There’s always something off-putting about the concept of a TV dinner: a pre-packaged tray of unrecognizable goo that you take out of the freezer and pop into the microwave before being distracted from what’s in it by the latest episode of Mad Men. This post is about that style of meal.
Amy’s tamale with roasted vegetables caught my attention as I looked for Amy’s vegan gluten-free burritos (a perennial favorite snack food for that man I love). I love Mexican food and found the picture on the package appealing. It also has the rest of the key words that lure consumers like myself in; it announces that the product contains organic ingredients and is dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free and soy-free.
Taking this baby out of the package brought up some deeply repressed childhood memories. I also realized it might vaguely resemble the picture on the front once warmed and plopped onto a plate.
One of the reasons that I like Amy’s burritos is that there’s not a lot of packaging for the amount of food. This had a lot of packaging for the amount of food. I rationalized that I would be sating some water by eating it right out of the dish in which it was frozen.It wasn’t an unpleasant experience but the food did little more for me than sit quietly in the microwave safe plate. I added some fresh cilantro, powdered cumin, garlic salt and some Tapatio’s hot sauce and that definitely gave the meal some personality.
It was filling, contained unobjectionable ingredients and had some decent nutrition information. I’d probably buy it again but know I’d make something better myself at home. That isn’t the point though; this is a quick easy meal with good ingredients and nutritional details for something that comes from the frozen food section. Amy’s makes a lot of great gluten-free and vegan products (and their website has some great tools for figuring it out without condemning you to the tedium of reading every box)
What’s your favorite frozen dinner? I’d love to hear more and better options.
This is Christie, signing off!
Turning Veganese 
We cook almost every night around my place, but on those occasional days when I need something prepared, I turn to Amy’s foods most often. They really are quite exceptional when it comes to frozen foods. My favorite is the spinach-pizza sandwich pocket. So good.
I agree, Amy’s has been a great go-to for vegan food. They’ve got a few things I’d like to try. 🙂
I need to get my hands on some of their frozen dinners. I had food poisoning this weekend and my poor husband can’t figure out what to do with all the produce and pantry staples!
Yikes on both accounts. I hope you’re feeling better.
Yes, thanks 🙂