I'll Be Making My Own "TV Dinners"

OneEyedDiva

OneEyedDiva

SF VIP
Location
New Jersey
Prepared single serve meals such as those by Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice are lacking IMO. Since I hate to cook and often find myself wondering what to make while simultaneously not feel like making anything, I decided to cook and/or buy enough to freeze. We get these dinners from a local restaurant that gives very large portions. Mine is the vegetable platter. There's enough rice and veges for 3 or 4 servings. So I freeze half of that and add meat or fish. I recently got Chinese food from my favorite halal Chinese restaurant. Yep, more rice and I froze part of that. I now have these in the freezer:
~Vegetable egg foo young with fried rice
~2 homemade (imitation crabmeat) crab cakes dinners with rice and veges.
~Barbequed chicken with rice
~Homemade chili

It's easy to steam broccoli or boil green beans (both frozen) to have with all of the above. I also have easy prepared foods to turn to, like Marie Callendar's chicken pot pie, Prima spinach-mozzarella ravioli, frozen turkey burgers, Gorton's fish fillets, Nathan's onion rings and Alexa sweet potato puffs. In addition, I can make Hungry Jack instant mashed potatoes taste like homemade by using almond milk and adding cream cheese and butter.

What if anything are you doing to make meal time easier?
 

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I stopped buying frozen dinners several years ago. They are overpriced and unpredictable. I often cook more than enough for one meal, and divide it into 3-4 portions in individual corning wear containers to freeze for later. If I set out a container by 8 AM to thaw, then I can heat it in the microwave or oven just a few minutes at lunchtime.

When I buy a rotisserie chicken (price: $4.97 at Walmart) I quarter it, wrap each quarter, and freeze for later, then I only need to steam some frozen vegetables to go with it when I'm ready.

There is one Hormel Compleat shelf dinner I like - Chicken Alfredo, $2.28 at Walmart, that microwaves in 60 seconds. I always have several of those on hand. I can steam some broccoli and mix with it for a very filling meal.

I buy chicken tenders and other chicken pieces at the grocery store deli, freeze them in portion sizes for later, and have them with a potato or any vegetable on hand.
 
It’s a mixed bag.

I keep BallPark Smoked White Mest Turkey hotdogs in the freezer. At 45 calories each they are a good fit for my situation.

Rotisserie chickens are now $9.99 but still a good value for several meals.

Eggs and toast, or French toast once a week.

Hormel Compleats, frozen entrees, or canned soup.

I cook once or twice a week and freeze a portion or two.

I like frozen manicotti or stuffed shells and repackage those in single servings topped with jar sauce and cheese then pop them in the freezer.

12 ounce bags of microwave frozen vegetables at $0.99 are a big part of my meals along with bag salads, single serving applesauce, mandarin oranges, etc…

When all else fails a sliced banana with a splash or heavy cream or a bowl of hot or cold cereal can pass for dinner.
 

OneEyedDiva said:
Prepared single serve meals such as those by Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice are lacking IMO.
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Yeah, I decided to stock up on some of those to make my life easier, but after trying a few, most of the stock stayed in my freezer. I actually threw some out. The package looks so good, like nothing could get any better. But it's not representative of what's inside.

I do like Marie Callender's Chicken Pot Pies, however. I eat one now and again. But that's the limit of my time spent in the frozen dinner section.
 
I am a very casual diner but I must say I like top quality. That being said, I do buy some frozen meals, and I do cook the good stuff. I grill thick steaks, some pork chops but mostly eat good sandwiches during the week along with a salad. Pototoes ae rich in potassium, vitamin C, and fiber. I eat one baked tater at least once a week. I really do no like to cook.
 
MACKTEXAS said:
I stopped buying frozen dinners several years ago. They are overpriced and unpredictable. I often cook more than enough for one meal, and divide it into 3-4 portions in individual corning wear containers to freeze for later. If I set out a container by 8 AM to thaw, then I can heat it in the microwave or oven just a few minutes at lunchtime.
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I agree with the basic idea. DW & I trade off on cooking for our dinners, and usually we each make a meal that will serve us both for two days' dinners. Sometimes whatever we've cooked does that plus even provides more leftovers, so one of us can have a lunch out of it as well.

The advantage is really that doing things this way, we're spared the need to feel at a loss, racking our brains about "what are we going to eat tonight?"
 
Like to try recepies that are for 4 people. That way left overs for two are ready meals. Tried this one yesterday & am looking forward to thawing it very soon.

https://www.kroger.com/r/shrimp-tomato--spinach-pasta-recipe/ht5c52a5f3ecbb9018f7217e3f

So many meals to make with recipies. Premade meatballs, premade pulled pork, home made gnocchi.

This will be tried with the left over spinach.
Creamy Spinach Gnocchi (20-Minute, One-Pan Meal)

What to do in retirement? Learn to make delicious meals at lower cost.
Look for bargains. Albertsons grocery store had a 10% military discount last monday 16 to 20 count per lb. jumbo shrimp a 2 lb. bag was $9.95 2lb. bag of frozen spinach on sale $2.99 With discount $11.65 Shrimp alone will be enough for about 4 different meals.

Part of living well is eating well. But it doesn't have to cost a small fortune.
 
