Review- M&S NEW Chicken & Butternut Bake

Things seem to come and go in M&S as quick as anything nowadays. I do like how they pump out NEW products but it can be quite frustrating to see a favourite being taken off the shelf when it has only been there itself for a few months! Today's Chicken & Butternut Bake however, is one thing I was only to happy to embrace with open arms for a quick, easy and healthy dinner! 

Part of the Mix & Match, 3 for £10 deal across selected prepared meals, the 370g Bake cost £3.50 (Give or take!) individually and is freezer friendly - Perfect for stocking up and enjoying at those busy times. 

As instructed, I preheated my oven to 180ºC Fan and whacked the foil tin, with the sleeve removed, onto a baking tray and cooked for 25 minutes until bubbly and deliciously smelling of garlic/casserole.  

Not to disappointingly, the kale caught in the oven so I removed it before getting stuck in.. Although  I have to say, it still tasted of seaweed whether it was burnt or not! An abundance of slightly herby, soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, potato cubes were the main flavour with a decent amount of succulent chicken chunks distributed throughout. The sauce provided a bit of moisture but by no means made things sloppy and tasted a bit like a vegetable "gravy". As for the butternut and the mushroom.. Both were few and far between with 2 lonesome slices of the latter and a little over half a dozen pieces of the squash. 

All in all, this NEW Chicken & Butternut Bake is delicious.. And definitely a dinner for the potato fans amongst us! There really is a mound of the white stuff which personally, I don't mind but I can see how some may be despondent over the lack of squash in the name. I'll certainly be having another! - It's a 4 out of 5 from me. 

Review- M&S Balanaced For You NEW Cod & Salmon Root Veg Risotto

I've been on a bit of a Chicken Chow Mein kick lately - It's quick, easy and surprisingly not all that bad for you! I have been buying it all over the place but have come to the conclusion that my firm favourite is the Balanced For You option from M&S.. Which bring us to today - Cod & Salmon Root Veg Risotto! Wait, what?

Cod and salmon pieces with a vegetable risotto made of carrots, butternut squash and sweet potatoes in a tomato sauce topped with spinach 

Don't worry, I haven't completely lost it - I picked up 2 Chow Mein meals and opted for this as my third item in the 3 for £10 deal. I am uncertain of its individual price but figured that since it was NEW, it would make a good review and whacked in the basket.. Despite not being all that big of a fan of Risotto or baked salmon. Hmm. 

I microwaved my meal for the instructed 4 minutes to produce something that looked uncannily similar to a vomitting session I had in the early Noughties.. Jolly good, moving on! I proceeded to give the thing a good stir and was a little surprised how liquid-y it appeared to be - Although the "Risotto" was of the veg kind rather than traditional rice, it didn't have any of the creaminess I envisaged! Taste wise, it was just as confusing with a super tomato flavour paired with mushy vegetables but a really fishy kick to overpower the lot thanks to the abundance of big, flaky chunks. I wouldn't usually complain about such a thing but when something tastes purely of the sea, it's near impossible not to mention! The spinach floating on top didn't add a lot in terms of flavour either but did bring a nice burst of colour to the dish, so there is that!

OK, I'm now thinking I should have just gotten 3 Chicken Chow Mein and steered well clear of this Cod & Salmon Root Veg Risotto - Hindsight is such a wonderful thing. The meal doesn't work and it's as simple as that, unfortunately - The "Risotto" part is actually quite tasty but by plopping fish in there, you're left with some sort of confused, mish-mash of soup and sea! Granted, cooked salmon isn't my favourite but the combination of the two elements here is just bizarre and as usual, I am left wondering.. What on earth were you thinking M&S!? It's a 1.5 out of 5 from me.