I like to prepare some of our weeknight meals in advance, so my family can enjoy a homemade dinner even on busy days. Sometimes, life happens - school, work, dance classes, sports, appointments... It's great to have something on hand that helps put a meal on the table in minutes.

This week, Bertolli challenged me to make weeknight dinner special with their new Meal Soups - and I only had an hour to put everything together. The Bertolli Meal Soups are available in four varieties: Chicken Minestrone, Roasted Chicken and Rotini Pasta, Tomato Florentine and Tortellini with Chicken, and Tuscan-Style Beef and Vegetables. I found them in the freezer aisle of our neighborhood Kroger and grabbed the Roasted Chicken and Rotini Pasta.

Normally, I would pair a pasta or soup meal with a green salad and homemade bread. This time, my kids had put in a request for roasted Brussels sprouts: an easy side dish that needs less than 40 minutes to prepare. I started dinner by cleaning and slicing the Brussels sprouts, then tossing them with olive oil and bacon salt. I placed them on a baking sheet and roasted in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.

While the Brussels sprouts were roasting, I placed the Bertolli meal soup in a sauce pan and added 2 cups of water. The instructions call for just 1 cup but we like our soups with extra liquid, so I doubled up. The Roasted Chicken and Rotini Pasta looked great: large chunks of vegetables, chicken, and frozen sauce, sprinkled with deliciously smelling green spices. The meal soup can be prepared in the microwave in less than 20 minutes. Cooking it on the stove top took even less time: all I had to do is wait until it starts boiling, then cover, turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. How easy is that?!

Next, I set the table. I took out a clean tablecloth, some cute reusable napkins, pretty glasses and silverware. A nice looking table helps make any meal feel festive. For me, what makes a meal special is sharing good food in good company - and my favorite people in the world are my family. We turn off the TV, ignore the phone, sit down together and talk about our day.

For dessert, I decided to serve some cheesecake left over from my daughter's birthday a couple of days ago. Everything was ready in much less than an hour. The soup smelled and tasted delicious. All these zucchini, yellow squash, carrots and celery, chicken and pasta were something I would have used to prepare a homemade dish. My kids and husband gave thumbs up to the Bertolli meal soup. It was as good as something you get at a nice restaurant. My daughter even asked if we could have it tomorrow, too!

I am looking forward to trying the other three varieties of Bertolli Meal Soup. I found them at Kroger and Publix at about $6 each. Connect with Bertolli and learn more about their products on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclaimer / Disclosure: I was compensated by Bertolli to participate in the Weeknight Meal Special Challenge.