It didn’t take me long to figure out what I was going to make for this weeks Sunday Supper theme. I mean, come on, retro is where its at! I am sure we all have fond memories of classic TV dinners and i wanted to bring that nostalgia and history of such a revolutionary time.
We may turn up our noses now to those pre-made boxed meals,but TV dinners were a true revelation. Back in 1954, Swanson came out with the first TV dinners at the same time as modern appliances, such as the huge popularity of the TV. According to TLC, the start of TV dinners was an answer to a problem with Thanksgiving leftovers! Swanson had tons of Thanksgiving leftovers and needed a way to use them up. One of Swanson’s salesman, Gerry Thomas just traveled via Pan Am where he saw tin trays with compartments. So the Swanson brothers took that idea and loaded up the compartment tin trays. A campaign followed and ever since, TV dinners were an instant hit!
The revolutionary thing about TV dinners is that it allowed woman more free time. Towards the end of WWII, women were the usual home-keepers and cooks of the family. So having dinner ready within minutes allowed women to find other hobbies and work. The 1960’s also brought an addition to the TV dinner, dessert. By this time TV trays had protein, carbs, vegetable and dessert all in 1 package!
For today’s Sunday Supper I made a just as easy, homemade TV dinner! Meatloaf made in muffin cups are perfect for portion control and cook up in less time than a larger loaf. Mashed potatoes with sour cream and Parmesan hit the spot and sweet peas and carrots are tossed with a touch o butter…nothing better than classic! And of course we can’t end without a sweet dessert of berry cobbler to make it truly feel like home.
Ain’t that swell?
Homemade TV Dinner
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 egg whisked
- 1/2 c breadcrumbs
- 2 Tb ketchup + more for topping
- 1 Tb mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Mashed Potatoes
- 1/2 lb potatoes cut in half
- 1/4 c sour cream
- 1/4 c freshly grated Parmesan
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 Tb butter for topping
Peas and Carrots
- 2 c carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 c peas frozen or fresh
- 2 Tb butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Berry Crumble
- Please go here for recipe
Instructions
Meatloaf
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
- Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and use a tablespoon to full muffin cups. It should make about 9.
- Spread 1 Tb of ketchup on top of each meatloaf and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until edges begin to crisp.
Mashed Potatoes
- Boil potatoes until fork tender, about 15 minutes.
- Use a potato masher to mash potatoes and add sour cream, Parmesan and salt and pepper.
- Top with extra pat of butter.
Peas and Carrots
- Cook peas and carrots in boiling water under carrots are tender. About 15 minutes.
- When done, drain and place vegetables back in pot. Toss with 2tb butter and allow the warm vegetables to melt butter.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Berry Crumble
- You can find the recipe here
Check out all the other Sunday Supper retro-style dishes!
Sunday Supper Retro Appetizers:
- Irish Cheddar-Whiskey Fondue by girlichef
- She Devils: Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs by Ruffles & Truffles
Sunday Supper Retro Salads:
- Coca-Cola Salad by Magnolia Days
- Salmon Salad | Retro Tuna Salad by Family Foodie
- Ambrosia Salad by Simply Gourmet
- Romaine “Wedge” Salad with Hot Maple Bacon Dressing by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Carrot & Raisin Salad by The Roxx Box
- Sweet & Smoky Broccoli Salad by In The Kitchen with KP
Sunday Supper Retro Breads and Sandwiches:
- Italian Style Bread by The Meltaways
- Creamed Chipped Salmon Jerky on Toast by Pescetarian Journal
- Grown-Up Tuna Melts by Home Cooking Memories
- English Muffin Pizzas by Comfy Cuisine
- Patty Melt, Hand Cut Fries, & a Shake by Mooshu Jenne
- Grown-Up Grilled Cheese With Tomato Soup by Catholic Foodie
- Toast Topper #16: Grandma’s Mock Apricot Jam by What Smells So Good?
SundaySupper Main Dishes:
- Chicken Pot Pie Topped With Bacon Cheddar Biscuits by Chocolate Moosey
- Tuna Noodle Casserole by Country Girl in the Village
- Nana’s Marinated Beef Roast by Supper for a Steal
- Chorizo Scotch Eggs by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- Chicken Maryland by Vintage Kitchen Notes
- Mushroom Stroganoff by Small Wallet Big Appetite
- Dairyfree Toast Hawaii by Galactosemia in PDX
- Porcupine Meatballs by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Chicken Kiev by The Urban Mrs.
