The Delicious History of TV Dinners

[@3frenchhens818]

Only our neighbors down the street owned a television, so being invited to stay and watch TV while eating something called a TV Dinner was soooo exotic and exciting!

[@warpath6666]

Those old aluminum tray TV dinners were the best ... I loved those ... fried chicken ... ohhhh man 👍

[@3frenchhens818]

@susan ruthroff Yes. They folded like folding chairs and were stacked in a holder. Usually sets of four. You can still find them for sale.

[@ooogabooogaa]

Which year was it?

[@3frenchhens818]

@@ooogabooogaa 1951 or 1952

[@ooogabooogaa]

@@3frenchhens818 wow... that was before any of my parents were even born. The first arrival of TVs must have been a sight to witness.

[@TooLooze]

The 1950s the trays were all 3 portion trays and much thicker. When my mother passed away in 1997, she still had a stack of them in her house. TV dinners were a special treat growing up.

[@quanbrooklynkid7776]

Low income families live off of TV dinners nowadays...

[@justinsane3909]

How old was your mother?

[@TooLooze]

@@justinsane3909 Shen was 80; the trays were 40.

[@Orinslayer]

hmm makes sense the thicker metal should provide a better heating material, maybe today's icy and molten problems stem from the paper we use now, instead of recyclable metal. As a younger person, when I see older shows referencing these meals as a treat it always confused me since they are so ubiquitous these days. I guess I get it now.

[@TooLooze]

@@Orinslayer There is also the advent of the microwave oven....

[@VenturiLife]

Maxson was a bit of a genius really. He knew how to make the product, who to market it to, and the accessories for them.

[@alukuhito]

Until he got blown out of the water by other companies stealing his idea. Maybe not that smart after all. (sound of giving a losing answer on a game show)

[@TheSaintBigFoot]

@@alukuhito more wholesome tho, war was a big deal in those days

[@interestedobserver587]

@@alukuhito He died in 1947. William Leslie Maxson was born on May 10, 1898, in Necedah, WI. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1921 and served with the Navy until 1935, when he started his company. He died from post-surgical complications. He invented the M45 quad .50 caliber mount and the M33 twin .50 caliber mount.

[@HJSDGCE]

@@alukuhito Other richer companies. As a businessman, he was a genius but he simply didn't have the capital that other companies did. They didn't beat him by being smarter; they beat him by being richer.

[@MrGamelover23]

​@@alukuhitoStealing an idea, it's just code for competition.

[@RJB]

I remember having TV dinners using our TV trays watching a show or two. Some of the best memories growing up.

[@dankelly5150]

Ya our family ate mountains of them in the 70's ! 😅

[@tomtroy3792]

Yes back in the early 60s I remember we would go to my grandmother's house and we would have those TV trays and we would put our TV dinner on them and watch TV she had one of them new color TVs

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

In the early 80s we watched "TV Dinners" on TV

[@kimcrews1721]

TV dinners were the best thing ever growing up in the 60s and 70s. My sister and I would choose the one we wanted based on the dessert. Eating them on our TV trays on the weekends was something we looked forward to as a treat.

[@BangkokJohn]

We loved the cherry cobbler.

[@backpackingtony1779]

Apple cobbler was the best!!

[@Katze5335]

The woman narrator doesn’t bother me, I just like the familiar tone of this guy

[@MrChupacabradude]

Same But I for one welcome the woman too

[@maenad1231]

Same I just dislike change I’m not prepared for 😭

[@Megadextrious]

I don’t mind her but I swear the guy has funnier jokes….

[@SpearFisher85]

Yessum

[@SevenHunnid]

on my KZbin channel i do food reviews while I’m high slime

[@swicheroo1]

We were a family of 10. My mom was a stay-at-home mom. So TV dinners were considered too expensive compared to the 5 course meals my mom whipped up from scratch. But I did feel they were a treat. And occasionally got my very own. Eating them made me feel like I was participating in a broader national conversation.

[@yummymanseed]

00

[@shrayesraman5192]

The 5 course meal that sounds better what?

[@lolbeamer]

I had shudders expecting you to say your family fed you TV dinners every day! I pity people that rely on these for sustenance every day. Once in a while is fine.

[@Agent-ie3uv]

@@shrayesraman5192 5 course meal 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

[@paddington1670]

i totally felt the same, described the feeling well. Now I miss my Mom's cooking more than ever, ah well, RIP

[@pam2664]

The little warm cherry desert in some of the old TV dinners 😋 was awesome

[@dianabeurman364]

Yes! And the brownie too!

[@LindaMerchant-bq2hp]

And the fudge chocolate cake

[@chinesecabbagefarmer]

Just posting this comment so in the future when I click on this video again I can be surprised to find out I've already watched it.

