Prepackaged Frozen Meals?

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Why are you wanting to take the frozen meal route? Why don't you just try some more recipes ?
As a full time working mother, that's easier said than done. I relied on frozen when I first began cooking. If I didn't I'd get bored, my daughter would get bored, and then we'd end up eating out.

The great thing about the new frozen stuff that's out there is it lets you be creative and learn. You can buy a frozen kit and add to it and then look at what they've given you to create your own. There's nothing wrong with frozen and this is the "meals in minutes" section. :chef:
 
DH picked up a Bertolli oven bake last weekend, and we had it last night - it was pretty good. It was the 4-cheese stuffed shells with shrimp scampi sauce. The shrimp were rather few, but they had good flavor, and the sauce was good. The only thing I would change is I would sprinkle on the included cheese just before serving, rather than while in the oven and bake 10 more minutes. It was too stringy. But it was nice not to have to cook after a 10-hour workday.
 
DH picked up a Bertolli oven bake last weekend, and we had it last night - it was pretty good. It was the 4-cheese stuffed shells with shrimp scampi sauce. The shrimp were rather few, but they had good flavor, and the sauce was good. The only thing I would change is I would sprinkle on the included cheese just before serving, rather than while in the oven and bake 10 more minutes. It was too stringy. But it was nice not to have to cook after a 10-hour workday.

I saw the stuffed shells when I was at the grocery store over the weekend and it looked really good. I'm glad to hear that you liked it! We actually had the oven bake lasagna last night and I thought it was tasty. And of course, so simple to make. It's a perfect serving size for 2 people so with a salad and bread it was plenty.

Babetoo - thanks for the ideas! I've added the TGIF potato skins and marie callendars chicken pot pie to my shopping list.
 
I saw the stuffed shells when I was at the grocery store over the weekend and it looked really good. I'm glad to hear that you liked it! We actually had the oven bake lasagna last night and I thought it was tasty. And of course, so simple to make. It's a perfect serving size for 2 people so with a salad and bread it was plenty.

Babetoo - thanks for the ideas! I've added the TGIF potato skins and marie callendars chicken pot pie to my shopping list.

i had the pot pie for dinner. they are very good. salad and bread and dinner is done. i do the pies in oven , don't really care for how the micro does them.:chef:
 
i had the pot pie for dinner. they are very good. salad and bread and dinner is done. i do the pies in oven , don't really care for how the micro does them.:chef:

That's great - I can't wait to try it. The quick and easy preparation is my favorite part of a prepackaged meal. For the bertolli oven bake lasagna all I had to do was have a caesar salad and some bread and it was ready. I also agree about doing them in the oven vs the microwave. It always tastes much better when baked in the oven, I think.
 
I looked and only the lasagna looked like something I would want. Unfortunately the day I went, it was late and 45 minutes was too long for my daughter to wait. As a runner she needs to carb up two days before her race so maybe this Thursday I'll try it.
 
I have a lot of pre-packaged frozen food here because with so many people and different schedules, my kids can fix something when they need to. Or when I'm gone, they can make a meal for everyone. Our stand-bys are lasagne, eggrolls, taquitos, chicken pot pies, breaded shrimp and breaded clams, stuffed shells, cheese raviolis and corn dogs. But most of the time I'm here and I make a meal from scratch.
 
Here is one I put a spin on tonight

I bought a package of Stouffer's Skillets Garlic Chicken awhile back thinking it would be a quick meal for a busy day. This is a package with chicken, pasta, carrots, peas and brocolli in a garlic sauce. You can either nuke it or do it in a skillet. When I opened the package I noticed it had a nice coating of the garlic sauce on it. It just looked like something that was going to need a little extra punch.

I ended up adding a can of chicken broth and a can of water to it. I used the microwave to heat it up. We had a nice chicken soup with lots of pasta and veggies. Sure beats a can of soup! The origional package said serves two but we will have another meal or more by making the soup so I would say it would serve 4-6.:chef:
 
I looked and only the lasagna looked like something I would want. Unfortunately the day I went, it was late and 45 minutes was too long for my daughter to wait. As a runner she needs to carb up two days before her race so maybe this Thursday I'll try it.

