Deal of the Day - Weight Watchers "Picante Chicken & Pasta"

What do you get when you combine chili with bow-tie pasta? You get "Picante Chicken & Pasta" from Weight Watchers'. Don't scoff -- you were never tempted to dump a can of chili over your pasta, just once?

I picked up a couple of these frozen entrees from this 99c only Store and was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it was. Although not advertised as chili and pasta, it is. The sauce is a light variation made with black beans, cubes of white meat chicken, bell pepper, onions, and held together in a pleasant tasting tomato sauce with a subtle ancho chile pepper heat, and you know how this chef likes entrees with chiles. The bow-tie pasta was good; the black beans were firm not mushy; the chicken was real, not processed, and the veggies were chunky enough to be recognizable.

The serving is small, just 9 ounces, but that is expected when dining on weight loss fare. This is a great Deal of the Day, and the price is a quarter of what is found at regular markets. Maybe the idea of chili and pasta is a turn-off -- so is that why this entree ended up in a discount market? Anyway, on a scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best, I give it a 7. I feel guilty for taking off a point for quantity -- why are the servings so small? I'm not asking for a pound of pasta -- just a couple of ounces more would satisfy.

This frozen budget entree is quick to prepare, has a good mix of decent-quality ingredients and, of course, low calorie. I'll get a basketful, for a week of work lunches, next time I see it at The 99c only Stores.