# Ever crave those ole tv dinners?



## negolien (May 11, 2022)

Hey All,

I have some foods that are just ole favs as a kid. One of them was the elbows and meat sauce tv dinners. I am gonna try and do that with the crock pot. I have some basic ingredients. Ideas? and ingrediants i don't have thoughts? Spices also i got the normal bbq cooking noob spice choices in the cabinet

2 lbs ground beef
I have crushed peeled tomatoes in puree and I have prego spaghetti sauce. Not sure what to use leaning towards the prego traditional.
I have some green bell peppers
I have fresh garlic
I have red and sweet yellow onions
I don't think the pasta matters. I will put over the top of already cooked elbows or egg twists.

Edit

So I went with
2 lbs ground beef
2 28 oz cans of crushed peeled tomatoes in puree.
2.5 green bell peppers
 5 cloves of fresh garlic
1 red and 1 sweet yellow onion
2 packs of beefy onion soup 1 during the beef Browing and one in the cooker.
1/4 cup of dirty bird mixed with honey chipotle killer bee
 1/4 cup of pace medium picante
I don't think the pasta matters but I made some small elbows (can't find medium anymore) and some rigatoni

I got a bell pepper and grated cheese to so. Who knows one stuffed pepper maybe even a baked beefaroni /gasp lol.

Oh no the grill fired up too lol here we go


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## Ringer (May 11, 2022)

I do crave some of the stuff from my childhood. Some of it is still around.

This it?


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## normanaj (May 11, 2022)

After my mother died we kids ate a fair amount of Swanson Hungry Man dinners.


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## SmokinAl (May 11, 2022)

Dang I still eat that stuff! 
Al


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## BigW. (May 11, 2022)

negolien said:


> Hey All,
> 
> I have some foods that are just ole favs as a kid. One of them was the elbows and meat sauce tv dinners. I am gonna try and do that with the crock pot. I have some basic ingredients. Ideas? and ingrediants i don't have thoughts? Spices also i got the normal bbq cooking noob spice choices in the cabinet
> 
> ...


Never had the tv dinner version but that looks just like what we call Goulash at my house.  Boil some elbow mac and then add the above ingredients.  Can have a tasty meal in about 30 min.


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## zwiller (May 11, 2022)

Stouffer/freezer entrees are pretty good.  We do the lasagna now and then.  We ate a TON of salisburry steak meals.  Still do.  


B
 BigW.
  Agree Goulash here too but in Ohio there is a well known spin on goulash.  http://ohiothoughtsblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/johnny-marzetti-recipe-and-history.html 

You guys might get a kick out of this...  I live in a small town and my kids go the same school my parents and my wife and I did.  Wife ended up getting a job in the kitchen there and there is indeed a notebook with all the school recipes in it.


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## bill1 (May 11, 2022)

The Swanson sausage breakfast bowl (square yellow box) is pretty delicious.  Walmart's price is now up to a whopping 88 cents each.


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## bbqbrett (May 11, 2022)

I remember when I was a kid and thought that these were good.


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## Bearcarver (May 11, 2022)

negolien said:


> Hey All,
> 
> I have some foods that are just ole favs as a kid. One of them was the elbows and meat sauce tv dinners. I am gonna try and do that with the crock pot. I have some basic ingredients. Ideas? and ingrediants i don't have thoughts? Spices also i got the normal bbq cooking noob spice choices in the cabinet
> 
> ...



I never had that in a TV dinner, but it looks pretty much what we called "Beef-a-roni". 
Here's my rendition of it, but with Venison instead of Beef:





						Deerburger Pasta & Scallops
					

Deerburger Pasta & Scallops    Seems like I’m cleaning up the last of a lot of things lately. Last time I used up the last Steak Roll.  This time, I’m pretty sure this was the last package of Deerburger in the Freezer, and I emptied a box of “Elbows”, and had to add some “Shells” to complete the...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com
				




Bear


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## schlotz (May 11, 2022)

I'd forgot about Tv Dinners and for good reason. Not the type of food I'd care to revisit. YMMV...


