How many of you remember "TV DINNERS"?
By dragon54u
@dragon54u (31634)
United States
March 29, 2009 10:52pm CST
When I was 14, 40 years ago, I remember eating from an aluminum tray containing mashed potatoes, peas and carrots and a meat dish that was baked in an oven. Dad and I ate them in the living room on TV trays that could be snapped into a flat surface and stored in a closet. Peas and carrots got pretty old!!
Nowadays, frozen dinners are normal for a LOT of singles and families. There's nothing wrong with this, it saves a mother's time to give to her family when she has so much on her plate like volunteering at her childrens' school, helping her husband in their business, and monitoring her kids' sports.
But does anyone remember these unimaginative dinners? The meat changed but the vegetables and potatoes never did!! Dad and I really liked the ones with gravy because we could enhance the vegetables and potatoes with the grave! We mixed them all up--when we felt like doing dishes we'd even use a big bowl to put them in--two TV dinners all mixed up in a casserole!
Did you ever deal with this? I liked the old dinners.
4 people like this
20 responses
@di1159 (1580)
• United States
30 Mar 09
Oh yes I remember them! And I ate many of them as well. It was a bit boring, but as you say we'd use the gray to give the tasteless items some flavor. I suppose they would be considered yucky by today's standards, but they really helped a lot of moms.
2 people like this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
30 Mar 09
TV dinners sure helped when women started working, too! I eat frozen dinners several times a week, they're cheaper than anything I can make if I get them on sale.
1 person likes this
@kellyjeanne (1576)
• United States
1 Apr 09
Oh, yes! I definitely remember T.V. dinners! The trays that were covered in Reynold's Wrap. I used to think they were the neates things at the time and really enjoyed it when we had them for dinner while watching a movie!
Purrs,
Catwoman=^..^= & Mija
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
1 Apr 09
My dad liked them because I could pop them in the oven after school and when he'd come home from work dinner would be ready and we could sit down and visit. I was 14 and knew nothing about cooking! He taught me quite a few things about cooking, though, and he's still one of the best cooks I know, next to my stepmother!
@kellyjeanne (1576)
• United States
7 Apr 09
They do bring up such great memories don't they?
Purrs,
Catwoman=^..^= & Mija
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
2 Apr 09
oh yes 40 years ago it was easy to throw a TV dinner in the oven and wait for it to bake, it was meatloaf and peas and carrots or mac and cheese. Mashed potatoes, yes you needed gravy to help with the taste of the meat and potatoes. Most TV dinners have come a long way now. They have fancy little bowls you steam it in then turn it over and pour it into the gravy or tomato sauce.I loved pot pies the best I think,stil do. My hubby goes back home for a few months in the summer and that is what I eat while he is gone. Tv dinners are jsut enough for one person. So glad to see those all aluminum trays are gone and you can microwave them now.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
2 Apr 09
I love pot pies but oh, the fat and calories! 
I try to cook healthy for myself but when those dinners are on sale, especially for $.69 as they were a couple weeks ago, it's cheaper than anything I can cook from scratch! Banquet has a few that are low in calories and Michelina's lean line is good, too, for less than a dollar. But I've noticed even Michelina's has been going up! 
I try to cook healthy for myself but when those dinners are on sale, especially for $.69 as they were a couple weeks ago, it's cheaper than anything I can cook from scratch! Banquet has a few that are low in calories and Michelina's lean line is good, too, for less than a dollar. But I've noticed even Michelina's has been going up! 
@ersmommy1 (12588)
• United States
31 Mar 09
We ate them once in a while. But I don't recall them being in metal trays. The Banquet pot pies were. I know I hated the mashed potatoes. They just didn't taste right. Our family actually gets the chicken finger ones as a treat for our daughter. She really likes them.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
31 Mar 09
The metal (aluminum) trays were back in the 60's through the early 80's. Everything is cardboard or plastic now! I love Banquet pot pies but oh, the calories and fat!!! 
@sudalunts (5523)
• United States
1 Apr 09
I remember having TV dinners at times as a kid. My mother usually bought them when they were on sale. As a child, it was a fun way to eat. I never liked peas and carrots, so my mother would usually buy the ones that had corn and mashed potatoes. I agree with you about the gravy, it really helped the taste of the veggies.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
1 Apr 09
I guess your age is wrong on your profile! 
