What is your favorite tv dinners

[georgevan]

granted, they won't be as good as home cooking but maybe some will come close.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I like Michael Angelo chicken parm and eggplant parm, Swanson Hungry Man turkey and Classic fried chicken, Stouffer’s meatloaf and stuffed peppers.

I also keep a couple of Hormel Compleat shelf stable entrees on the emergency shelf. The chicken, roast beef, and Dinty Moore beef stew are convenient microwave options.

None of them are particularly healthy and I don’t buy them very often because this last round of inflation has made them less of a value unless they are being offered as a loss leader or weekly special.

 

[caseydog]

I can't remember the last time I had a TV dinner, or something similar.

CD

 

[taxlady]

There are a few ready made dishes that I like. But, they are things like breaded fish, frozen French fries, tourtière (a type of meat pie), and some Indian veggie dishes that come in bags that can be heated in boiling water or in the microwave. Are you interested in that sort of thing?

 

[Linda0818]

Hungry Man!

A whole tray full of fat, carbs, calories and heaven only knows what. But, maybe once or twice a year, I have to buy me a Hungry Man. The classic fried chicken is one of my favorites, as well as the turkey and dressing dinner, which has been a favorite of mine for many years.

That's about it, though. I used to buy the Lean Cuisine meals to keep around for quick grabs to take to work for lunch when I didn't have anything else. But I don't buy them anymore. Not only are they way too expensive now, but the food is so bland and just not worth it. It's cheaper to buy some of the standard Banquet meals that work just as well for lunch when I have nothing else to take.

 

[jennyema]

Haven’t had a tv dinner in 55 years, but I do like some of the Stouffers frozen stuff.

 

[caseydog]

Hungry Man!

A whole tray full of fat, carbs, calories and heaven only knows what. But, maybe once or twice a year, I have to buy me a Hungry Man. The classic fried chicken is one of my favorites, as well as the turkey and dressing dinner, which has been a favorite of mine for many years.

That's about it, though. I used to buy the Lean Cuisine meals to keep around for quick grabs to take to work for lunch when I didn't have anything else. But I don't buy them anymore. Not only are they way too expensive now, but the food is so bland and just not worth it. It's cheaper to buy some of the standard Banquet meals that work just as well for lunch when I have nothing else to take.

As a kid, I ate a lot of Swanson's TV dinners. The meatloaf and the fired chicken were regulars. My mom was a terrible cook, so TV dinners were actually a treat.

Lean Cuisine and other "diet" frozen dinners are just unhealthy food in very small portions, IMO. They don't satisfy your appetite, so you end up eating other stuff full of calories. My sister has fallen into that trap, and there is nothing I can say to her to convince her not to eat that crap.

CD

 

[Andy M.]

I haven't had a TV dinner in around 65 years. I never liked them. My mom was a great cook. I don't know what prompted her to buy TV dinners in the first place. Probably her kids pestering her for them.

 

[Linda0818]

As a kid, I ate a lot of Swanson's TV dinners. The meatloaf and the fired chicken were regulars. My mom was a terrible cook, so TV dinners were actually a treat.

Lean Cuisine and other "diet" frozen dinners are just unhealthy food in very small portions, IMO. They don't satisfy your appetite, so you end up eating other stuff full of calories. My sister has fallen into that trap, and there is nothing I can say to her to convince her not to eat that crap.

CD

We were lucky growing up. My mom was a wonderful cook and we ate home cooked meals most of the time. For us, those little TV dinners were a treat. We would sometimes get one for dinner if mom and dad went out for the night so the babysitter wouldn't have to cook. And, every once in a while, we would beg to have one for lunch, just for something different.

My mom also did a lot of home canning (we had a huge vegetable garden in our back yard) so the occasional TV dinner or even the rare Happy Meal was a real treat for us. Of course, nothing could beat my mom's home cooking. But there was just something special about those little dinners that came out of the oven in the foil trays. And, of course, my mom always had to add a little side salad or an extra vegetable. Plus she always saved the trays to make 'homemade TV dinners' using leftovers from meals.

I agree that the diet frozen dinners are soooooo unsatisfying. Again, not worth it.

 

[caseydog]

We would sometimes get one for dinner if mom and dad went out for the night so the babysitter wouldn't have to cook.

That was how we got most of our TV dinners. Date night for mom and dad.

CD

 

[Aunt Bea]

The older I get the more willing I am to experiment with convenience foods like frozen meals and the less concerned I am with the long term consequences to my health.

I’m not crazy about some of them but the more I experiment and learn now the better equipped I’ll be to maintain my independence a bit longer as I age out.

I’m thankful that I live in a world with things like Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, Amazon, etc… and all of the things that they offer.

 

[Andy M.]

Asian markets in our area often have a freezer section with a variety of frozen dumplings, siu mai, peking ravioli. Our experience with those has been pretty good.

 

[jennyema]

That was how we got most of our TV dinners. Date night for mom and dad.

CD

Same here.

Tv dinners and Planters Dry Roasted peanuts. Infrequent treats for us.

 

[Linda0818]

Same here.

Tv dinners and Planters Dry Roasted peanuts. Infrequent treats for us.

We ate a lot nuts in our house. I remember my dad always having that big bowl of in-shell mixed nuts sitting on the coffee table, complete with the nutcrackers. I recall many nights hearing the cracking of them as he sat and munched them, one by one.