al fresco® was created in 1994 under the premise that food should be “good” and “good for you”, not just one or the other. Today, they are the #1 chicken sausage brand in the US and have recently been awarded Family Circle’s “Circle of Excellence” seal. al fresco® manufactures over 20 gourmet varieties of chicken products. With being made of chicken, they contain 70% less fat than pork sausage and are free of gluten, nitrites, nitrates, preservatives and artificial ingredients.
al fresco® is manufactured by Kayem Foods, Inc., which is the largest meat processor in New England. They make over 500 products under eight brand names. The company is based in Chelsea, Massachusetts. They are privately held and operated and have been under ownership and operation by the same family since 1909!
I was sent Tomato and Basil with Asiago and Mozzarella Cheese Meatballs by al fresco®, which come fully cooked. They are made with lean, skinless chicken meat. Since they are already full cooked, they simply need to be cooked on a stove top or oven at 375° F until fully heated or to microwave the entire package for 8-12 minutes (15 seconds per meatball). The meatballs were tender and moist with light tones of the basil and the cheeses noted. There are 16 meatballs per package and a serving is four meatballs.
I was also allowed to sample the Wild Blueberry Chicken Sausage and Country Style Chicken Sausage Breakfast Patty. These two products are also fully cooked. The Wild Blueberry Sausage has pure maple syrup. I could definitely notice a sweetness to the sausages, but the flavor was good. Since the sausages are made with lean chicken, you want to make sure you don’t puncture the casings or they will dry out and let the meat rest after heating to keep in the moisture. They can be prepared on the grill, oven broil, skillet, or microwave. There are seven links per package and a serving is considered one link.
The al fresco® Country Style Sausage patties are flavored with sage and thyme. I liked the strength of the herbs, but my husband thought it was a little too strong. The patties are bun sized so you can use them for a sandwich too. They can be reheated on the grill, pan-fried, or wrapped with a damp paper towel and microwaved. There are four patties per package and a serving is one patty.
al fresco® can be found in the refrigerated dinner sausage or all-natural meat section of supermarkets, grocery stores, mass merchandisers, and club stores nationwide and are also available for purchase at www.alfrescoallnatural.com. There is a newsletter available to stay on top of the latest deals and news available too. Sign up and get $1 off coupon.
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Disclosure: I received samples of al fresco® products in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received for this post. The thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.