[@ourlifeinwyoming4654]

It was a big day when we had the old TVs dinners in foil. We talked about it the next day at school. They tasted better back then. They were very good meals and made allot of people happy.

[@yesterdayschunda1760]

Yep, all this TV dinners today are pure trash which is dumb because anyone who has ever cooked foor before knows of plenty of foods that taste better after being frozen..... soup and stews for an example but even those are somehow terrible which is insane, making a bad soup/stew is next to impossible.

[@him9302]

If you wanted to keep diving into frozen meals, it'd be neat to see the history of Kid Cuisine.

[@Skyrim_Shuffle]

Holyyy sheeeiitt! That's a wonderful idea!! Need to know whose idea it was to put blue icing on brownies! Honestly, I don't know if my memory serves me correctly, but yeah... I'd absolutely love to know KC's history!!

[@DietBajaBlast]

The video kinda petered out at the end.

[@krisfrederick5001]

I almost bought one for nostalgia the other day, and I'm in my 30's .

[@phox1515]

@@krisfrederick5001 remember the brownie dessert.... Mmmmm I used to dip the French fries in the apple gel dessert thingy.

[@IRLTheGreatZarquon]

Kid Cuisine desserts were the BEST. They were little sugar explosions that went perfectly with the dinosaur nuggets and square pizzas.

[@hathor4isis]

Swanson's Salisbury Steak frozen dinner will always be the best frozen dinner, because the flavor could never duplicated.😁

[@EroticWhale]

Honestly this is the only way I like Salisbury steak. Idk why but if someone actually cooks it, it just isn’t the same 😂

[@wandamontgomery6030]

It was good. The hungry man has nasty mushrooms

[@LythaWausW]

@@EroticWhale I didn't know people actually cooked Salisbury steak. I loved that TV dinner so much.

[@escapetherace1943]

@@wandamontgomery6030 I haven't eaten frozen food in years and when I did it was rare. Is it because you hate mushrooms, or are the mushrooms just bad? I've never tried a Hungry Jack, lol.

[@sandradee1579]

@@LythaWausW Me too? It was my favorite dinner also with the mashed potato & corn. There was also something about the gravy that was unique. We only had TV dinners if my parents were going out on a Sat nite & the babysitter was coming over.

[@ahotdj07]

I remember growing up, my mother would make TV dinners when she was tired from a long hard day at work. It made it so much easier and convenient for her. Of course there was no dirty dishes for us children to wash! Win-win. Ironically enough, I now take care of my mother (she is ill) and she loves the Hungryman dinners. I just made her one (turkey) for lunch!

[@CordeliaWagner]

It takes five minutes to prepare a healthy tasty salad. My parents work both full time but we always had real food.

[@allanharvey3626]

He did say she likes them... Who cares if you can make a salad in 5 minutes,then go do so.

[@keponen331]

@@CordeliaWagner salad is a side, takes more than 5min to prepare the meat(or tofu if vegan)

[@quanbrooklynkid7776]

@@allanharvey3626 ha

[@Cricket-ej4rt]

i love the hungryman ones too

[@punksintheback7062]

In Brazil only the very rich family could afford a microwave and my family wasn't one of these. I always wanted to eat a frozen meal, prepared with love and care. Then, when time came (as adult) I realized my mom's food was really much better.

[@AdmiralBison]

The reality is it's 25% food, 65% marketing.

[@Chuchel-hh6hq]

@@AdmiralBison Lol , no ! You can say what you want about frozen foods but there is such thing as FDA . That simply does not allow BY LAW to sell food with too little nutrition factors . So yeah , it may not be as good as hot prepared meal ( obviously ) but it does do its job , being food .

[@powerlunch7794]

You had to cook them in the oven anyway. Didn't come out with microwavable until long after

[@Batmandabomb]

microwave??? they wernt invented

[@phillysportsmedia2825]

Mothers knows best!😊

[@gwcrispi]

We always got TV dinners when Mom and Dad were going out. I loved the peas and the apples. It was a special treat growing up in the 60's.

[@suuudo]

“The freezing compartment of our refrigerator” so wonderfully dates that Swanson commercial to a specific time and place.

[@spankynater4242]

I caught that also.

[@kevinroche3334]

Why? Don't Americans have freezer compartments now?

[@silvy3047]

​@@kevinroche3334 it's because they called it a freezing compartment inside the fridge instead of just a freezer

[@75aces97]

I don't know how, but two apartments I had in the 1990s had the aluminum freezer compartment instead of the separate freezer box. I don't think this type was made after 1970, but somehow I found apartments with these antiques. 😆

[@3frenchhens818]

@75aces97 The little freezer thingy in older refrigerators was only good for ice cubes. It was hanging down over the top shelf, not in a separate compartment, and had only a loose door to close it. Food would be covered in spidery black mold by the next day.