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## 3montes (May 11, 2022)

Kent Rollins did a remake of the classic Swansons Hungry Man Salisbury Steak TV Dinner. I actually made this according to his recipe and it was darn close to what I remember. We used to eat a lot of those Hungry Man dinners.


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## mneeley490 (May 11, 2022)

For some reason,  this makes me think of this quote from the Simpsons:
"We take genuine letter graded meat, and we process the hell out of it, until it's good enough for Krusty!"


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## cal1956 (May 11, 2022)

i used to love the Swanson turkey dinners , over the years they changed them some much that they just don't taste as  good as they did


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## Dirty Steve (May 11, 2022)

Grew up on Swanson‘s and Banquet. Maybe I’ll grab one next time at the store and give it try.


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## Winterrider (May 11, 2022)

Use to eat a lot of the banquet chicken.


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## mr_whipple (May 12, 2022)

zwiller said:


> B
> BigW.
> Agree Goulash here too but in Ohio there is a well known spin on goulash.  http://ohiothoughtsblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/johnny-marzetti-recipe-and-history.html


Interesting story, thanks for sharing that. Never heard it called John Marzetti in the place Woody Hayes wouldn't say anything nice about, but as a kid my mom made killer "goulash" or what I now just call chili mac.


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## negolien (May 12, 2022)

bill1 said:


> The Swanson sausage breakfast bowl (square yellow box) is pretty delicious.  Walmart's price is now up to a whopping 88 cents each.


Damn bud i' am paying 4 bucks a dinner for Swansons, Devours, marie calendars and 5.50 for Hungermans . The Maries tend to be the best the banquets tend to be the cheapest but worst imho.


schlotz said:


> I'd forgot about Tv Dinners and for good reason. Not the type of food I'd care to revisit. YMMV...


So you don't like lasagna, fried chicken, turkey,  enchiladas and pot pies? LOL just saying... I get why people are not fond of em depending on their history with em. I ate em while they were still cooked in the oven for a majority of people. 

Some of the food items like lasgana, the elbows, fried chicken have a thinking back to better times feeling for me. A true comfort food if you will where we sat down as a family and ate. We didn't have much money and I grew up in a single person household where cooking real meals were few and far between so for us these were staples.


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## xbubblehead (May 12, 2022)

negolien said:


> Hey All,
> 
> I have some foods that are just ole favs as a kid. One of them was the elbows and meat sauce tv dinners. I am gonna try and do that with the crock pot. I have some basic ingredients. Ideas? and ingrediants i don't have thoughts? Spices also i got the normal bbq cooking noob spice choices in the cabinet
> 
> ...


We called that American Chop Suey when I was a kid, still make it on occasion.


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## gmc2003 (May 12, 2022)

xbubblehead said:


> We called that American Chop Suey when I was a kid, still make it on occasion.


Same here.

Chris


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## JLeonard (May 12, 2022)

The Freezer Queen Salisbury Steak and gravy was a staple when I was a kid. Had it at least once a week.  Ocassionally will get one just to take me back to those days as a carefree kid. 
Jim


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## Nefarious (May 12, 2022)

All way too expensive for my family when I was a kid, never had anything like them until I left home for the military and lived off base.


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## xray (May 12, 2022)

We were never big into the Hungryman dinners where you had a few things in the tv tray but we grew up on the Banquet  Salisbury Steak and Chicken Parm dinners.

Hell, I still love the Stouffer’s Vegetable Lasagna and we have it on occasion when my wife’s younger sister visits and stays the weekend with us. That and plain Stovetop stuffing are guilty for pleasures.


