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[xkramz]

yea we all been there. long shifts from work and u need a quick meal so you pop a tv dinnner in the micro for 5 mnts and bam dinner is ready. dont get me wrong i cook about twice a week. but sometimes theres just isnt any time for that.

what are some good tv dinners?

i recently started bying the boston market tv dinners since they look and taste of quality food. but they dont have much varieties.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

 

[Miles X]

How can you keep a straight face saying that looks and tastes (guessing but I'm probably right) good quality?!

I used my Microwave for beans and custard and that's it.

I do however eat packaged oven meals occasionally.

 

[sixteen-bit]

 

[xkramz]

Tried it. Idk how that small portion of food can fill anyone one.

 

[johnsmith]

Pretty much anything from Trader Joes

 

[Pastry]

Healthy Choice has some decent ones and my girlfriend really likes the Amy's brand.

We try to only do TV dinners when we're in a pinch.

 

[Symphonia]

The king.

 

[daviyoung]

This is what I call struggle food

 

[InfectedZero]

Straight up, anything Amy's. My wife is a vegetarian and sometimes I take her meals and damn I haven't had a bad one yet.

 

[QuantumZebra]

How can you keep a straight face saying that looks and tastes (guessing but I'm probably right) good quality?!

I used my Microwave for beans and custard and that's it.

I do however eat packaged oven meals occasionally.

The no preservative/low sodium lean cuisines are pretty good for ~$2 a meal.

If I wanted to solve homelessness and hunger I'd build massive apartment / shelters with fridges full of those things.

 

[Mathieran]

I don't eat frozen dinners very often but I usually keep one in the freezer in case I'm in a pinch for lunch at work. I usually get Michael Angelo's meals, they're not too bad.

 

[Cudder]

This is what I call struggle food

Which is ironic because a lot of this shit is expensive as fuck.

 

[Forerunner]

Go all in, fuck it.

 

[sir_kevith]

 

[maxcriden]

Prepare thyself. My pet peeve is weird ingredient lists in frozen dinners.

blanched spaghetti (water, semolina), sesame breaded chicken tenderloins (cooked chicken tenderloins, water, seasoning (dried soy sauce {soybeans, wheat, salt}, maltodextrin, fructose, salt, autolyzed yeast extract, flavor, modified corn starch, mixed triglycerides, chicken broth powder, wheat dextrin, contains less than 2% butter {cream, salt}, carrots, chicken fat, citric acid, cornstarch, sesame oil, sugar, tapioca dextrin), isolated soy protein, modified rice starch, roasted sesame oil, sodium phosphates, salt. battered and breaded with: water, bleached wheat flour, yellow corn flour, bleached enriched wheat flour (niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sesame seeds, modified corn starch, salt, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), nonfat dry milk, dextrose, soybean oil, partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil, yeast, dried onion powder, dried garlic powder, dried whole eggs, extractives of paprika, oleoresin paprika and annatto. breading set in soybean oil.), water, green beans, plum sauce (sugar, salted plums, water, rice vinegar, modified cornstarch, ginger, citric acid, sodium citrate, chili peppers, xanthan gum, contains wheat, soybeans), red peppers, 2% or less of sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce (water, wheat, soybeans, salt), modified cornstarch, garlic puree, sesame seeds, dehydrated soy sauce (soybeans, salt, wheat), vinegar concentrate (rice vinegar, corn syrup, natural flavor), spice.

No offense broheim but that's barely chicken.

Go all in, fuck it.