[@Rangersly]

In the 70's, my mom had to go back to work so that the family could make ends meet. On thursday night, she usually had to work late. I was a young teenage boy with no skills for cooking, but I could put a few frozen tv diners in the oven, so I could feed my two brothers and me. So that was usually what we ate on thursday night for a few years. Salisbury steak was my favorite. Back then, it came with mashed potatoes, corn, and a delicious brownie. The last time I saw a salisbury steak at the grocery store, they had changed the corn fo green beans (meh!) and the brownie was replaced with an apple cobbler (double meh!).

[@michaelfoster1453]

The Mexican Style dinner with enchiladas, rice, and refried beans was my fav. That started to get hard to find by the end of the 90's before it seemed to disappear from the shelves.

[@newend2116]

I heard a while ago they were back, but not with too much praise. As you know whenever they bring something back, they always change the recipe, and it just went down from there.

[@gx8841]

Those were absolutely tasty and sometimes I'd have two plates at one sitting!

[@scrappy00001]

I remember these, they were so good. Annie’s makes a cheese enchilada meal that’s good but not the same.

[@jc9716]

I MISS those!

[@billythekidder7182]

El Monterrey and Patio were the go to’s when I wanted those type of dinners.

[@algross3338]

Swanson Mexican TV dinners were my all time favorite. They’re long gone and I do miss them.

[@vulpo]

They still have the Hungry Man Mexican dinners.

[@sirtango1]

They have come a long way in taste since the 70’s. I can’t believe how much better the texture and taste of today’s TV dinners are compared to the ones I tried a long time ago!

[@robertkerr9527]

I was born in 1963 so I've eaten tons of swanson frozen TV dinners over the years. We had 4 tray tables in our home as we used to call them. Great 👍 for TV viewing and eating. Life without those tables would have been unimaginable to me.

[@louisliu5638]

tv tray tables. I'm looking at mine now. !!

[@zoeyrochellezhombie829]

We call them 'individual dining tables'.

[@bensk8in467]

I vaguely recall having some oven cooked ones in the foil tray as a kid. They were definitely kind of a treat. They seemed better than their later microwave counterparts. I think there was more and better quality food in them too. They were also harder fought for and required patience because the time it took to turn a block of ice into a hot meal in the oven. You were more grateful when they were done. The microwave changed all that.

[@LargeMuscularTitties]

It was probably always the same food. Microwaves make everything taste worse compared to basically every other form of heating/cooking

[@gx8841]

@@LargeMuscularTitties Yup. Like a baked potato wrapped in foil from the oven versus one from the microwave. No comparing!

[@nathanbond8165]

Things always taste better when they are brought up to an actual temperature in the oven as opposed to basically irradiated in a microwave there's no doubt about that even the microwave food the packaging will always tell you that the best way to cook the product is in the oven for the best results but microwave can be used so there's something just better about when you slowly naturally heat up a food item as opposed to the rapid radio signals that a microwave uses and also who wants to bite into piece of food one side of it it burns your tongue and the other side is ice cold because microwaves do not cook evenly

[@juliabarone8852]

60s and 70s the foil oven ones

[@bensk8in467]

@@nathanbond8165 I quit using a microwave quite a few years ago. I had a realization one day anything warmed up like that cannot fundamentally be the same on a molecular level when it comes out. It’s a heat generated through intense unnatural trauma, it’s changed. Baked chicken for example, hot chicken. Microwaved chicken, now just some mutant hot meat. Damaged DNA.

[@stefanjakubowski8222]

I was the only latchkey key kid in my neighborhood, my grandmother made a huge Sunday meal and I would have leftovers, but she got tv meal for the rest of the week, with the Libbey meals, and awesome pot pies etc I was pretty well fed, sadly, they have fallen in quality and variety There was once an awesome tuna pot pie, a delicious ham steak with sweet potatoes Turkey with all the fixings, Luckily I learned to cook by 10, and made all my food afterward

[@TheGelasiaBlythe]

I learned to cook early on, too. My mother thought it was a necessary skill - and not because of gender, but because all humans should know how to make *something* to eat. I was the only 8 year old I knew who could easily whip up meringue, bake cakes, and make whipped cream. A year or so later I had baked meats down pat as well.

[@Saybleu]

We had a similar life experience. I’m sure you learned, like me, the art of washing and handling your own clothes as well.

[@stefanjakubowski8222]

@@Saybleu oh yeah, but folding, well. Lol

[@Saybleu]

@@stefanjakubowski8222 😂👍

[@awesomebeast7509]

I’ve never heard of tuna pot pie for until now. Did it have gravy in it? How was it.

