Skillet Garlic Parmesan Bread

Skillet Garlic Parmesan Bread is a quick, easy, delicious side dish that pairs perfectly with pasta! A great way to jazz up frozen meals or leftovers.

Disclosure: This post was created in partnership with Mambo Sprouts and Good Food Made Simple. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

It’s time for some real talk.

Life has been hectic lately, and as much as I love cooking, I don’t make all of my meals from scratch every.single.day. like some people may think. I take shortcuts in the kitchen when I need to – I buy meal prep kits, frozen meals, and do takeout, delivery, and even fast food.

I’ve had my fair share of regrettable last minute lunchtime drive thru meal purchases, because I just couldn’t beat the convenience and I had too much stuff to get done.

Life happens, so keeping your pantry and freezer stocked with better for you options can be a huge asset in making sure you don’t totally compromise your food values.

And it was for that exact reason that I was so excited to learn about Good Food Made Simple’s new line of frozen entrée meals.

First of all, I was excited to learn that these meals are all made with humanely raised meat that is free of antibiotics and animal byproducts. There are no added hormones, artificial flavors or ingredients, and at least 70% of the ingredients are organic.

It’s very similar to the way I cook in my own kitchen. I buy organic when I can, and support my local farms, but not exclusively. I source organic when possible and practical, and I think that’s what makes it more realistic for my family.

The portion sizes of these meals are nice, and the flavors are clean.

My favorite of the offerings from Good Food Made Simple is the Cavatappi Bolognese. It had just the right amount of rich, Italian meat sauce that’s made with fresh, sautéed organic carrots, onions, and basil. It’s paired with organic cavatappi pasta and topped with organic mozzarella.

I was honestly shocked at how good the texture of the pasta was. I don’t know how they managed to get it right, but it was great.

And I married into an Italian family, so I know a good al dente  pasta.

As you may know, I am a big fan of garlic bread.  It’s such a simple side dish to make at home, and it’s absolutely perfect for sopping up any extra sauce that you may have in your pasta dish.

For this particular recipe, I thought it would be fun to use one of my favorite pantry staples – butter flavored coconut oil. It’s rich and buttery but totally vegan.

Now, before we get too crazy, let it be known that I also loaded this up with a bunch of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, so this recipe itself isn’t vegan.

But I do have a feeling that swapping out the Parmesan with a bit of nutritional yeast may just make a great dairy-free substitute. I’ll be sure to report back after I try it out for myself.

I typically make my garlic bread by placing it under the broiler, but this time around, I thought it would be nice to fry it up in a skillet while the pasta cooked up in the microwave.

I’m happy to report that by the time the pasta is cooked through and rests for a minute or two, the garlic bread is good to go. So this is something that doesn’t keep you in the kitchen for very long on a busy weeknight meal, but totally takes the meal to the next level.

Feel free to use dried parsley here if you don’t have fresh, and if you do have fresh, sprinkle a little of it over the pasta before you dive in, too. That little extra pop of herbs really livens up the dish.

If I had to choose, my runner-up favorite frozen entrées from this line would be the Steak Black Bean or Chicken Enchiladas Verdes. I liked adding a dollop (or 3) of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt on top of them before diving in. Really tasty, and it totally doesn’t feel like what I tend to picture as a “frozen meal”.

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Want to win 5 coupons for free meals from Good Food Made Simple? To enter to win, leave a comment below telling me which variety you’re most looking forward to trying. The contest will close onFriday, April 14, 2017 at 12 noon (Eastern Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly and contacted via email to get mailing information. Prize will be shipped by the sponsor. U.S. residents only. Good luck, everyone!

UPDATE – The winner has been selected via random.org – CONGRATS to gertdog!