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## zwiller (May 12, 2022)

Nefarious said:


> All way too expensive for my family when I was a kid


Similar here.  We only got TV dinners once in a great while and it was like for good grades or something special.  We never had any of the stuff my buds had  like Rice O Roni, Hamburger Helper, or even Manwich.  That said, we always had good meals and a desert.  Usually chocolate pudding.  I've told this to a few people and they mostly don't believe me: We killed a gallon a milk a day when were young.


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## negolien (May 12, 2022)

Stuff got out of hand today LOL


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## negolien (May 12, 2022)

yum


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## Cody_Mack (May 12, 2022)

I like the enchiladas and the teriyaki too
I even like the chicken if the sauce is not too blue


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## JLeonard (May 12, 2022)

negolien said:


> yum


Dang bud! That looks good.
Jim


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## noboundaries (May 12, 2022)

I remember a time when we regularly ate TV dinners. I liked the sliced turkey and gravy the best, but my dad hated anything poultry so mom only served those when he traveled. Salisbury steak was a close second. I absolutely LOVED the dessert portion, especially the apple pie. 

Dad refused to eat leftovers until his dying day. I suspect that's a big reason mom bought them. No fuss. No leftovers. 

I don't think I could bring myself to buy one nowadays for me, but my work-from-home wife is always looking for quick lunches. Pot pies work for her. Might have to try slipping a TV dinner in the mix.


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## Inscrutable (May 12, 2022)

zwiller said:


> Wife ended up getting a job in the kitchen there and there is indeed a notebook with all the school recipes in it.


I would kill for the recipe for the peanut butter sauce served on Dixie ice cream cups in elementary school. I make a Friendly’s clone, but still not as good.


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## bill ace 350 (May 12, 2022)

Never liked them. 
Even some C-Rats, T-Rats and MREs are much better.


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## mneeley490 (May 12, 2022)

cal1956 said:


> i used to love the Swanson turkey dinners , over the years they changed them some much that they just don't taste as  good as they did


Maybe you miss that tang from the aluminum trays?

Banquet fried chicken is still good, but not cheap anymore.
Anyone remember the 70's Libbyland Dinners for kids?










Even as a kid, I thought they were pretty bad.


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## WaterRat (May 12, 2022)

Funny, I’ve been watching “Worst Cooks in America - Celebrity Edition” and they  had them cook a lookalike salisbury steak TV dinner since the contestants were all on 90s tv shows. Pretty funny show, good laughs, I’m not sure how some of them tie their shoes, handing them a mandolin had me cringing


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## gmc2003 (May 12, 2022)

WaterRat said:


> Funny, I’ve been watching “Worst Cooks in America - Celebrity Edition” and they  had them cook a lookalike salisbury steak TV dinner since the contestants were all on 90s tv shows. Pretty funny show, good laughs, I’m not sure how some of them tie their shoes, handing them a mandolin had me cringing


I'm betting that they wear either slip-ons or velcro. 

Chris


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## mneeley490 (May 12, 2022)

gmc2003 said:


> I'm betting that they wear either slip-ons or velcro.
> 
> Chris


Crocs.


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## gmc2003 (May 12, 2022)

mneeley490 said:


> Crocs.


Be careful there 

 mneeley490
 I wear crocs on my days off. After 12hr. shifts my feet need a rest.

Chris


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## Cody_Mack (May 12, 2022)

Cody_Mack said:


> I like the enchiladas and the teriyaki too
> I even like the chicken if the sauce is not too blue


Well I thought at least a couple of you would get the ZZ Top reference...


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## Fueling Around (May 12, 2022)

If I ever have a yen for a TV dinner, I make a batch of mashed potatoes from flakes or  go to the Colonel for one of their bowls.  


Cody_Mack said:


> Well I thought at least a couple of you would get the ZZ Top reference...


Sorry missed it.  RIP Dusty Hill


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## noboundaries (May 13, 2022)

Well, what'a  ya know. TV dinners just became one of my wife's quick lunch choices. All thanks to this thread.


