Smart Ones Chicken Carbonara

I don't have much of a pre-amble on this one, other to say that as a kid and young teen I remember the 'Lady in Red' commercials for Smart Ones. Also, my mom has tried Weight Watchers a few times and since this line is affiliated with it (the 'points' per meal are clearly indicated on this box, this one being 5 points) I figure it must be pretty legitimate food. Read on and see how it goes down:

First Impressions: The fake smokey smell of this meal is slightly unappetizing and since taste is largely a function of what we smell, I grimace thinking about having to eat this meal. It looks nice enough, with the peas, mushrooms, chicken, pasta, and turkey bacon all evident. I even see some tender onions, which means they took the recipe to heart -- most forget the smaller details such as this but I appreciate it being 25% Italian. I dive into the first bite tentatively.

Taste: The sauce is pretty tasty - it has a definite smokey flavor but it's not overboard, so I'm wondering if the turkey bacon or chicken is the cause of the heavy smoke scent this meal gave off. My first piece of chicken is reassuring - it's not overpowering in smokiness so I'm left suspecting the bacon, which I later find out leaves a bad smoke aftertaste in my mouth. As a whole, the flavors mesh well and work alright on their own. However since I'm trying to eat this with a big spoon, it's hard to get a decent sized bite. I'm cursing the people who stole most of my silverware earlier on in the Summer at this point.

Texture: So the chicken is fifty-fifty between being chewy and a little fatty in consistency and being kinda dry in the center for larger pieces. Not the best chicken I've had from this genre of frozen foods, and I'm a little disappointed as I figured Smart Ones could do better by poultry. The turkey bacon is chewey, which is totally wrong for carbonara. Usually you pan fry the bacon and onions together, if not to completely crisp it then to give it a little browning. The pasta is definitely past 'al dente' and bordering on too soft but I can get through it. The mushrooms are pretty much nasty and mushy, so I try to space them out or hide them with larger bites of chicken/pasta combos. As far as the peas and onions are concerned, they might both be the best in this category. Onions are soft and tender and the peas aren't mushy at all, with just a hint of firmness.

General Thoughts: What a let down from Smart Ones! They have a pretty versatile line of lean frozen products from snacks, breakfasts, desserts and dinners. While I've probably sampled from their brand the least I expected more outta these guys. They are the official brand of healthy frozen foods for Weight Watchers, which I had figured would mean a better quality experience. It's interesting to note a few days ago I ate their Three Cheese Ziti Marinara and thought it was a solid choice, but since I was studying for Accounting and had little time before class I didn't get to do a review. I'm hoping it was just this one flavor that was a disappointment but I'll be more cautious in the future with this brand. I've been contemplating making something else to eat just to get this over-smoked flavor outta my mouth!

I would NOT buy this again!

Rating: 1.5 stars

Calories: 260
Fat: 5 grams
Smart Ones Website with Complete Nutrition Info