Rosemary and Roasted Garlic Crispy Tofu Bites and FREE GIVEAWAY!

Hey all of you fantastic Paula's Plate readers, I hope you're prepared for a double hit today...not only do you have a tasty recipe coming your way, but also a FREE GIVEAWAY!! Woohoo!

The wonderful people at Kraft have recently come out with an incredible product called Kraft Fresh Take, if you have heard of it, perhaps you are excited as I am. Well today I am sharing with you a new way to use this tasty product, as well as the opportunity to win not only your own delicious Kraft Fresh Take but also a super fun barbecue set! Awesome! 

First things first, on to the recipe!

Let's face it, just because it is summer doesn't mean that things slow down quite as nicely as they should. In fact, for you busy moms and dads out there, it perhaps even speeds up with extra sleepovers, play-dates, summer camps etc... With all of these fun activities going on, it can be difficult to keep dinner ideas new and exciting. Luckily, Kraft Fresh Take has a great solution for this hustle and bustle, which will undoubtedly give a boost to your dinners not only this summer, but throughout the school year as well! 

This simple meal kit consists of a cheese and breadcrumb mixture that provides flavorful, crisp and cheesy dishes with only FIVE minutes of prep time. What's more, it comes in SIX delicious flavors, how awesome is that?

As you likely gathered from the name, this product is all about creating a "Fresh Take" on your favorites standby dishes, and while it is often paired with different types of meats, such as crispy chicken breast or juicy pork chops, I wanted to make something for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. I therefore came up with Rosemary and Roasted Garlic Crispy Tofu Bites, which are not only delicious, but also SO EASY to prepare. If you have never eaten tofu before, this is a great recipe with which to start. Kraft Fresh Take offers not only a flavorful boost to this protein packed ingredient, but also a wonderfully crispy texture that makes biting into these little nuggets absolutely delicious. Dip them into your favorite marinara sauce or ketchup and you have a perfect pair.

After first making this recipe with the Rosemary and Roasted Garlic Fresh Take, I tried it twice more with the Southwest Three Cheese and the Savory Four Cheese flavors. They. Were. Delicious. I especially loved experimenting with dipping sauces to correspond with the different flavors; honey mustard, barbecue sauce, mayo, the options are endless! What's more, I saved so much time in the kitchen because all of the breading was ready and waiting for me. In fact, I even got dinner ready before the sun set, which allowed me to take my pictures outside. Score!

Giveaway: How can you win your own Kraft Fresh Take AND a super fun grilling set? Simply leave me a message below with your name and e-mail (so that I can contact you if you won) telling me how YOU would use this fun new product, and what you will do with all of the extra time you save out of the kitchen! If you would rather not leave your e-mail, please feel free to e-mail it to me personally at paula@paulasplate.net. If you're extra excited about your amazing creation, feel free to join in on the larger conversation by using #KraftFreshTake on Twitter and Pinterest! One of you wonderful readers will be randomly selected (via randompicker.com) to win:

• Gratuity Coupons for Kraft Fresh Take
• Quirky Porter BBQ Prep & Serve Tray
• Fox Run Mesh Food Cover

Kraft Foods is providing the prizes for this program at no cost to me and has provided me with a gift of equal value for review. This program is not administered or sponsored by Kraft Foods or its affiliates, but solely by Paula's Plate.

  

Step-by-step photos for a quick and easy dinner. Enjoy!

2 packages of Firm or Extra Firm Tofu and Kraft Fresh Take flavor of Choice.

Drain tofu of excess water and cut into four even slices. (Do this again with second tofu package.)

Cut those four slices in half lengthwise, so you have eight. Then cut those eight slices in half width-wise, so you end up with 16 "square-ish" pieces. (Do this again with second tofu package, 32 pieces total.)

Layer your tofu slices in between several pieces of paper towel, and then place some heavy cookbooks on top for about 15 minutes. (Yes, seriously) This will drain out all of the excess water.

Pour your bread crumb and cheese mixture onto a large surface with an edge. (I use a big tupperware lid.)

Place a cooling rack on top of a foil-lined baking sheet. Dredge your tofu slices in the breadcrumbs, pressing to generously coat all sides evenly, and line up on the cooling rack (this allows heat to circulate on all side of the bites creating a crispy crunch). Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until coating is golden brown and crispy.

Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce!

Rosemary and Roasted Garlic Crispy Tofu Bites

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2 14-16 oz. packages firm or extra firm tofu
• 1 package Rosemary and Roasted Garlic Kraft Fresh Take
• **You can (and should!) experiment with any of the six delicious flavors with this recipe.
• Dipping sauce of choice: marinara sauce, ketchup, barbecue sauce, honey mustard, mayonaise etc... (optional, though highly recommended)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Drain both tofu packages of excess water and cut into eight even slices. (See photograph above)
3. Cut those eight slices in half lengthwise, so you have sixteen. Then cut those sixteen slices in half width-wise, so you end up with 32 "square-ish" pieces. (See photograph above)
4. Layer your tofu slices in between several pieces of paper towel, and then place some heavy cookbooks on top for about 15 minutes. This will drain out all of the excess water.
5. Pour your bread crumb and cheese mixture onto a large surface with an edge. (I use a big tupperware lid.)
6. Place a cooling rack on top of a foil-lined baking sheet (this allows the heat to circulate on all side of the bites creating a crispy crunch). 
7. Dredge your tofu slices in the breadcrumbs, pressing to generously coat all sides evenly, and line up on the cooling rack.
8. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until coating is golden brown and crispy.
9. Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce!

Thank you for your comments, they bring a smile to my face.