Did you get a chance to try the Bertolli Oven Bake Meals yet? We tried the Chicken Parmigiana and Penne and really liked it. The preparation is really easy and cleanup is even easier just a pan and a couple plates to wash. You can get a coupon online for the Oven Bake Meals if you are interested. Let me know what you think of the meals!
 
Trader Joe's has some really good frozen meals. I like their chicken pomodoro and their ham and carmelized onion tartlett is amazing. I've never tried those Bertolli frozen meals but their lasanga looks tempting. I make a good from scratch lasanga but it takes like an entire day (make the sauce from scratch too).

Sometimes it is nice to pop something in the oven, have a cocktail and relax while dinner cooks.
 
Bertolli!! Yummy, I am eating the lasagna tonight. A little pricey, but, very good. If you eat more than 2 portions or there is more than you, you will need 2 packages. There is only 2 portions, about the size of your fist, unless you have big hands, lol
It has wonderful flavor and aroma though!! Bake some garlic bread and you're good to go.
 
Because of food allergies, I am forced to do more cooking and avoid processed foods. It is not as convenient but I feel better for it so it is worth it.

It is one of the reasons I wanted to replace the freezer once they went on sale.
 
Frozen Stouffer's Spinach Soufflé is useful. I used to do a quiche using a frozen pie shell, slices of Swiss cheese, a sprinkle of tarragon, and the spinach souffle (thawed) on the top. I see there are lots of recipes out there for this product.
 
Oh goodness - I used to LOVE Stouffer's Spinach Souffle'!! Unfortunately, the stores around here don't seem to carry it anymore, although they do carry other Stouffer's products.
 
Frozen Stouffer's Spinach Soufflé is useful. I used to do a quiche using a frozen pie shell, slices of Swiss cheese, a sprinkle of tarragon, and the spinach souffle (thawed) on the top. I see there are lots of recipes out there for this product.
That sounds really good. If it weren't St Patrick's day I would be making a quiche tonight. Oh, well, tomorrow is another day.
 
I work week-days and I don't have time for big meal preparations after work, though I Love cooking, mostly only on the week-ends (whether cooking or canning/freezing/dehydrating foods.)

For sandwiches, I need to get a big ham and a turkey, prepare them, slice, portion and freeze so I can make some muffalatta sandwiches during the week.

Huge Nesco roasting cooking--chicken soup and spaetle. This freezes great.

Again, Nesco roaster full of Beef Bourginion, portioned and frozen. This tastes better after freezing.

Same with Nesco roaster full of Chili--start with dry beans, brown the meat and onions, add tomatoes and seasoning. Portion and freeze, another great idea that makes a meal in itself or over a potato, or rice, and it's better after freezing.

Lasagna, I make it in three pans at a time, parbake and freeze. Overall, making three pans of it, saves on dirty dishes, one shopping trip, and many meals. (a good investment are plastic containers/w lids for freezing)

Pasties, get my mom and brother and I together, we make about 80 pasties in an afternoon, par bake, and wrap in foil and freeze. Tips: make the dough in batches, buy the veggies already cut up and frozen (onions, carrots, potatoes), cut up roasts of beef or venison, add chopped rutabagas, top veggies/meat with a slice of butter and S&P. Split the bill and the proceeds for future meals at each of our homes.

Week-end:
If I try, I can cook a turkey, a ham, and a roast beef starting on saturday morning, have it cooled, sliced or chopped, and portioned and froze by evening to use in sandwiches or main dishes. I can fill a Nesco and portion and freeze it by the night.

Start over on Sunday, make another Nesco meal portioned and froze by night. Bake 24 potatoes, cut in half, make double stuffed potatoes, portion and freeze. On the stove, brown some chicken cordon bleu, set into a crock pot, make a wine sauce and cook, add cream at the end, portion and freeze (okay it's not so pretty upon thawing but it tastes great.)

After doing this for a few week-ends in a row, there's 3 months of portioned food in the freezer. (I've done it.)

Hope that helps, planning in advance what you want, when you have time, containers to freeze meals in, makes a big difference on getting things done. ~Bliss
 
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