I'm curious if anyone here ever cooks frozen meals.... I'm still finding my way around the kitchen and I only have a few recipes that I can make well so I end up having them over and over again. I want to add a few more dishes to my list and I'm thinking of trying some frozen meals. I saw a commercial for the bertolli oven bakes and they look good. Has anyone tried those or do you have any other suggestions for me?
Prepackaged Frozen Meals?
- Thread starter IronSides
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
bowlingshirt
Sous Chef
Why are you wanting to take the frozen meal route? Why don't you just try some more recipes ?
Maverick2272
Washing Up
The only frozen meals I do now is lasagna, still trying to find a good recipe for it that is done the way I like it: lots of cheese, sauce, and with Italian sausage.
I did try a couple of those crock pot packages awhile back, but it didn't take me long to figure out how to do it better from scratch. And I have been known to use frozen veggies, but not whole meals excepting the lasagna.
I did try a couple of those crock pot packages awhile back, but it didn't take me long to figure out how to do it better from scratch. And I have been known to use frozen veggies, but not whole meals excepting the lasagna.
What are you looking for in your lasagna? Is it the gravy and meat? The cheese, what exactly?
kades
Maverick2272
Washing Up
One with Italian sausage, ricotta cheese (I think that is the one that goes with it), a good sauce, and lots of cheese on top. Thick, saucy, cheesy, lots of flavor lol.
ChefJune
Master Chef
I regularly MAKE meals I freeze for later, but haven't bought any frozen meals in recent history.
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
This should do it for ya
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f20/tnt-lasagna-45084.html
I've been making this for years - I love a good, flavorful lasagna, too. I only use Italian sausage and real ricotta, along with four other cheeses, and I love lots of sauce. If you try it, let me know what you think. It freezes great, btw.
babetoo
Chef Extraordinaire
currently i am eating lots of frozen prepared food. i am in a cooking slump and decided not to fight it. it will swing back, guess when i am ready. there are many tasty things you can buy frozen. some are a bit pricey. 
I make a lot of crock pot meals and end up making more than enough to freeze. I also go the frozen lasagna route since that is a time consuming and hard meal for me to prepare. I just do not have a lot of time in the evenings to cook elaborate meals, so quick and simple it is which is why I was asking about the bertolli oven bakes.
babetoo - what are some of the frozen meals that you like?
babetoo - what are some of the frozen meals that you like?
Maverick2272
Washing Up
This should do it for ya
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f20/tnt-lasagna-45084.html
I've been making this for years - I love a good, flavorful lasagna, too. I only use Italian sausage and real ricotta, along with four other cheeses, and I love lots of sauce. If you try it, let me know what you think. It freezes great, btw.
Thanks! I will try and give it a go next time I go shopping, which should be in a week or so. I will let you know how it turns out then!
There is a family owned grocery store near my house that has lots of homemade meals that are perfect for freezing - soups, pot pies, casseroles. I will pick that up for dinner once in a while but it's a little more pricey. I got a coupon for the bertolli oven bakes on their website so I'm going to give that a try next week - makes it really affordable.
GotGarlic - your lasagna recipe sounds good and looks good but I don't know if I'm ready for that yet, haha.
GotGarlic - your lasagna recipe sounds good and looks good but I don't know if I'm ready for that yet, haha.
babetoo
Chef Extraordinaire
lean qusine-glazed chicken, spag. with meat sauce, lasagna, fettuccine alfrado.
michlaes eggplant parm.
marie callenders- chicken pot pie
corned dogs, almost any brand
TGIF- potato skins, onion rings.
there are some more , just can't think of them off the top of my head.
oh yes , tombstone pizza, reg. and mushroom cheese spinach i also buy frozen vegs. can cook a little or a lot. fresh go bad before i can cook them.
ChefJune
Master Chef
The reviews I've heard from folks who have tried the Bertolli meals is that they are not very good, and VERY expensive for what you're getting. Pasta, after all, is pretty inexpensive. so is sauce.
I don't buy frozen meals because they are very high in sodium and other additives my body doesn't tolerate well. When I don't feel like cooking, I scramble a couple of eggs, or cook up some pasta and figure out a sauce if I don't have any homemade on hand. A few veggies and a dab of cheese always works... maybe not enough to serve otherwise, but enough to put on the noodles.
LadyCook61
Master Chef
I make it with 4 kinds of cheese -Ricotta, Mozzarella, Parmesan and Romano. I drain the Ricotta to get the extra water out.
Maverick2272
Washing Up
I find nothing wrong with Frozen Veggies. I have always used them and always will. I don't have the time or the money to frequent the grocery store. I do consider myself a "from scratch" cooker, however I do not live on a farm and work for a living. I also use canned veggies and tomatoe sauce too.
(I hope this doesn't sound sarcastic, I do not mean it to.)
Maverick2272
Washing Up
I too am not above using canned veggies as well!
Shocker! . I plan on getting more into making my own sauces and what not and less canned stuff, but then there is always a difference between what you plan and what actually happens!(I didn't read your post as sarcastic, either!)