Ingredients
Gravy (Water, Modified Corn Starch, Chicken Fat, Turkey Type Flavor [Salt, Chicken Flavor, Monosodium Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Corn Gluten, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Caramel Color, Canola Oil, Onion Powder, Flavors, Modified Corn Starch, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Garlic Powder and Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed and Soybean Oil], Enriched Flour [Wheat Flour (Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid)], Whole Dry Milk, Onion Powder, Caramel Color, Mono and Diglycerides, Spice), Mashed Potatoes (Reconstituted Potatoes [Mono and Diglycerides, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Citric Acid], Margarine (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil with TBHQ and Citric Acid as Preservatives, Water, Mono and Diglycerides [BHT, Citric Acid], Beta Carotene for Color [Corn Oil, Tocopherol], Vitamin A Palmitate), Dried Dairy Blend [Whey, Calcium Caseinate], Salt, Water), Cooked White Meat Turkey (Cooked White Turkey Meat, Water, Modified Food Starch, Soy Protein Concentrate, Salt, Carrageenan, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Phosphate), Mixed Vegetables (Carrots, Corn, Cut Green Beans, Peas), Apple Cranberry Dessert (Rehydrated Apples, Water, Sugar, Cranberries, Modified Food Starch, Dehydrated Apples (Calcium Stearate), Orange Peel (Water, Citric Acid), Vanilla Extract (Vanilla Bean Extractives, Corn Syrup, Ethyl Alcohol, Water), Apple-Cranberry Compote Seasoning (Spice, Dextrose, Spice Extractive]), Stuffing (Breading [Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid)], Distilled Vinegar, Soybean Oil, Shortening, Sugar, Salt, Baking Soda, Yeast, Spice Extractive, Dough Conditioners [Ascorbic Acid, L-Cysteine Monohydrochloride, Azodicarbonamide], Yeast Nutrients [Ammonium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate]), Celery, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil with TBHQ and Citric Acid as Preservatives, Water, Turkey Flavor [Maltodextrin, Salt, Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Natural Flavors, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Monosodium Glutamate, Turkey Powder, Gelatin, Turkey Broth, Chicken Fat, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Egg Yolk Powder, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Chicken Powder, Chicken Broth, Caramel Color, Sodium Lactate, Celery Powder, Turkey Fat, Carrot Extract, Onion Broth, Soy Lecithin], Dehydrated Onion, Turkey Fat, Sugar, Butter [Cream, Salt], Spice, Parsley, Natural Flavors), Sauce (Water, Sugar, Margarine [Soybean Oil, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Water, Salt, Whey, Soy Lecithin, Mono and Diglycerides, Natural Flavor, Beta Carotene (Color), Vitamin A Palmitate], Salt, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil with TBHQ and Citric Acid as Preservatives), Water.

The texture of the turkey/tofu blend is remarkably similar to turkey.

Ingredients: FULLY COOKED SEASONED GROUND BEEF WITH TACO SAUCE - TACO SAUCE (WATER, TOMATO PASTE, DISTILLED VINEGAR, FOOD STARCH-MODIFIED, SALT, SPICES, JALAPENO PEPPER, CHILI PEPPER, CHILI POWDER, ONION, SODIUM BENZOATE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVES), GARLIC, NATURAL FLAVOR, ONION POWDER, TORULA YEAST EXTRACT), GROUND BEEF (BEEF, SALT, FLAVORING, CARAMEL COLOR), WATER, GLUCONO DELTA LACTONE. CORN TORTILLA CHIPS - GROUND YELLOW CORN, VEGETABLE OIL (CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: CORN, SUNFLOWER, OR SOYBEAN OIL), CORN BRAN, AND SALT. NACHO CHEESE SAUCE - WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, SALT, CULTURES, ENZYMES), WHEY POWDER, FOOD STARCH-MODIFIED, CREAM SOLIDS, SALT, BUTTERMILK, PHOSPHORIC ACID, SUGAR, NATURAL FLAVOR, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, ANNATTO, RED PEPPER, PARTIALLY HYDROLYZED GUAR GUM, TORULA YEAST EXTRACT, SODIUM BENZOATE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVES), XANTHAN GUM, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, OLEORESIN TURMERIC, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA. CONTAINS STATEMENT: MILK. TACO SAUCE - WATER, TOMATO PASTE, DISTILLED VINEGAR, FOOD STARCH-MODIFIED, SEA SALT, SPICES, SUGAR, CHILI PEPPER, CHILI POWDER, JALAPENO PEPPERS, SODIUM BENZOATE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVES), ONION POWDER, GARLIC, SALT, OLEORESIN PAPRIKA, TORULA YEAST EXTRACT.