[@daveforeman6931]

Worked 1 year beginning mid-1976 at the Campbell Soup Swanson's T.V. Dinners plant in Modesto, Ca. Good career for someone who just wanted to put in their 20 or so years working almost like a robot before retiring. We were actually in a local butcher's union. We had good wages and benefits. Even a cafeteria inside the plant where they had short order cooks who could whip-up a nice meal for you at lunch break. The best part for me was the company store we had on site where there was steep discounts for not only t.v. dinners, but other Campbell Soup products- at that time Campbell's owned many companies includes Herfy's (some restaurant chain, I believe)- we could buy frozen hamburger patties, Pepperidge Farms (we could buy their products well discounted), and some others that I am not remembering off the top of my head. I worked my way up to barbeque beans cook while there. Me and the other cooks shared our makings with each other, so we did not often go to the cafeteria. By the way, the best t.v. dinners were the Sirloin Steak and Chopped Beef. The meat was pure, uncut with soy. I really tasted great fresh off the cook. Made some good friends there, but after a year of that work I just could not see sticking around for another 19 or so.

[@dylanraygonzalgo8526]

This is my 3rd rewatch of this video, it keeps popping up in my recommendation. Do I get bored of it? No. Will I watch it again? Yes.

[@julieneff9408]

When my dad would go out of town for work, my mom would get us TV dinners. I usually got the fried chicken one. That brownie tho, 5-year-old me loved that, even when the corn and taters spilled over.

[@Bob1332s]

I know exactly which one you’re takking about. You definitely got the hungry man great choice 😂 my fav

[@RobFlood2000]

My mom would make TV Dinners for us (Mom, 3 kids - 1970's) when my dad was out of town on business. I suspect that my dad was not a big fan of them, but us kids thought they were great - not to mention super easy dinner for my mom! I think that Swanson should come out with Retro-TV Dinners - try to recreate the recipes and packaging! I have seen plenty of other 'throwbacks': Chef Boyardee, Dorito's, Mountain House, etc... I think it would be a hit!

[@LannieLord]

They did retro packages about 15 years ago-- BUT they went TOO FAR BACK to the late 1950s . I'm a 197os kid like yourself. I am also a collector of weird 197os stuff: I have a VINTAGE 1972 Swanson Turkey Dinner box !

[@RobFlood2000]

@@LannieLord - Nice collectable TV Dinner Box! I would absolutely display it on top of my kitchen cabinets!

[@cynthiatolman326]

I've inherited a book on freezing foods from my mother that she used my entire childhood to blanche and freeze many different foods from vegetables, meat, fruit, everything you can think of. It was published by the Birds Eye Company, who didn't make TV dinners but were the premier company for frozen vegetables.

[@DecafToaster740]

We always had Birds Eye on the table growing up. We even lived 5 blocks down the street from one of their factories.

[@crp5591]

Oh these were a treat for my brothers and I... I was blessed to have our grandma live with us (Spanish multi-generational household) and she would do all the cooking for the family while parents worked and us kids were in school. So we always had home cooked meals BUT on the rare ocassion where the adults needed a break, we would get the Swanson TV dinners. What a treat! My fav was the salisbury steak! As I got older I graduated to the Swanson Hungry Man version! Ahhh the 80's!! Magical time! (as kids... Reaganomics sucked for the adults!!)

[@ImranKhan-nr3vq]

The personality shines through and keeps viewers coming back.

[@Celestial.Heather]

You’re more accurate than History channel! I’ve ate TVdinners since childhood & as handicapped adult they are simple, affordable but not healthy or flavorful.

[@B.H.56]

Lol, you got me with "crusty edges" - I loved those! ETA - $.98 in 1954 would be about $11 today - guess those Stouffer meals aren't so pricey after all.

[@jmal]

Hungry Man TV dinners are a lifesaver for me when my stove broke down and I couldn't cook for my packed lunch. It's cheaper than ordering takeout from an app and is way more filling!

[@toomanybears_]

The plates those Le Menu dinners came on were the bomb. I mean indestructible. I never actually ate one but I had a friend who was addicted to them. He and his wife ate them almost every day and just threw out the plates. One day I asked them not to throw the plates out and save them for me so I acquired a dozen or so of them. 40 years later I still have several of them left and still use them every day, usually to feed the dogs chicken and rice which I warm in the microwave. Best disposable piece of kitchenware ever.

[@TrueNinjafrog]

Genius idea of recycling, I'll remember this the next time I bust out an emergency TV dinner during college study nights.

[@SchwachsinnProduzent]

@@TrueNinjafrog A lot of "disposable" packaging is actually quite handy for other uses. Did you know, that the big Haribo boxes are rated for the use in freezers? And they are also dishwasher proof. You could use them to freeze leftovers from any holidays, birthday parties etc

[@pamelabennett9057]

My mom saved and reused those plates, too, for microwaving food or a smaller lunch plate. Even years after her passing, I'll still come across them being used as a plant saucer or in random places.

