Applebees Under 550 Menu — A review in Deliciousness!

I’m still salivating just thinking about the event I attended a few weeks ago: a sampling of Applebees Under 550 Menu!  I was treated to five of their dishes, all of which are under 550 calories, and was delighted with the rich flavor of each.  We also had the option of sampling two of their cocktails, each around 100 calories each. (Being a nursing mother only 4 weeks post-partum, I simply could not partake.)  I’m providing you my account of each dish below.

Before we adjourned, we were further treated to “punch cards”, good in the greater Atlanta area Applebees locations only:   You get a “punch” for each Under 550 OR Weight Watchers item you purchase.  Once you get 5 punches, you get a FREE under 550 or Weight Watchers menu item!  How cool is that?  I have two of these cards to share with my readers.  If you’d like one, email me with the subject line: Applebee’s Punch Card and I will mail to the first TWO people who respond.  :o)

Sizzling Asian Shrimp & Broccoli – Sizzling, blackened shrimp with rice, broccoli, red peppers, sugar snap peas, water chesnuts, mushrooms and bok choy, atopped with a sweet and spicy sauce.  (Let me interject here and warn you, I do NOT eat shrimp; therefore, my dish was all of the above, minus the shrimp.)  Every one of us cleaned our plate with this dish!!  The sauce was lightly spicy, and not too much sauce to take away from the taste of the veggies, but enough to give it a nice kick.  Again, I did not eat any shrimp, but I -along with the other participants- cleared our entire plate!



Roasted Garlic Sirloin – A 7 oz sirloin, served with sauteed onions, a portobella mushroom stuffed with creamed spinach and a dash of Parmesan to top, and a side of herb potatoes.  Okay, let me just say, I can count on my one finger the number of times I have voluntarily eaten steak until this meal — it’s normally just not my cup of tea.  However, I thoroughly enjoyed this steak!!  it was juicy, tender, and quite flavorful.  I wasn’t a fan of the onions, as I prefer mine to be sauteed a bit more; otherwise, this dish was to die for!  Again, I cleared my plate!


Grilled Dijon Chicken and Portobellos – This was a creamy and delicious dish, which again beckoned me to enjoy!  I’ve had my share of chicken dishes that were healthy but just …blah.  Not this one.  It was a creamy balance of taste and good for you.  Were I eating this as a dish all on its own (and not after sampling two other dishes) I would easily clear my plate!


Signature Sirloin and Garlic Herb Shrimp – In all honesty, by the time I got to the fourth dish, I was already pretty stuffed!  I’d already had the equivalent of one FULL dish, but trudge through I did, all in the name of sampling, right?  ;o)  I must say I didn’t like this steak as much as the first steak dish.  Again, I’m not a steak person, but this one just -hmm- lacked the full flavor of the first dish.  And -as before- I declined the shrimp.  Although I didn’t dislike this dish, it simply wasn’t my favorite.  The 7 oz sirloin was topped with shrimp in a cream sauce, served with herb potatoes, veggies, bruschetta, sliced almonds, and parsley. 


Sizzling Chili Lime Chicken – The final dish was met with a little less enthusiasm, simply because we were all pretty stuffed by then.  However, this one was certainly packed full of flavor as well.  Tender, juicy chicken pieces were paired with a spicy chili sauce; served with steamed veggies, rish, fresh cilantro, and a hint of lime juice.  The dish came together with a nice kick to it — I would certainly order this again!


Oh, and there was the opportunity to sample their SkinnyBee Margarita (around 100 calories), however, being only 4 weeks post-partum, I thought it best not to indulge.  But the gals who did said they were not disappointed.  


While attending the tasting, we were informed of three new dishes joining the Weight Watchers/Under 550 menu: Cabernet Mushroom Sirloin, Creamy Parmesean Chicken, and Grilled Jalapeno-Lime Shrimp.  How delish do they sound?!!  Coming February 20, 2012!


Remember, if you’d like a “punch card” good for a free meal after you purchase five, send me an email with the subject line: Applebee’s Punch Card and I will mail to the first TWO people who respond.  :o)


Thanks, again, to Applebee’s of Atlanta for hosting such a great event!!


Keep on saving!  :o)