I've Finally Embraced the Glory of Frozen Meals — And Here Are My Absolute Favorites

For the longest time, I was one of those annoying people who legitimately enjoyed cooking dinner from scratch every single weeknight. With no children to feed, I took pleasure in the task of standing in the kitchen and cooking up a meal with no screens to look at or notifications to respond to. Even during the height of the pandemic, cooking dinner was how I created separation between my workday and the relaxation portion of my evening.

But as the pandemic shifted and I found myself out of the house more frequently, cooking dinner from scratch suddenly started to feel like a chore. My days felt longer and I returned to the gym, which meant that oftentimes, I wouldn't start cooking dinner until 7:30 PM, leaving me with barely any time to simply chill. It wasn't working.

On a recent night, I was sitting on the couch, recovering from my workout, and I simply couldn't do it. My feet hurt and I didn't want to stand in front of the stove for even 15 minutes, let alone an hour. I boiled a bag of frozen dumplings, heated up some edamame on the side, and called it dinner. Oddly, I felt like I was getting away with something…

I know the idea that it is, in fact, totally fine to rely on convenience foods for dinner is not exactly radical. I had avoided such shortcuts for a long time — in part because I liked cooking dinner, in part because I didn't think they were economical enough, and in part because I felt like I should be cooking "real" food. I am a food writer after all, I told myself. And sure, sometimes I still cook a completely homemade dinner and fully savor the process. I do love to cook. But I'm now actively building in at least two nights per week where I heat something premade up in a single pan or in the oven, and it feels like a true gift to myself.

I'm easing up on myself this year, and I hope you will, too. In that spirit, here are my favorite quick dinners from the freezer aisle.

Trader Joe's Beef & Broccoli

Everyone I know is enamored of the Mandarin Chicken from Trader Joe's, but I've found that I actually prefer their frozen beef and broccoli above all else. I love that there's a green vegetable, and the sauce is perfect: a little sweet, a little spicy, and totally delicious. This satisfies my takeout craving for less money and less time than my local Chinese spot.

Fly By Jing Frozen Dumplings

I love these dumplings. I always, always, always keep a few bags of frozen dumplings in my freezer, and when I tried Fly By Jing's new offering, I knew that I would be ordering them time and time again. Yes, you have to buy them online, but the flavor and quality is SO much better than any of the supermarket brands I've tried that I find it to be totally worth the extra effort. The company offers a couple of dumpling varieties, but the pork, shrimp, and mushroom is my favorite. While you're ordering your frozen dumplings, make sure you also get a jar of their Zhong Sauce to round out the meal – it's my favorite dumpling sauce of all time.

Try It: Fly By Jing Dumplings Variety Pack

Frontera Chicken Fajita Skillet

I've found that I really like it when I can change my typical weeknight dinner routine up a little bit with the help of a frozen meal. For example, I'm probably not going to make homemade fajitas on a Wednesday night. However, this highly convenient fajita skillet heats up to a saucy, delicious combination of chicken, peppers, onions, and spicy sauce that is great on rice, in a tortilla, or even as a topping for nachos.

Try It: Frontera Chicken Fajita Skillet

Ayo Foods Waakye

Ayo Foods makes traditional African recipes into quick and delicious convenience foods; it's pretty awesome. I found a wide selection of the company's products at my local Whole Foods, but my clear favorite is the waakye, a slow-cooked rice dish with red peas and red millet leaves. It's good by itself for a vegetarian lunch, or topped with fish or meat for a heartier dinner.

Try It: Ayo Waakye Beans & Rice

Severino Pasta Company Eggplant Rollups

Severino Pasta happens to be a local company for me, as it's based near Philadelphia, but they supply excellent frozen meals to Whole Foods stores across the country. I'm a particular fan of their eggplant roll-ups, which are like eggplant Parmesan with bright tomato sauce and plenty of cheese. The lasagnas, macaroni and cheese, and ravioli are also all absurdly easy and scrumptious.

Try It: Severino Pasta Eggplant Rollups