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## negolien (May 13, 2022)

I ended up making three kinds of beefaroni basically lol. Baked with shredded cheese and parmesan, noodle less for stuffed bell pepper and I made beefaroni with rigatoni pasta. I blame the whiskey lol


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## zwiller (May 13, 2022)

Haha.  All the names for this dish.  THAT is called rigatoni here and is served with bread with peanut butter.  Looks great!



Inscrutable said:


> I would kill for the recipe for the peanut butter sauce served on Dixie ice cream cups in elementary school. I make a Friendly’s clone, but still not as good.


I asked and sorry not something our school did.  I will tell you the recipes are SIMPLE.  One of things I wanted was the "white sauce" and it's cream of chicken soup made with milk but a little less.  I love trying to find out stuff like this and dug a little.  Some good ideas here and they are simple so a good start.  I was going to tell you to call the school but school health regs were put into place so I doubt they serve that anymore.  Those glorious rectangular school pizzas we had are horrible now due to the new regs.  Good luck.


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## bill1 (May 13, 2022)

You Folks all realize that NOTHING from our childhoods was as good as you remember.    One of the Blessed things about the mind is that our memories filter out the bad.  
Or perhaps just repress it...I possibly need an analyst.


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## Danblacksher (Aug 17, 2022)




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## Ardbeg (Dec 28, 2022)

Frozen Tom Tom tamales if that counts.
I'm working on a from memory copy cat recipe.


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## 6GRILLZNTN (Dec 28, 2022)

Oh I remember the TV dinners.  Took them out of the oven after the directed time and temp.  Veggies were cold, and the dessert was like those apple pies at McDonalds.  Stuff would sear your entire mouth.


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## Retired Spook (Dec 28, 2022)

I ate TV dinners when they still had foil on top and there were no microwaves - and they had real food in them!   

Anyone ever have Howard Johnson's chicken croquettes? Maaaaaannnn I loved those things!!!


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## negolien (Dec 28, 2022)

Retired Spook said:


> I ate TV dinners when they still had foil on top and there were no microwaves - and they had real food in them!
> 
> Anyone ever have Howard Johnson's chicken croquettes? Maaaaaannnn I loved those things!!!


 LOL those last 2 posts were spot on lol. 

I LOVE making macaroni and beef. Gotta be my favorite food... seriously. I make the beef sauce in huge 8-quart batches and split it and vacuum freeze them in 1 lb batches for all kinds of recipes.


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## JIMSMOKES (Dec 28, 2022)

Retired Spook said:


> I ate TV dinners when they still had foil on top and there were no microwaves - and they had real food in them!
> 
> Anyone ever have Howard Johnson's chicken croquettes? Maaaaaannnn I loved those things!!!


Remember the foil tops that you had to peel away certain sections half way through to brown. I mainly just liked chicken/turkey pot pies.
Remember dating a girl and her parents wanted me to come for supper. Get there and they start bringing out the big frozen pans of Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, some kind of peas, with a foil covered mixed fruit pie and little ice cream cups with the flat wood spoon. As bad as the food was it was worth it. She was fun.


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## pit 4 brains (Dec 29, 2022)

One house, two parents, three sisters and me looking at one TV. Had the folding tables, Swansons on the menu and settling down for a night of MASH, Barney Miller, Bob Newhart, all in the family and The Jeffersons. My veggies were cold, the potatoes were scalding, the salisbury steak was amazing and the brownie was inedible as always. 
I wish they would bring them back..


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## Retired Spook (Dec 29, 2022)

pit 4 brains said:


> My veggies were cold, the potatoes were scalding, the salisbury steak was amazing and the brownie was inedible as always.


Hilariously spot on the money!


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## GonnaSmoke (Dec 29, 2022)

pit 4 brains said:


> One house, two parents, three sisters and me looking at one TV. Had the folding tables, Swansons on the menu and settling down for a night of MASH, Barney Miller, Bob Newhart, all in the family and The Jeffersons. My veggies were cold, the potatoes were scalding, the salisbury steak was amazing and the brownie was inedible as always.
> I wish they would bring them back..


