Wow, has it come to this? Am I actually doing a blog post about how to make your own TV Dinners? Yes, that's right!
If anyone out there lives under the impression that we eat gourmet meals every night, or even every week, let me set the record straight: It doesn't happen!
While I love to cook (and eat), I have a fairly demanding job (that I love), which means my time in the kitchen is limited. Over the years, I have tried to be very clear that most, if not almost all of our meals are in the "make ahead" category, something I love, as it takes the pressure away from the question of "what will we have for dinner?" I know that the pre-dinner time is very challenging for families, and it can be incredibly stressful as parents are trying to cook and little ones want attention (and are hungry!). Talk about a recipe for disaster. Getting organized with meals is definitely something I suggest. Being able to pull out a "freezer meal" is such a time saver. Of course there are lots of things you can have on hand so you can make something quick, too. Anyway, I will try to get off my soap box, and instead share (somewhat humbly), a concept for making your own TV dinners.
This is a fabulous idea for anyone who is cooking for older relatives, who do not want (or are unable) to cook for themselves. I did this for my dear Mother-in-law (the picture below is from 2009).
Now it seems, I have come somewhat full circle, and have made these dinners for myself.
It all started with seeing these lovely containers advertised on Facebook. From there, I looked on Amazon and purchased some, thinking they would be perfect for Sarah and I to use for lunches or dinners at work. The containers sat on the shelf for about 2 months before I finally used them. However, this time, they were being used for something other that work/university lunches.
My husband and I are now "empty-nesters", and I'm not needing to make quite as much food (I realize we have only been a family of three, but I have liked cooking in bulk).
The do-it-yourself TV Dinner idea works in a similar way as the once-a-month cooking or bulk cooking ideas. It allows you to make a large quantity of food and then portion it out. The containers themselves are freezer safe, microwave safe, and dishwasher safe. These meals have been so handy! I have found myself coming home for supper, after a very long day, and it has been wonderful to be able to pull out a TV Dinner and have three different dishes, without any preparation or mess.
The photo above is what my kitchen typically looks like when I am spending a Saturday afternoon in my kitchen, with three cooking projects on the go at the same time. Having meals in the freezer that I can pull out mid-week means my kitchen can look like this more often:
Obviously, you can put in anything you want in your homemade TV Dinner. For my dinners, I made homemade turkey meatballs (with two kinds of sauces: cranberry orange and mushroom onion), mashed potatoes, and peas with sauteed onions. My advice is to keep it simple and comforting.
For the turkey meatballs (from Janet and Greta Podleski)
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey or chicken
1/2 cup dry unseasoned bread crumbs
1/3 cup finely minced or grated onion
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 egg
1/2 tsp. each garlic powder and marjoram
1/4 tsp. each salt and freshly ground pepper
Sauce
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
1/4 hickory or chipotle barbecue sauce
2 Tb. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. grated orange zest
Combine meatball ingredients and form small meatballs (a small ice cream scoop works very well). Place meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes in a 425 degree F. oven, or until cooked through. Turn meatballs once, half way through.
In small pot, combine sauce ingredients; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for five minutes. Coat meatballs in sauce.
For the mushroom and onion sauce, I sauteed onions and garlic in olive oil, added a can of mushroom soup, and some seasonings (very simple). I added fresh parsley, as I had some.
What do you want in your TV Dinner?
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