I don't understand why they can't make these products from real food. :/

 

[JdFoX187]

About four months after my father died, I was tremendously broke. Like, as soon as I got paid and paid my bills, I had maybe $50 to buy food for that two weeks. One pay period, I was hit even harder and had barely enough money to buy a bulk pack of those $1 Chow Mein packs. That's all I ate for 10 days straight. A friend emptied their fridge and offered me a Banquet turkey TV dinner that I had on the day before payday. I swear, that was like the tastiest thing ever. Looking back, woof. I hope I never have to eat another TV dinner again.

 

[Chris R]

They can be good but holy sodium overload

 

[Zackat]

The Trader Joe's frozen meals are pretty darn good. But if I am hungry I normally just go for the frozen tortellini. Just boil water and cooking them takes about 3-5 minutes max. Add sauce and you are done. Tasty

 

[Malreyn]

This is what I call struggle food

But that's the whole point of frozen dinners...to distribute meals to parts of the country that can be preserved to prevent spoilage over time and reduce overall cost, to be prepared by people that lack the time/knowledge/money to prepare their own 'fresher' meals.

 

[Viewt]

I'm a big proponent of Saffron Road.

Compared to other frozen meals, these are actually really healthy, as well.

 

[maxcriden]

I'm a big proponent of Saffron Road.

Compared to other frozen meals, these are actually really healthy, as well.

Yes!! Yes. Awesome. These are made from real food. *sniff* I'm so proud.

 

[HylianTom]

Soooo good.

Sooo many calories.

But soooooo good.

 

[this_guy]

I would take all of those over the euro strugglewich.

Here in Houston there's a restaurant/bar called Hay Merchant that does tv dinners on Mondays. It's owned and operated by Underbelly (another good local restaurant). I've got pics below from their Instagram (sorry don't know how to post just the images from Instagram)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKOSGg8gDp5/?taken-by=haymerchant
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKRRQgmgxj6/?taken-by=haymerchant&hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIlHpOJAfAt/?taken-by=haymerchant
https://www.instagram.com/p/BI3HJmkgs5q/?taken-by=haymerchant
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJJLPc8ATJW/?taken-by=haymerchant
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJbNni_guUh/?taken-by=haymerchant
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJtLep2ARmP/?taken-by=haymerchant

 

[xkramz]

Prepare thyself. My pet peeve is weird ingredient lists in frozen dinners.





No offense broheim but that's barely chicken.





The texture of the turkey/tofu blend is remarkably similar to turkey.





I don't understand why they can't make these products from real food. :/

are you kidding me? damn bro at least some dont have preservatives tho.

 

[Septimus Prime]

Marie Calendars makes the best TV dinners, in my opinion.

 

[Viewt]

Yes!! Yes. Awesome. These are made from real food. *sniff* I'm so proud.

Saffron Road is the best in the business, if you ask me. They're a little pricier than your average frozen fish ($5, though if you're patient, they're frequently on sale for $3), but the quality of the food is so much better - you won't feel like shit after eating them. They just use higher quality ingredients, and it shows.

 

[maxcriden]

are you kidding me? damn bro at least some dont have preservatives tho.

Yeah they're real lists.

Ironically, if they had preservatives in them they might be likelier to be able to have real food.

Saffron Road is the best in the business, if you ask me. They're a little pricier than your average frozen fish ($5, though if you're patient, they're frequently on sale for $3), but the quality of the food is so much better - you won't feel like shit after eating them. They just use higher quality ingredients, and it shows.

Yeah, they're great. Them and Amy's, which is also pricier. Do you like Amy's? It's vegetarian/vegan but the quality is ridiculously high.

 

[ReAxion]

I'm a Hungry Man man.

