tend to be impatient with these types of products, and I almost always choose the microwave version of warming and cooking. This was no exception. I heated the lasagna in my microwave for the full five minutes and let it cool for 3-4 minutes before digging in.

When it comes to lasagna, I usually like a hearty meat sauce with lots of cheese. That’s just my style and preference. However, this veggie version really surprised me. I loved it! The vegetables in this gluten free lasagna taste light, fresh and flavorful and balance perfectly with all of the ingredients. There is definately no hint of a processed or prepared taste. The overall flavor is not heavy and hearty in my opinion, it is light and flavorful.Â

This lasagna is very curious- all the tomato sauce is on the top, and the filling between the layers of rice pasta is just the veggies and ricotta. The rice noodles hold up well and taste great. They provide a nice backdrop for the ricotta and veggie medley without mushiness or pastiness. Yum! The tomato sauce on the top is just right- it isnt too sweet and compliments the rest of the ingredients.Â

I did notice that the token sprinking of cheese on the top diasppeared when I cooked the lasagna, and I couldn’t taste it at all, unlike the picture on the box. But then again, I don’t know of any frozen food products that look just like the box! I also noticed that the bottom layer of the lasagna appeared and tasted a bit watery/soggy, but it wasn’t such a problem that would keep me from buying this gluten free product again.

PROS: light, fresh, flavorful, perfect single portion size, orgamic ingredients

CONS: a bit watery at the bottom, more cheese on top would be nice

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Where Can I Buy Amy’s Garden Vegetable Lasagne?

WellnessGrocer.com

OR:Â to check the frozen food section at your local grocery store

Ingredients: organic brown rice, organic rice pasta lasagne ( organic rice, four, water), ricoota cheese, organic onions, organic broccoli, organic zuchinni, organic carrots, organic peas, organic spinach, filtered water, parmesan cheese, spices, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, organic garlic, organic evaporated cane juice. (All cheese made without animal enzymes or rennet.)

Tomorrow I am off to historic Philadelphia with my family for the last weekend getaway of the fall season. We hope to enjoy the gorgeous fall leaves along the way, and balance contemporary fun and history on our itinerary. Our hotel we are staying at provides a full kitchen, which is great news for me! I find it difficult to travel, not knowing where to eat since it is not always convenient or possible to bring a bag lunch or cooler with me wherever I go. Having a celiac reaction away from home is just rotten.

As I plan my vacation menu, I decided a simple pasta dish would fit the bill; that reminded me of the DeBoles Corn Elbow gluten free pasta noodles I tried on my last trip back home. I swiped them from my parents’ gluten free cabinet, and have no idea how much they cost.

I paired the elbow noodles with a simple marinara sauce and parmesan cheese. I was pleased to discover the corn noodles held their shape very well- no mushiness or falling apart. The final product appeared pale yellow and seemed slightly textured.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the flavor. The corn flavor of the pasta competed with my tomato-based sauce, and it simply didn’t taste good. I imagine the flavor would be better paired with a cream-based sauce or may work well in some type of casserole. In this case, they just weren’t for me.

PROS: not mushy, keeps shape, slight texture holds onto sauce

CONS: corn flavor of noodles may compete with flavorful sauces

Rating: 2 1/2 stars

I wanna try this pasta! Where can I buy it?

Ingredients: yellow corn meal and yellow corn flour

Today I have a house of sick and grouchy kids, and a husband that is out of town on business ( not a good combination). After coaxing saltines and sips of Sprite and Pedialite, I needed something quick, filling, comforting, and naturally, gluten free for myself. The box of Amy’s Macaroni & Cheese in my freezer seemed to fit the bill perfectly. I believe I purchased this boxed and frozen product for $3.09 at my local grocery store.

The prep for this gluten free propduct couldn’t be easier. I popped it in the microwave for a total of six minutes, pausing after four minutes for a brief stir. I was also pleased to discover this product did not splatter and mess up my clean microwave. There’s nothing I hate more than food splatters that stink up the microwave! I admit, initially the mac and cheese looked pretty scary fresh from the box:

But the final product looked a bit more appetizing!

This product actually tasted pretty yummy! The noodles were great- soft, but firm enough to hold their shape with no mushiness. The sauce was fairly thick, and stuck to the noodles in little clumps here and there. However, the texure of the sauce was smooth, it just looked a bit clumpy because it was so thick. The flavor of the sauce was also quite satisfying- it tastes like a homemade cheese sauce- no artificial or processed flavors here! If you are looking for the thin, kraft-style sauce, this isn’t for you.

Overall, this Amy’s Macaroni & Cheese frozen product is a yummy product that has a nice homemade flavor. The ingredients are high quality and the portion size is perfect for one person. Add a salad or fruit and you have yourself a nice, satisfying meal in a matter of minutes. This product really fit my needs tonight- fast, tasty and filling. I must note, though, that part of the reason it was so filling was probaly due to the high fat/saturated fat content - 16 total grams of fat per serving- yikes! However for ocasional use, I will definately buy this product again.

PROS: Great flavor and texture

CONS: sauce is really thick; high saturated fat content ( 10 grams!)

Rating: 4 stars

Amy’s Rice Mac & Cheese may be purchased at most local grocery stores in the frozen foods section ( Wegmans, Walmart, Giant, Weis etc).

Ingredients: organic rice macaroni ( organic rice flour, water), organic lowfat milk, cheddar cheese, butter, rice flour, sea salt, annato. No trans fat, added MSG, no preservatives

With noodles like these, who needs wheat? These Tinkyada gluten free spaghetti noodles were one of the first gluten free products I tried and it has become a staple in my own gluten free pantry.

I usually buy these noodles locally for $3.69. The bags are 16 ounces and will easily have enough noodles for a few meals. One aspect that makes these noodles great is the fact that you can overcook them and they are still edible! With other brands of rice noodles, overcooking can be the kiss of death- you end up with a sticky, mushy, bowl of goo. Yuck. These noodles are very forgiving! I tend to prefer them more al dente with a cooking time of 14 minutes, softer noodles should be cooked at 16 minutes.

The width of these noodles is slightly larger than their wheat counterparts and have a soft but slightly chewy consistency. The flavor is pleasing and mild and compliments any sauce you want to whip up for dinner. Thin sauces tend to slip off the noodles, so I like to use a chunky veggie or meat sauce. I have found that these noodles leave me satisfied and content, unlike regular noodles that leave you feeling heavy and overly full. Both gluten free eaters and gluten consumers will both enjoy these noodles.

Pros: Great texture, flavor, simple ingredients, holds sauce well

Cons: Are there any?

Rating: 5 stars

Where Can I Buy These Amazing Noodles?

Ingredients: Stoneground brown rice, rice bran, water

These DeBoles penne noodles are packed in an 8 ounce box and contain enough noodles for at least 3 meals or so.

The penne is simple and quick to prepare as most noodles are. It is suggested to cook between 8 and 12 minutes, and rinse with cold water. I found that these noodles taste a bit better cooked at the 11 minute mark. I noticed that when the noodles are softer, they tend to split less and their texture is better. Undercooked ( at 8 or 9 minutes) and you’ll find them slightly tough and splitting as you try to eat them. But be careful, don’t exceed 12 minutes or you’ll get a bowl of mush! I know, kind of tricky.

The noodles hold thick sauces fairly well thanks to the ridges in the pasta, but the overall flavor seemed to be lacking. In my opinion, these noodles are “Ok”, but not something I would rave to my GF friends about.

Pros: holds sauce well, all natural, simple ingredients

Cons: tricky to cook “just right”

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Ingredients: Rice flour and rice bran extract.

Where Can I buy This product?

Vitacost.com