- Salmon Quiche with Preserved Lemon by Shockingly Delicious
- Steak Diane by Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
- Fried Chicken only in the Oven by In the Kitchen with Audrey
- Hambak Steak a.k.a. Salisbury Steak by Kimchi Mom
- Retro-Redo: Homemade TV Dinner by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
- Kicked Up Meatloaf by Curious Cuisiniere
- Shrimp Scampi (a lighter version) by Kudos Kitchen
- Old-Fashioned Pork Chops by My Trials in the Kitchen
- Jägerschnitzel by Sustainable Dad
- Healthier Hamburger-Corn Noodle Casserole by The Weekend Gourmet
- Inspired by Tuna Noodle Casserole by Cookistry
- Chicken-N-Biscuits Pot Pie Casserole by The Messy Baker Blog
- Souper Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes by Mama.Mommy.Mom
- Meatloaf that will make you swoon and Datz the truth by Midlife Roadtrip
- Spaghetti with Currywurst Sauce by Masala Herb
- Tator Tot Casserole by NeighborFood
Sunday Supper Retro Sides and Veggies:
- Smokey Braised Red Cabbage by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Classic Corn Casserole by The Foodie Army Wife
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Balsamic by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
- Classic Green Bean Casserole Redux by The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Mem’s Broccoli Casserole by Momma’s Meals
Sunday Supper Retro Desserts and Cocktails:
- Peachy Keen Tutti-Frutti Jello by La Cocina de Leslie
- Old School Boozy Rum Cake by Webicurean
- Individual Baked Alaskas by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Rainbow Jello by Cravings of a Lunatic
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake by Noshing with the Nolands
- Pineapple Bars by Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Creamy Dairy Free Fresh Orange Julius With Coconut Milk by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
- Refrigerator Strawberry Cheesecake by There and Back Again
- Frozen Pineapple Upside-Down Cake by Juanita’s Cocina
- Boston Cream Pie by Gotta Get Baked
- Coca-Cola Cupcakes by Daily Dish Recipes
- Jello Poke Cake by Flour On My Face
- Devil’s Food Cake by Maroc Mama
- Bread Pudding with Pecans by Basic and Delicious
- Victoria Sponge Cake by The Lovely Pantry
- A Chocolate Twist on the Classic Japanese Strawberry Shortcake by Ninja Baking
- Post War Apple Pudding by My Cute Bride
- Layered Mini Chocolate Banana Cakes by Big Bears Wife
- Raspberry Jam Cakes by Pippis in the Kitchen Again
- Cocktail: Moscow Mule by Crazy by Crazy Foodie Stunts
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.
Lovely presentation! Needless to say, your t.v. dinner looks and sounds much better than the boxed version! 🙂
I’d buy your version over those grocery story ones any day! YUM!
I ate my fair share of TV dinners as a kid. Back then it was so easy for my Mom who was a single-parent and often tired from working. My favorite was the cheese enchilada or the meatloaf. Yours looks perfect. Thank you for sharing!
This is just too much fun! I loved tv dinners as a kid…and I bet my kids would get a huge kick out of a homemade version. Love it!
What a fun post!! I loved TV dinners as a kid. Everyone ate them!! The TV guide was my favorite, you have brought back memories. Great post!!!
Ahhh you found the trays!! This totally brings back memories. My dad was an airline pilot and my mom was home with just us kids for days at a time and I totally remember that after a couple nights of cooking she would be sick of it ( can’t blame her ONE BIT) and would give us TV dinners. But as a kid we had no idea that she was sick of cooking and cleaning but thought that TV dinners were the coolest thing ever. Totally fun to have all our meal with dessert in one tray – we rarely got dessert growing up so this was a total treat and a break for my mom. Total win win! I love that you made these!
This is seriously TOO CUTE! I love your homemade version of a TV dinner…probably much tastier than the freezer section, I’d say!
I love everything about this post – from presentation to the food. It sounds like an awesome kind of meal and Im slightly jealous that Im not coming home to this tonight ;D
That is so adorable! Good on you!
What a fantastic idea! I love mini meatloaf! And presenting it in a TV tray is just genius. It doesn’t get more retro than that!
OMG you can’t forget the famous TV Dinners!! I’ll never forget them, they were a treat to have in our home, thanks for bringing them back!
Absolutely love it!! What a great job for the theme! And your pictures are gorgeous.
This was soooo creative! It looks way better then the TV dinners I used to eat as a kid.
Honestly, this is the most creative thing I’ve seen yet. I love this.
That’ so funny. I remember as a kid having TV dinners on a TV Tray in the living room. It was always a special thing, because growing up, we 99.999% of the time had a family meal at the dinner table 🙂
Sam, this is my favorite of the list! I would gladly sit down, watch tv and eat this tray!
Growing up I had my share of TV dinners when my grandma was working late and my grandfather and I watch the dozens of movies he had recorded from TV. I really love your idea for the retro recipes because it fits perfectly!
Better than any store bought version!
Now this is one tv dinner I will happily eat! This looks amazing Sam, I love all the compartments, you could build a new business.
This is so, so fun! Love it all.
Now that’s a TV dinner American can be proud of. Fantastic addition to this past weekend’s Sunday Supper. You win. 🙂
Samantha, cool history lesson on Swansons. We make fun of tv dinners now but I bet they were such a revelation when they were first made. I can’t believe you found a tv dinner tray – I love the presentation! And this is a meal I could totally get behind – everything sounds fresh, tasty, and healthy. I think I could do with a bigger portion of the cobbler though – yum! 😉
I would eat one of your TV dinners in a heartbeat. Those old ones – not a chance! Great job on a whole retro meal.
What a great post & fantastic idea to make a homemade TV dinner. It looks fantastic!!!
When Isabel posted the list of participants for this week event, I wasn’t sure what is Homemade TV Dinner about. You did not disappoint me, such a great informative and creative post !
Fantastic! I love how you’ve taken the retrotasique TV dinner and revamped it for your retro supper. A sure winner and no doubt tastier than what Swansons ever served up!
Thanks so much!!! Ya I totally had find making this!
How fun is that! Love the meatloaf in the muffin pans. Brings back memories of my parents “date nights” when we’d have tv dinners with the baby sitter.
I’ve heard stories from my grandparents about TV dinners and they still enjoy them. I just wish food companies would put food in them instead of loading them up with preservatives and quasi-food. I love this meal – thanks so much for sharing!
Hello where do you get the black trays
thank you
Hi Ramona! I actually just bought TV dinners (that I didn’t use) and washed out the tray to use as a photo prop!
You can order ceramic TV trays from Uncommon Goods! I like them much better than the black disposable ones! They keep food warmer and helps save the planet!
Hello, where did you buy those lovely trays from?
Hi Christina! They are a regular TV dinner tray from a frozen TV dinner!