1969 – The first TV breakfasts were marketed (pancakes and sausage were the favorites).1960 – Swanson added desserts (such as apple cobbler and brownies) to a new four-compartment tray.

Competitors such as Banquet and Morton began offering prepackaged frozen dinners at a lower price than Swanson. For instance, a wider variety of main courses – such as fried chicken, spaghetti, Salisbury steak and Mexican combinations – have been introduced. Much has changed since the first TV Dinners were marketed. Thomas thought the name 'TV Dinner' sounded like the product was made for convenience (which it was), and the Swanson executives agreed. At the time it was introduced, televisions were status symbols and a growing medium. The name 'TV dinner' was coined by Gerry Thomas, its inventor. The original TV Dinner sold for 98 cents, and had a first production run of 5,000 dinners. The product was cooked for 25 minutes at 425 ☏ (218 ☌) and fit onto a TV tray table.

The trays proved to be useful: the entire dinner could be removed from the outer packaging as a unit, the tray with its aluminum foil covering could be heated directly in the oven without any extra dishes, and one could eat the meal directly from the tray. Each item was placed in its own compartment. The first Swanson-brand TV Dinner was produced in the United States and consisted of a Thanksgiving meal of turkey, cornbread dressing, frozen peas and sweet potatoes packaged in a tray like those used at the time for airline food service. Several smaller companies had conceived of frozen dinners earlier (see Invention section below), but the first to achieve widespread and lasting success was Swanson. History A frozen Swanson 'Hungry-Man Country Fried Chicken' TV dinner Consequently, today, most frozen food trays are made of a microwaveable and disposable material, usually plastic or coated cardboard. In 1986, the Campbell Soup Company introduced the microwave-safe tray. In the US and Canada, the term is synonymous with any packaged meal or dish ('dinner') purchased frozen in a supermarket and heated at home. The original TV Dinner came in an aluminum tray and was heated in an oven. Swanson & Sons (the full name was TV Brand Frozen Dinner). The term TV dinner, which has become common, was first used as part of a brand of packaged meals developed in 1953 by the company C.A. Another form of convenience food, which is merely a refrigerated ready meal that requires less heating but expires sooner, is popular in the UK. In European frozen meals, Indian and Chinese meals are common. A frozen meal in the United States and Canada usually consists of a type of meat for the main course, and sometimes vegetables, potatoes, and/or a dessert. ( September 2020) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Ī German TV dinner ( currywurst with fries) that has been heatedĪ frozen meal (also called TV dinner in Canada and US), prepackaged meal, ready-made meal, ready meal (UK), frozen dinner, and microwave meal) is a packaged frozen meal that comes portioned for an individual. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. They’re fairly inexpensive and great for baking bread, frozen pizza, and more.The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. If you don’t own a thermometer, you can usually find them at most supermarkets and houseware stores. Here’s a handy chart with the minimum cooking temperatures for different foods. Since our frozen meals are vegetarian, I use the casserole column and look for an internal temperature of 165° (unless the box states something different). I stick it in a few different spots and especially in the center of the thickest areas. To make sure our food has been cooked entirely (regardless of the type of meal), I like to use a food thermometer. In the discussion section, it’s noted that “Studies indicate that microwaves, air fryers, and toaster ovens inconsistently heat frozen stuffed chicken or frozen raw breaded chicken.” This is another reason why some frozen meals might warn against using anything other than a traditional oven for cooking. In December 2022, the CDC released a report concerning cooking frozen stuffed chicken breasts in appliances other than a conventional oven and how that may be linked to food illnesses.

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