Sounds about right, at least the way I remember those days, but it was The Andy Griffith Show, Star Trek, Lost In Space, Bewitched, Hogan's Heroes...


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## bill1 (Dec 29, 2022)

What's with the "ole" in the thread  title?  I'm pleased to report my beloved yellow-box Banquet pot pies in the breakfast sausage and gravy "variety" are back on the shelves at my local Walmart.   They ran out mid-way through Covid and I feared they'd never come back.  

Alas the price increased a wee bit from 75 cents to $1.19 but hey I deserve an occasional extravagance.  Hoping everyone in the now-repaired supply chain got a raise to justify the 60% price inflation. 

I cook halfway per microwave directions and the other half in the toaster oven for proper browning perfection...the modern replacement to the aluminum TV tray handles it all.


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## negolien (Dec 29, 2022)

bill1 said:


> What's with the "ole" in the thread  title?  I'm pleased to report my beloved yellow-box Banquet pot pies in the breakfast sausage and gravy "variety" are back on the shelves at my local Walmart.   They ran out mid-way through Covid and I feared they'd never come back.
> 
> Alas the price increased a wee bit from 75 cents to $1.19 but hey I deserve an occasional extravagance.  Hoping everyone in the now-repaired supply chain got a raise to justify the 60% price inflation.
> 
> I cook halfway per microwave directions and the other half in the toaster oven for proper browning perfection...the modern replacement to the aluminum TV tray handles it all.


Nice yeah I tend to finish my maria Calanders off in my air fryer for same reason


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## Steve H (Dec 30, 2022)

Oh yeah! Just about every Friday when I was a kid. Using the picture on the box to figure out where to peel back the foil. And the Howard Johnson's chicken croquettes were great. Favorites were fried chicken and Salsbury steak. Hated all the deserts except the apple crisp. That didn't matter if it was hot or cold!


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## pit 4 brains (Dec 30, 2022)

Steve H said:


> Hated all the deserts except the apple crisp.


That, and the cherry pie, was another pocket of superheated plasma. You dare not eat that until the end


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## Steve H (Dec 30, 2022)

pit 4 brains said:


> That, and the cherry pie, was another pocket of superheated plasma. You dare not eat that until the end


The cherry pie was good too. Forgot about that.


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## Cody_Mack (Jan 2, 2023)

bill1 said:


> my beloved yellow-box Banquet pot pies in the breakfast sausage and gravy "variety" are back on the shelves at my local Walmart


In the Breakfast freezer area?



bill1 said:


> I cook halfway per microwave directions and the other half in the toaster oven for proper browning perfection...the modern replacement to the aluminum TV tray handles it all.



Maybe my wife will try this to speed up her beloved Pot Pie lunch. Thanks!


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## bill1 (Monday at 2:46 PM)

Cody_Mack said:


> In the Breakfast freezer area?


So that's a thing elsewhere too?  All the frozen meals used to be together and all the pot pies were a subset of same.  It was "don't ask don't tell" which meal you ate them at!  

It still seems to work that way at Walmart.  But the High-Class Safeway by me puts the red-box swansons in the "dinner frozen aisle" and the yellow frozen swanson in the "breakfast frozen aisle".  I guess it makes sense, I just find it kinda' funny they've rearranged everything by _*when *_you eat it.  

Still seems to be spot shortages.  The Safeway had the Swanson sausage pot pies and now they don't.  Walmart seems to have them, but it's the frozen hash browns with included onion and peppers that presently seem to be hard to get .  (Now that's some of the best $2 you can spend too, just sayin'.)  

And walmart still keeps the hash browns next to frozen peas and carrots...all the veggies together.  But Safeway puts hash browns in the breakfast aisle and the peas/carrots in the dinner aisle.  And breakfast cereal used to be close to bread.  But it moved...next to the frozen breakfast aisle.


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