Mrs. Leeper’s takes a leap over the gluten-free pasta competition with Corn Vegetable Radiatore

Product: Mrs. Leeper’s Corn Vegetable Radiatore Pasta – $3.69+

I was standing in Whole Foods last year, around the time I had to go gluten-free, just gazing at the prices on the gluten-free items and trying very hard not to break down into tears…yet again.  I was overwhelmed.  Having to change my diet so drastically so fast and not really having the means in which to fund said diet was weighing on me.

And then, this angel appeared at my side and just by looking at me could tell that I was in distress.  And she said, “I’ve been gluten-free for years…”  And she began listing off some of her favorite products for different uses…such as pizzas, breads, and yes…pasta.

At that point, I had only just started experimenting with the brown rice pastas.  While I found them to work, they didn’t reheat well and often would turn to mush or get gummy in the process.  I recalled this lady in Whole Foods telling me that one of her favorite pastas is Mrs. Leeper’s.  I had never heard of Mrs. Leeper’s before…so I made a mental note of it and went on purchasing my brown rice noodles.

Then…I discovered gluten-free corn noodles.  And I found out how much better they held up, not just in the initial cooking process, but also reheating leftovers.  I was thrilled.

And then, my local grocery store just happened to begin to stock the very pasta brand this woman told me about ages ago.  Mrs. Leeper’s.  The selection was minimal, but they did have the Mrs. Leeper’s Corn Vegetable Radiatore pasta.  So…one day while it was on sale, I picked up a bag of it and put it in my pantry.  And then proceeded to use up the other pasta noodles that came before it.  Until tonight…when with the Amish cheese I picked up in Pennsylvania…I decided to cook up my mom’s infamous macaroni & cheese (gluten-free style)!

I had no open pasta noodles so tonight it was time for Mrs. Leeper’s to be put to the test.  I opened up the bag and measured out the 6 ounces I needed for the baked macaroni and got a pot of water on the stove to bring to a boil.  Once it got there, I poured the colorful pasta noodles into the water, gave it a stir, and let it cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

It was easy to drain, and I was quite happy to see that none of the noodles stuck together or fell apart.  It was a great consistency, very colorful, and would really bring some color to my mom’s recipe.  I began to layer up the casserole dish with noodles, onions, broccoli, seasoning, and two types of Amish cheddar cheese.  Repeat.  And the entire time, I didn’t have mushy noodles to contend with.  Even after I poured the white sauce over the top and stirred it all together before putting it in the oven to bake, nothing was falling apart.  Mrs. Leeper’s Corn Vegetable Radiatore pasta was rally doing its job and holding up.

And 45 minutes later, I removed the hot, bubbling casserole dish from the oven and let it sit for a few minutes before dishing out two servings – one for myself and one for my roommate.  Despite the cooking and then the baking, Mrs. Leepers Corn Vegetable Radiatore pasta really came through in the end.  Even better…the texture of it was fantastic.  The fun colors is an added incentive, but the look of it is rather unique from other pastas on the market.  And it was a lot of fun to see the different colors through the melted cheese in the final dish.

Mrs Leeper’s brand of pasta evolved as a wheat free and gluten-free line of enticing and often colorful rice and corn products for people who seek alternatives to wheat.  Using time-honored methods, simple and pure ingredients, and care when it comes to production, Mrs. Leeper’s products have met the demands of a constantly changing marketplace by offering innovative products that focus on integrity, quality and service.

Both my roommate and I agree that Mrs. Leeper’s turned out to be a really good pasta.  We’ll see how it does on the reheat tomorrow evening with some of the leftovers, but if it is anything like the corn pasta we have had in the past…it will hold up just fine.  Definitely hope to try more pasta options from Mrs. Leeper’s in the near future.  Full of yum.  And a definite pasta win!