When they first came out, there were peas and carrots with most of them. Dad would sometimes mix them with a little Italian dressing and that would really add a nice zip to them!
When they first came out, there were peas and carrots with most of them. Dad would sometimes mix them with a little Italian dressing and that would really add a nice zip to them!
@MaryLynn321 (2680)
• United States
30 Mar 09
Having TV dinners was a treat for us kids. Occasionally my parents would have them too. I agree with you about the potatoes and vegetables they definitely have not changed. They could definitely do something with them. We occasionally will get the hungry-man TV dinners, it has more in them. They are still nice to have for a quick meal, and the little ones really enjoy them for a treat.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
30 Mar 09
My kids always loved them, too, but since I was a stay at home mom they didn't get them often!
1 person likes this
@MaryLynn321 (2680)
• United States
30 Mar 09
Mine didn't get them that often either. I usually picked them up when they were on sale, or if the kids were along and they asked if they could have one. They didn't ask very often, so that was nice. It was something quick for them. And they enjoyed them.
@wahmbrenda (141)
• United States
31 Mar 09
I'm glad I missed out on these. I can't say that today's TV dinners are all that great tasting either though. Personally it's just me and my daughter so I've started doing all of the cooking on Saturday mornings for the week. Sure tastes better than TV dinners and still all that's left to do is the microwaving throughout the week. I'm glad I do this as it really does make my life a lot easier.
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
31 Mar 09
I do the same thing, I cook for a couple hours on the weekend and have dinners all week. I don't really care for tv dinners much, although I do heat up a few of them during the week when I can get them on sale. Banquet has a few dinners that are low in calories and fat and when I can get them for $.69 I stock up on them because I can't cook that cheap!
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
31 Mar 09
Nope... I did not had them as a kid... and never had them as an adult.
And I don't want to know about them. lol
Anyone who can eat that stuff never ate real food. lol
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
31 Mar 09
They're not as good as food you make. But sometimes I'll stock up on them when I get them for $.69 each because I can't cook anything as cheaply as that. They're not good for a person, to be sure.
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
31 Mar 09
Isn't it strange that we would think of that kind of thing as a treat? Mom's cooking was so much better, yet we wanted those frozen dinners!
@luvstochat (6907)
• United States
30 Mar 09
When I was little my mom never served frozen dinners she always cooked our meals I didn't have frozen dinners until I moved out on my own then I lived on them for awhile although I don't think they are very good for you even the ones that say healthy have over 700 mg of sodium in them usually not good for you so I try to steer clear of them if at all possible.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
30 Mar 09
My ex father in law recently had a TIA, which is a minor stroke. It's a blessing, though, because it's a warning of a bigger one and we all hope the big one can be prevented. His doctor told him that even the Healthy Choice frozen dinners were full of unacceptable levels of salt which was astounding to me, since I always add salt to them because most are so bland!
@bamakelly (5191)
• United States
30 Mar 09
I definitely remember them. I am forty one years old right now and they were a regular thing for me as a child over thirty five years ago or so. I remember the little dessert as well.
I just remember chicken and mashed potatoes a lot in those things!lol.And I used to love to eat the dessert that accompanied it. It does bring back memories now that I think about it.
It always seems that there was a certain day of the week set aside for those types of dinners. I used to actually sit them on a tray and watch television while eating them right out of the container.
Thanks for bringing up such a heart warming memory. Never thought all of those years ago how much good feeling it would bring to mind so many years later.
But sometimes things in our past can be such good things stuck to memory. Take care friend.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
30 Mar 09
I'm so glad it brought back good memories, I love it when I read a discussion that does that for me. 
@uicbear (1900)
• United States
30 Mar 09
I do remember the old tv dinners. I espescially remember the little desert square, usually a brownie or and apple cobbler kind of thing. I remember the brownie more, because it always tasted burnt, and even though it was never really good, I always ate it because, hey, it was desert, right? We didn't eat them too often. I think my mom figured since they took almost an hour to cook in the oven, she could prepare a dinner that would taste better in that amount of time.
Hey, do you remember jiffy pop popcorn?
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
30 Mar 09
I loved Jiffy Pop!! We never had it, it was considered too expensive, but I loved it when I'd go to a friend's house and they had it. I liked to watch it pop and the foil top get bigger and bigger! I always wondered what it would be like if it exploded. They still sell it and I'd buy some if it came in 100 calorie portions.