[@sunniertimer598]

You must be very frugal.

[@beashemmad.sayson545]

@@sunniertimer598wow what a shockerrr

[@EDHBlvd]

Man I still remember in the 80’s and early 90’s when getting TV Dinners was a treat. We would get excited for them. So good. Great memories.

[@robtymec2642]

I absolutely loved TV dinners as a kid. I could tell that they were unhealthy and didn't even really taste the way a "real" version of that meal would. But I still loved them.

[@em84c]

When I was a kid I loved when we didn't have a proper dinner. We never had a microwave so I never had tv dinners. But we would have ramen noodles or a cold plate with cruskit crackers, cheese, pickled onions, gherkin and some chopped raw vegetables.

[@deirdregibbons5609]

I really like the Lean Cuisine dinners. My favorites are the Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy and a side of mac and cheese, and the lemon pepper fish with sides of broccoli and lemon herb rice.

[@bluebagelman1920]

I never hit them because the portions are so ridiculously tiny. Why can’t they just add more vegetables?

[@cjbrown9755]

Is Lean Cuisine he brand that had the frozen Salmon dinner? I had a co-worker who had one everyday for lunch...loved it. The company told her she could no longer have any fish in the microwave. LOL. Other have said the salmon is very good you ust get a very small portion.

[@marypalmer00]

I'm fascinated with pre packaged food! Which is why I love watching MRE meal reviews on KZbin. I don't know what it is about them, as I've never eaten one and my mom always makes everything from scratch so the idea of just heating up a meal and having it be completely ready just blows my mind. I should make myself some TV dinners

[@em0ville]

if you like that, you should check out the self-heating hot pot videos on youtube ! i think those are super cool

[@jeromethiel4323]

MRE's are the best morale booster the military ever came up with. Good, hot meals on the go. If you look at military rations from earlier wars (WW2 in particular), you can see why an MRE is such a step up. The old saying "an army marches on it's stomach" is as true now as when it was first uttered. Want your fighting troops to perform well? Better make sure to feed 'em well. Nothing brings down morale faster than crap food.

[@caturdaynite7217]

I was fascinated by space food, meals eaten by astronauts. Remember space food sticks? Then I saw a video about Natick food labs and my interest in MRE's has only grown over the years. Food packaging and preservation at it finest!

[@JackNadeau]

Navy vet here, I actually loved MREs. To me the heating packs were more fascinating than the food lol. + not every one included a dessert so getting a meal with a cake or cookie in it was like finding a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s factory 😂

[@janeknisely4383]

Watch Atomic Shrimps's reviews, they are great!

[@timmotel5804]

Always have loved them. I was born in 52. As much as I hated waiting for the aluminum plate dinners to defrost and cook, they were wonderful. Kinda miss those pans... Thank You for this "delicious" history

[@mh0862]

Swanson, hands down, on a TV tray. Also miss the Swanson pot pies as well. They were the best.

[@dianabeurman364]

The pies were good when in the aluminum pans.

[@angeldeb82]

I remember having TV dinners with my brothers and my family when we were little. We would often have Tyson's TV dinner or Banquet, or even Kid Cuisine! And I think I remember seeing the Le Menu ads on TV too! So many memories! :)

[@Yoongiwifie]

That man who made this idea is the best man ever! And now is my new best friend. Thanks I love my frozen dinners so much so tysm ❤

[@DinoPwn]

I really hope this sub channel sticks around. One of my favorite YT food channels

[@kham7571]

I was a kid in the 70’s and tv dinners were a kind of treat. I remember them fondly. Does anyone else remember they had special ones geared for kids, with kid sized portions and treats? I vaguely do.

[@LannieLord]

LibbyLand Dinners: see: 11:07 on here

[@mikehughes4969]

I remember being ten years old with a Swanson's fried chicken TV dinner watching the Six Million Dollar Man. It didn't get much better than that.

[@Chef_PC]

That Star Wars burn was brutal. Nice one! 😅

[@jons.6216]

I've heard the other story a few times now and this adds a whole new layer to it! Wonderful!

[@Amity-park]

A great video as always! Honestly, certain TV dinners feel like a comfort food to me. Can I suggest a history video about eggs? Eggs are so versatile, I’m sure it’s got plenty to talk about.

[@ar2d21]

Or should they do one about chicken first?

[@fugueine]

@@ar2d21 😆🤣

[@btetschner]

A+ video! Had no idea that TV Dinners had so much of a selection! Fantastic video!

[@Kim-mz8co]

lol. I loved this one! I've eaten most of these (probably ALL) that were produced after 1960 and could taste them as they were being described. Appreciated the history, too. I remember all the Swanson, Hungry Man, and Banquet dinners, and remember getting excited about the Le Menu dinners I could get a great price on with coupons and multi-purchase discounts. THANKS!

