Now THIS was a meal I’ve been wanting to try for some time. Over the holidays, I spotted this hazelnut cranberry roast en croute, made by Field Roast, in the freezer at Whole Foods and decided to pick it up for a special dinner treat. Originally, I’d planned to serve it for our New Year’s Eve dinner, but our schedule became a bit loaded and so we decided to have pizza instead; and so the roast sat, waiting for its time in the oven – until tonight.
I haven’t felt my best this week, so today I worked from home in order to spare my colleagues from a cold. As a result, I had plenty of time to wait out the 1.5-hour cooking and resting time that the roast requires. (For the record, it requires absolutely NO hands-on work other than taking it out of the package; it just takes time to bake!)
When LeeLee called to say he was getting close to the house, I put on a can of peas and heated up some Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice that had made its way to the very back of the cabinet (I didn’t have quite enough regular white rice to make a full pot). By the time he walked in the door, all that was left to do was allow the roast to rest for 5 to 10 minutes (the package says 10 minutes, but we couldn’t wait!), and then we sliced it open.
The filling is fantastic! The meaty portion is very similar to many of Field Roast’s other offerings – which is to say, it’s spicy and flavorful and great – and the cranberry stuffing in the middle gives a nice sweet surprise to every bite. And the puff pastry that encases the roast – yum! I used my Cook’s Privilege to score an end piece just to enjoy as much pastry as I could, and I’m not a bit sorry for it.
When our pantry cleanout is finished and the restocking begins, we’ll definitely add another of these hazelnut cranberry roasts to the freezer! You needn’t have a holiday in order to have a festive dinner. Sometimes, a regular old Thursday will do just fine.
:)