@angela_allen (406)
• United States
31 Mar 09
I am 26 so I don't remember the same ones you do. Although I did use to eat something called Kid Cuisine which was a TV dinner for kids. I always loved when I got to eat those. My mom always worked overtime during the holidays so I got to eat them even more then. They came with pizza, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, then there was a side dish usually apple sauce and also a desert. I loved that they came with stickers and prizes too . I have not had a TV dinner since I was a kid. I did use to eat frozen lean cuisine for lunch sometimes but it never filled me up!
. I have not had a TV dinner since I was a kid. I did use to eat frozen lean cuisine for lunch sometimes but it never filled me up!1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
31 Mar 09
Kids Cuisine was something my kids loved but I rarely got for them because they were quite expensive compared to Banquet dinners. They looked so good, though!
@MAllen400 (829)
•
30 Mar 09
oh gosh I still have these but instead of on a tray put them on a plate! not even bought! Sometimes they are called microwave meals.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
30 Mar 09
I eat them several times a week. There is much more variety than there used to be but you couldn't beat the fat-filled, unhealthy fried chicken they used to have in those aluminum trays!
@chiyosan (30184)
• Philippines
30 Mar 09
i do not remember anything like this here in the Philippines. dinners and lunch are usually shared by family members but not on a common tray. there is however, the bayanihan eat together or gathering where all the food and dishes are served in a long table in a banana leaf and everyone can just take a position whereever he is comfortable and can eat with their bare hands.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
30 Mar 09
That sounds like a wonderful tradition! We call that a "buffet" here, where everyone just gets what they want and can go back for more.
@feathers26 (865)
• Philippines
30 Mar 09
It is nice to remember those days, such are unforgettable.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
30 Mar 09
Yes, it is. They definitely weren't "the good old days" but things were a lot simpler back then and easier to deal with.
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
30 Mar 09
I remember them too. I think my mother and I ate those things about 3 times a week while I was growing up. I remember having to remove or peel back the aluminum foil from the cherry cobbler so it would bake. I think the best part of those dinners was the dessert.
I really don't miss eating them now as I love to cook and I think that my cooking is better than those meals. I know my mother cooked them because they were economical to make for dinner.
Have a great day and happy myLotting!!!
I really don't miss eating them now as I love to cook and I think that my cooking is better than those meals. I know my mother cooked them because they were economical to make for dinner.
Have a great day and happy myLotting!!!
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
30 Mar 09
I never like cherry cobbler, Dad always ate mine for me. After a couple of months he had some time off work and taught me the basics of cooking and we ate a lot better!
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
30 Mar 09
Oh yeah, I remember those old ones well! It was such an oddity to have something already prepared, even if it did taste kind of bland. These days you have so many choices when it comes to frozen dinners...some of it is better than I cook from scratch...and even seafood and Chinese food now. I keep frozen pot pies in the freezer for those sudden urges for one that come up once in a blue moon.
By the way, we have a set of wooden tv trays and my husband's is a permanent fixture by his favorite chair so that tells you how often we eat in front of the tv.
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
30 Mar 09
I LOVE pot pies but haven't had one in years because of the calories and fat in them.
@fasttalker (2796)
• United States
30 Mar 09
I definately remember them! One tim whn I was young, maybe 14, my mother had to go out of town for a sick family member and I was left to cook for dad. He said h had the best time of his life but he would never eat another tv dinner! LOL That's all he got every day! They might not have been the best meals of our lives but it sure was some good memories! LOL
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
30 Mar 09
Dad and I didn't eat them all the time but he worked a lot and I didn't know how to cook yet and it was better (and cheaper) than going out to eat.
@UsernameJodi (8)
• United States
30 Mar 09
TV dinners were a special treat in our house. I was always so jealous of my friends who ate TV dinners all of the time. My grandma always made everything homemade and considered a TV dinner to be an insult. Now I wish that I could eat my grandma's home cooking again. Those were the days!
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
30 Mar 09
I remember Grandma's cooking--nothing like it! I don't think Grandpa ever tasted a TV dinner, even when he was ill and she was working all the time to make ends meet. When I stayed with them, she'd go to work very early but still cooked bacon and eggs that she left in a warm oven for us so we could have a hot breakfast. She's been gone for years, as has Grandpa. One good thing about getting older is that I'm getting closer to seeing them again after my poor body gives out.