[@DaveTexas]

Mmm. I remember the slight metallic taste of those old Swanson TV dinners. Yum! I loved the Le Menu dinners. Those were quite tasty. Those microwaveable plates were indestructible, too. I used those for years when I needed to microwave anything. I probably still have them in a box somewhere.

[@Thomas-ky3rl]

Your imagination there's no matallic taste.

[@richardcathcart2952]

For 2 decades, as a 1950s kid, I ate off of TV Tray, munching happily on Swanson's Fried Chicken Dinners.

[@lisap6645]

I really miss Swanson dinners.. they were so good especially the desert !

[@Kro368]

I currently have Banquet Salisbury Steak in my freezer, there is nothing more nostalgic!!

[@marilynalvarez9951]

Oh my gosh, so much nostalgia, I remember Libby Land, we used to fold up the cardboard box to get the scenic background it came with....so much fun. What a great video, thank you so much.

[@NewMessage]

Wait.. Did.. Did I just see 'Chum King'? That just made my entire day. Not kidding.

[@pamsullivan3274]

"Great Whites love it, and so will your kids "

[@Rodelero]

I love that your editor just straight up put in Disney star wars footage when you talk about a big conglomerate buying a past product and the resulting quality downgrade, no clever joke or one liner, just straight footage that's all that's needed 😂 😂, shots fired shots fired 🚒 🏥 🔥 awesome video as always!!

[@billmadison2032]

I remember my mom making me one of those TV dinners in the 70s. God Swanson was good back then, I think they tasted better than the new Swanson stuff. Stoffers is the closest thing to a real meal today.

[@tammyc4798]

Oh how I loved the Salsbury Steak dinners with a dessert too!! Actually, I do still love them.

[@fated2pretend]

I miss the Great Starts breakfast meals. I used to have one every morning before school. Something about the fake eggs that always came out of the microwave still half cold, and the formed "hashbrown" patty... it still holds a special place in my heart. I wish they would bring them back lol.

[@chilldaze7042]

It’s so interesting learning how “tv dinners” came about. I eat lean cuisine occasionally. Banquet spaghetti & meatballs was awesome in the early 2000s

[@codycoyote6912]

When I was a young deputy sheriff in a very rural county with a small jail, we fed our prisoners TV dinners. They were quick and easy to fix, wholesome, and much cheaper than contracting with the local restaurant. After we arrested the owner of that restaurant the dinner deal kind of fell apart anyway so TV dinners saved the day!

[@franknew9001]

In Mayberry, Barney Fife and Andy Taylor should have thought of serving their prisoners TV dinners, instead of having Aunt Bee cook their meals. 😊😊

[@marriagecapital101]

I grew up with the fried chicken, mash potato, corn and a brownie... Loved it lol

[@rhodamiller7338]

One of the gifts we got at our 1957 was a set of TV trays. We never bought any TV dinners, but one of the reason they became so popular was the introduction of home freezers in the 60’s.

[@samsamsam4790]

please never change this narrator. he's perfect

[@serveaux]

I miss the tiny dessert that used to be in them. The hungry man meals are still almost edible, but the now missing dessert used to add a little something to the experience.

[@Polygonlin]

RIGHT?! i loved the tiny little desert!

[@CODTerracraft]

@@Polygonlin you mean the brownie ?

[@Polygonlin]

@@CODTerracraft Well, there used to be a Brownie, there was also Apple Pie at one time, Cherry Cobbler, a few others i forget.

[@ahotdj07]

I just made my mother a Hungryman dinner and there was a dessert in that one.

[@mainstreetsaint36]

@@ahotdj07 What type?

[@c3cubed]

I miss the 1980's to 90's brand "Le Menu" - they were quite pricey at the time, but were actually "quality" meals with better ingredients. Some of the sauces employed red & white wine and "real butter". I still have some of the thick plates with lids. They are heavy-duty and extremely sturdy, and forever reusable.

[@csmarsh1957]

Do you remember the seafood one??

[@c3cubed]

@@csmarsh1957 No, as I don't like prepared seafood meals, as a rule. Have never purchased any type of (frozen) seafood.

[@c3cubed]

@@csmarsh1957 I'm in Canada - we had only 4 or 5 options at the time... Favourite ones were Chicken Parm w/Alfredo Linguine and Beef Stroganoff. I think there was also something called "Chicken Florentine" with a white wine cheesy lemon sauce.

[@duane_313]

They look so cute! I wish I could time travel to try one

[@michaelleary9233]

The chicken nugget ones were great had a Szechuan type sauce.

[@JxT1957]

Stouffer's TV dinners blows away all those other TV dinners by a long shot. They are closest to home made.

