It’s my evening to host a week night dinner and knitting sesh with my neighbor and since I don’t cook very often – or better yet, usually opt to go out or pick up food – I had to scratch my head to put together a few options. I’m with most people on the lack of time and sheer laziness over cooking, but once in a while I like to ‘play’ in the kitchen.

From all those years of watching Food Network, I knew there was a little bit of Sandra Lee’s ‘Semi-Homemade Cooking’ in me – especially with Trader Joe’s down the street from me. I don’t like to experiment when I have guests over, but here’s one idea I tampered with previously and enjoyed the results.

In the frozen aisle, Trader Joe’s offers a package of the Saucy Scallops with Mushrooms. I’m not a big fan of frozen food and agree with the online rating, but there are ways to adapt pre-fabbed food to make it suit your taste. The first time I tried the Saucy Scallops, I found it to be way too cheesy as with most; however, adding in some fresh mushrooms and onions gave it some flavor. And since I’m a big fan of Sauvignon Blanc (which typically complements my pasta dish), I decided to pour in some white wine for flavoring and it did the trick. My taste buds approved, so I’m hoping that my guest will enjoy it. This ‘semi-homemade’ Saucy Scallop with wine, mushrooms and onions goes well with any type of pasta, but I prefer fettuccine, but if you’d like a bit more body, you can opt for the four cheese tortelini as well. For those non-vegetarians out there, top it with you favorite protein and you’ve got yourself a hearty meal. I put this to the test tonight and the request for a second round of pasta told me this one was a winner.