 

[Norml]

I'm a Hungry Man man.

That Beer Battered Chicken & Cheese Fries is decent.

 

[Podge293]

My wife is on the slimming world stuff and she's started eating these

Pretty damn tasty I'll admit. She usually spoons me half if I'm late from work or too lazy to cook

 

[levious]

White castle frozen burgers are decent.

 

[Xe4]

Pretty much anything from Trader Joes

Yup. That shit the bomb. I can't even eat most other TV dinners they're so inferior.

 

[daviyoung]

But that's the whole point of frozen dinners...to distribute meals to parts of the country that can be preserved to prevent spoilage over time and reduce overall cost, to be prepared by people that lack the time/knowledge/money to prepare their own 'fresher' meals.

make it sound like these companies are some benevolent charity doing those people a favour

 

[Krejlooc]

Yo those marie cavenders chicken parmesan dinners are fucking delicous.

 

[willow ve]

Pretty much anything from Trader Joes

I miss my Trader Joe's frozen lunches.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

No offense broheim but that's barely chicken.

I can assure you I only eat it when I barely care about fixing something for lunch or dinner.

 

[clav]

Loaded with sodium.

Don't eat too much of it.

They can be good but holy sodium overload

Yay someone said it first.

Prepare thyself. My pet peeve is weird ingredient lists in frozen dinners.

Yes yes yes.

 

[stump sock]

Pretty much anything from Trader Joes

yeah TJ's frozen indian food is fantastic. doesn't taste like frozen food at all. love it.

 

[maxcriden]

I can assure you I only eat it when I barely care about fixing something for lunch or dinner.

Truly just teasing, my friend, my sincere apologies if it came off otherwise in my reply to you or anyone else above. I eat them at times also. Sometimes I get a weird craving for a hungry man. The ingredients' excessive list of fakeness just bothers me for some reason.

 

[foxdvd]

when I was a kid...tv dinners were a big deal. My mom was an amazing cook who made 3 meals a day for us...but once a month we would get TV dinners and it was almost like going out to eat..they were also of a higher quality back when we did not have microwaves.

 

[Regiruler]

There was a brand that was mac and cheese focused that was marketed to children. It was really good but it only lasted a year or so. Stouffer's tastes sorta similar so I can take that as a substitute.

Does anyone remember a brand of frozen pizza meals that came with breadsticks and a personal pizza in one box? My family had them when our kitchen was being remodeled, and then giant stopped carrying them.

 

[Daingurse]

Pretty much anything from Trader Joes

I really like their orange chicken.

 

[Glix]

There is a reason everyone is posting the boxes and not what the meal actually looks like....

 

[StarCreator]

It's been decades since I've last had a TV dinner (which was more commonly our lunch since it was just me and my big bro at home during those summers) but we mainly stuck with Swanson/Hungryman. Though just as often it would be Sapporo Ichiban chicken flavor instant ramen.

 

[TerminalDogma]

Damn, I used to eat TV dinners a lot. Used to work at a grocery store, so I'd pick up whichever one was on sale that week and eat it during my lunch/dinner break. Also used to have em fairly often as a kid, I remember especially having hungry mans at my grandparents house. Haven't had one in YEARS. This thread is kinda making me want to go out and grab one for dinner tonight, but I have the feeling it'll only lead to disappointment.

 

[ascii42]

I like a lot of the Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers, and frequently bring one into work for lunch.

 

[User 463088]

We have a 5 and a 7 year old. I cook almost every single night, barring a few nights when we go out or my bf grills something.

Everytime we go to the store, they have to get one of these things

Which, I remember loving them when I was a kid, even though my mom cooked every night too.

But, my weakness is this:

The chicken is whatever....but those potato things. JESUS those potato things. So good. Sooooo good.

 

[Pickman]

These are absolutely incredible.

 

[Copenap]

I used to eat these when I was like 18, I don't think I have eaten a microwave meal in 10 years though.