[@fruitopia6798]

I must have eaten literally thousands of these meals over the last 50 years, the supermarket 'ready meals' they evolved into are just awesome, 3-7 minutes in the microwave and you're good to go, in my late 60s I still have my teeth, my weight and blood pressure is normal, best invention ever.

[@catcls9205]

when i was growing up in the 70s, having a tv dinner was a treat , we loved them, and those Banquet cream pies you could get for a dollar- wish they still made those

[@dchaz3.0dacan18]

My mom was a great cook and loved cooking but occasionally we have frozen TV dinners and I so looked forward to them and thought of them as a treat. As a 50's kid they seemed futuristic and exotic. The turkey dinner was my fav.

[@aaronwoodard1749]

I remember the Swanson. TV dinners back in the late 70’s/early 80’s. The aluminum pan that you had to bake in the oven. It was nice.

[@talevita]

I enjoyed the chicken pot pies or fettuccini Alfredo dinners when I was growing up and my mom was away. I loved a frozen burrito or similar in college and I’m actually cooking now. My family isn’t dead yet so I guess I’m doing okay but I still appreciate the microwave help.

[@HPFangirl71]

TV dinners as a kid were a treat!! I especially loved the fried chicken!! Nowadays I eat frozen meals at work cuz it's easier than bringing from home. My faves are the Marie Callander meals. They seem more home-made. There used to be a company that made Chicken a la King in a frozen pouch that I loved as a teenager but you can't find it anywhere now. You should continue this by showing the history of going from the frozen meals to the shelf stable ones that Hormel makes. Those are so good!! I get the beef & potato ones alot at work!!

[@gregt8638]

I loved your video presentation! It brought me down memory lane and fully informed me! I know I date myself because I still call the frozen dinners "TV dinners" Thanks again!

[@Sparks29252]

Never had a lot of these as a kid, though they were an occasional treat. Specifically the kid ones with the penguin on them. But I did and do live as a bachelor, and there are days when I just cannot bring myself to cook. In these circumstances I find that turkey is the most reliable of all tv dinners. Beef varies wildly in quality and taste and the chicken is almost always fried and gets soggy easily. But slices of turkey? You always know what you are getting and can reasonably guess at how it will turn out.

[@amak1131]

Ahhhh good ol kid cuisine. I remember those growing up....

[@stuartmenziesfarrant]

For the lazy person with refined taste! Lol

[@fugueine]

Came for the history, stayed for the snark. Love it. 😄

[@NJGuy1973]

Meatloaf+tater tots+green beans+brownie+CBS Sunday night lineup = best way to prepare for Monday morning in 1980

[@makaylamattingly5415]

I’m obsessed with these videos

[@kalyguti24]

I work at a hotel full time so frozen and ready to heat in the microwave meals make my life 100% easier when getting ready. I do ofc have a home cooked meal at least 5 times a week, but most of the week I have to have food that I don’t need an oven for. I REALLY enjoy the H-E-B Ready Meals that you can keep refrigerated OR frozen! So many yummy varieties. Ty to the inventors!

[@tylerchambliss8379]

Yay! A fellow Texan I can talk about HEB with. They have these amazing frozen chicken tenders taste like Chick Fil-A. And of course the Screamin' Sissilian brand pizzas.

[@lotz-o-muzic1608]

Banquet Mega Bowls are the best in history! Buffalo Chicken Mac, Country Fried Chicken, and Dynamite Penne and Meatballs are phenomenal

[@poolsofbloodinyourstomach]

They reek so unbelievably badly when heated. They smell genuinely foul, not surprising when you look at price and ingredients.

[@macsnafu]

My grandmother wasn't much of a cook, and she would do frozen dinners for me and my sister when we stayed with her in the 1970s. And for herself, of course. As a grown-up, I bought plenty of frozen dinners for myself in the late 80s early 90s. Usually Banquet, because they were cheaper than the Swanson brand. But by then, I couldn't wait for them to cook in the oven, and would microwave them; the aluminum trays were gone by this time. Much faster. I also did a lot of pot pies back then, too.

[@armorer94]

I was raised on TV dinners and pot pies. It certainly explains a lot.😜

[@davids11131113]

I always loved TV dinners, way back in 70’s there were some for kids I can’t remember the name of them, today I still get Hungry Man Once in a while I love them.

[@clarktrent8952]

i just *loved* Banquet Fried Chicken TeeVee dinners!!! This became sheer heaven when I discovered you could get a box of just Banquet Fried Chicken all by itself...

[@ArthurIdis-c7k]

That chicken was and probably still is better than what KFC offers now.

[@ryanr7423]

That sly book of boba fett reference 😂😂

[@poolsofbloodinyourstomach]

Sly? It was multiple seconds of the show lol. Nothing sly about it.