IrishEyes said:
As you probably have seen me post, choice is frozen pizza. I can't duplicate that sauce they have.
Otherwise I always cook enough of like meatloaf, pork chops, chili, pasta dinners etc to dish out in freezer
containers for hubby mostly since we tend to eat at different hours of the evening mostly.
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About homemade pizza. I use the tomato sauce that DW makes. @IrishEyes, have you tried using a commercial spaghetti/pasta sauce with your homemade pizza? Some of the better ones are Ragu, President's Choice, and Marzano. Use what you need from the jar for a pizza, then keep the sauce in the fridge until you make the next pizza.
 
JBR said:
About homemade pizza. I use the tomato sauce that DW makes. @IrishEyes, have you tried using a commercial spaghetti/pasta sauce with your homemade pizza? Some of the better ones are Ragu, President's Choice, and Marzano. Use what you need from the jar for a pizza, then keep the sauce in the fridge until you make the next pizza.
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I have tried own from scratch, jarred pizza sauce as well as pasta sauce. I can not duplicate what Home Run Inn uses in their sauce. It's hubby's
go to pizza and he whines about anything else. Could be the nostalgia I can't find in a jar that is missing.
 
Muskrat said:
I think having three people in the house helps the motivation a lot.
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I accidentally hit quote when trying to reply, and something came up on the screen saying "added to multi-quote" and I don't know what that means.

But, yes - it is definitely a motivation when there is more than just one. I lose interest in food at night, ad sometimes I almost forget, and don't make anything, then just have 4-5 crackers with peanut butter, or some cottage cheese; maybe a bowl of ice cream. That's not good.
 
Frozen dinners often have a large amount of salt which is not very good for your health.
I like the idea of cooking a larger amount than needed, make several portions, and freeze the unused portions for a later time.
There are so many easy, fast, and free recipes available online. To keep the price down, use fresh in season vegetables and check the meat or fish sales.
Make sure to not use expired products, read the labels carefully! (I noticed that older people often forget to check this.)
 
When I was married and even divorced with 2 kids I cooked a lot, I loved it. But now it's gotten old so, as I posted elsewhere, 2-3 times a week I boil cheese ravioli and put bottled sauce and parmesan on it==LOVE it! And once in awhile I eat a frozen meal, Amy's enchiladas is one I like. Also I sometimes buy cooked food at deli counter: salmon is best and mashed potatoes. Then I steam some broccoli or spinach with it. the most complicated meal I make is tofu with veggies and rice or pasta.

I really don't eat a lot of frozen dinners due to they aren't so good or so healthy. And every time I cook something elaborate, halfway thru I regret doing so. A couple of weeks ago I made this NYTimes recipe for "egg bites" which get baked like muffins and have lots of cheese, bacon and mushrooms in them. Froze them and took them out for lunch. They were delicious, but what a pain in the ass!
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Prepared single serve meals such as those by Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice are lacking IMO. Since I hate to cook and often find myself wondering what to make while simultaneously not feel like making anything, I decided to cook and/or buy enough to freeze. We get these dinners from a local restaurant that gives very large portions. Mine is the vegetable platter (pictured below). There's enough rice and veges for 3 or 4 servings. So I freeze half of that and add meat or fish. I recently got Chinese food from my favorite halal Chinese restaurant. Yep, more rice and I froze part of that. I now have these in the freezer:
~Vegetable egg foo young with fried rice
~2 homemade (imitation crabmeat) crab cakes dinners with rice and veges.
~Barbequed chicken with rice
~Homemade chili

It's easy to steam broccoli or boil green beans (both frozen) to have with all of the above. I also have easy prepared foods to turn to, like Marie Callendar's chicken pot pie, Prima spinach-mozzarella ravioli, frozen turkey burgers, Gorton's fish fillets, Nathan's onion rings and Alexa sweet potato puffs. In addition, I can make Hungry Jack instant mashed potatoes taste like homemade by using almond milk and adding cream cheese and butter.

What if anything are you doing to make meal time easier?
Click to expand...
When the husband was here I cooked every day. Now that Im alone Ive become very lazy about cooking. I can cook.
I just dont feel like it. I agree about the frozen dinners. Also theres not a lot of food for the calories. If I dont watch what I eat I tend to expand. I do buy a lot of frozen vegetables. Sometimes for lunch I just eat a frozen vegetable. Or I make mashed potatoes in the microwave and have them with french onion dip.

To make mealtime easier I buy my meats on sale BOGO and cook them that day. Then I freeze individual portions.
Right now I have chicken chests, root beer pork, roast beef, rotisserie turkey chest, and shrimp in my freezer.
Ive used up all my meat loaf so I bought some Stouffers meat loaf on sale. It wasnt mine but it wasnt bad.
Simple dinners can be meat, mashed potatoes and a frozen vegetable.

It goes a lot quicker if the meat is already cooked. Sometimes I do "upgrades" like add meats to things like can soup.
Or I add chicken to Green Giant Cheesy Rice and Broccoli. Roast beef etc to Stoufers Fettuci Alfrdo for beef etc and noodles.

Im trying to eat healthier so Ive been making vegetable stews. I gather up 6-7 vegetables and add a meat or some beans.
This usually does me for 5-6 days. Im fine with eating the same thing multiple days.

Other quick meals for me would be a peanut butter and banana sandwich with bacon and raisins.
Mini subs with turkey meatballs mozzarella and pizza sauce nuked in microwave and served on a toasted hotdog bun.
Ole tortilla wraps to make wraps or sometimes pizzas. Sometimes I do crustless pizzas. Layer everything in a pie plate and cook in the oven. Defrost some chicken and make chicken salad. And there always breakfast stuff like eggs.

I do tend to cook more involved things in the winter when there not as much to do.
And I always make my favorites for any holidays. Especially desserts. :D
 
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