[@amandaredd3057]

People still eat frozen dinners even now which is pretty crazy. It's rare to find a gimmick like this that's so long lasting

[@BeyondDaX]

Frozen dinners, Frozen Pizza, so many choices really

[@KuchiKopi179]

Yep, whole supermarket aisles dedicated to ready meals. I personally have always hated the taste, but I understand its convenient for busy people.

[@bossdamon]

My parents would leave me tv dinners in the fridge if they left to go somewhere. I still love that stuff from time to time especially the fried chicken ones it's kinda crazy how they get crispy in a microwave.

[@gg.6967]

😮😢

[@emmamcdonald3410]

you parents shud of been put in jail

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@emmamcdonald3410

[@pip6866]

In 1970 I moved from the UK to Toronto, Canada. I was a single guy and rented a room in a shared house. TV dinners were a staple for me. Loved them while watching Lets Make Deal. The things you remember!!

[@jaydavis8394]

Mama made home cooked meals 99% of the time but she did throw tv dinners in as a treat every once in a while. In fact, I wouldn't touch corn until I tried the tv dinner corn which was suprisingly sweet. That's when I learned to like it. Same goes for turkey. I'd gnaw on a turkey leg at Thanksgiving but the sliced turkey and gravy tv dinner showed me just how tasty they could be. Thanks Swanson. You did good.

[@TheGelasiaBlythe]

My mother was what I call a solidly good cook (everything she made was edible, recognizable as food, better than about 90% of the other mothers I knew, and the only problem was that she made some ethnic dishes that we kids really never got into), and we used to hate it if we had to have TV dinners. They were soggy, or dry (sometimes both), or super salty - just not very satisfying. My sister LOVED the fried chicken one with mashed potatoes and corn. She basically lived off carbs, fat, and salt whenever she could get away with it. The rest of us were not nearly as enthusiastic. I suppose if I had to pick one, I'd say that the Salisbury steak was the best, in my opinion. What I don't understand is the fascination with French bread pizza. Huge quantities of brick hard bread with a tiny amount of overly sweetened tomato sauce and barely any low quality cheese (never mind the sketchy toppings - especially the sausage that looked like cat food). This is good? Just...why, though?

[@morganschiller2288]

Personal Pad Pizza’s are nasty BUT if you don’t have time or Food they are still gross.

[@CraigTodd924]

The kids pizza at the restaurant I work at is made with baguettes sliced in half long ways, with marinara and pizza cheese...We even have pepperoni if they wanna get fancy with it lol.

[@SpaceBearEngineer]

You have to do the thaw in microwave + bake method to get the bread right (soft interior, crunchy crust). The cheese is low-moisture mozzarella, the pepperoni is pepperoni, the sausage is just turkey sausage (IMO better than pork sausage by a longshot), and some of us like sweet sauce. Probably why I've always found "authentic" Italian tomato sauces too acidic and generally unpleasant. I will always love Stouffer's french bread pizza.

[@EC-dz4bq]

Fills the belly

[@alukuhito]

"Ethnic" dishes? I'm curious what ethnicities they came from.

[@NerdySatyr]

Idea for a new video: How Oreo are actually a knock off, and what other products like that where the copy actually became the more popular product!

[@joanclare9788]

Nostalgia at its best!

[@SwampDog-w8i]

When I was a kid , in the 60s , it was a special treat on a Friday evening to get to sit in front of ou television , and eat my supper while watching one of my favorite shows .

[@throb9]

I loved Salisbury Steak, Meatloaf, and Chicken dinners, but nothing tops those Mexican TV Dinners.

[@VickiVampiressYT]

If it wasn't for all the additives and sodium that's in a lot of those TV dinners I could honestly eat them every day. We have them here in Europe as well, albeit a bit different, and with a bit more variety. The right ones can actually be reasonably healthy (compared to the price), and much like their American counterpart they're some of the most convenient and cheapest dinners you can get. Ironically they tend to taste quite good too!

[@BlackJar72]

I remember the "Mexican" TV dinners being surprisingly good in the 80s -- this makes me want to go get a few, if I can find some version of them. I've not really looked much at the frozen section in a while, but perhaps I'll look to see if I can find anything similar.

[@zenbear4149]

As a kid in the 70s, I loved getting the occasional TV dinner when my parents went out, sitting in the living room with the little folding TV tray table and watching whatever I wanted. Loved the turkey. Surprised to hear they only took 15 minutes to cook. It seemed like an hour, and of course the cobbler desert always wrecked your mouth it was so hot.

[@LannieLord]

Error on 15 minutes! Takes 45 minutes .

[@jchow5966]

The old SWANSON TV dinner was really good. I wish they would reissue it as a classic!

[@marcstevens8576]

As we didn't live anywhere near a fast-food place, TV Dinners were just that. Something to get on the table fast that tasted a little different than Mom's home cooking. Really do miss that On Cor Veggie Lasagna.