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Home » Recipes » Dinner Recipes

Homemade TV Dinner

Published: Jan 20, 2013 · Modified: Feb 1, 2023 by Samantha Ferraro · This post may contain affiliate links · 33 Comments

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Homemade TV Dinner with all the fixins, including mashed potatoes, meatloaf, peas and carrots and fruit crumble.

Retro-Redo: Homemade TV Dinner via LittleFerraroKitchen.com

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!

Retro-Redo: Homemade TV Dinner via LittleFerraroKitchen.com

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 Pear and pomegranate crumble to make it truly feel like home.

Ain't that swell?

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Homemade TV Dinner

Samantha Ferraro

LittleFerraroKitchen.com

Homemade TV Dinner with all the fixins, including mashed potatoes, meatloaf, peas and carrots and fruit crumble.
4.94 from 32 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Course Dinner, Main
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 633 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Meatloaf

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 egg whisked
  • ½ c breadcrumbs
  • 2 Tb ketchup + more for topping
  • 1 Tb mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ onion chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Mashed Potatoes

  • ½ lb potatoes cut in half
  • ¼ c sour cream
  • ¼ 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

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.

Notes

Find the recipe for pear crumble here. 

Nutrition

Calories: 633kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 31gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 157mgSodium: 543mgPotassium: 1059mgFiber: 8gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 11750IUVitamin C: 46mgCalcium: 199mgIron: 5mg
Did you make this recipe?Let us know by leaving a comment and 5 star rating!

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Comments

  1. Conni Smith @FoodieArmyWife says

    January 20, 2013 at 2:37 pm

    5 stars
    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 🙂

    Reply
  2. Jennie @themessybakerblog says

    January 20, 2013 at 1:55 pm

    5 stars
    Honestly, this is the most creative thing I've seen yet. I love this.

    Reply
  3. Hezzi-D says

    January 20, 2013 at 1:40 pm

    5 stars
    This was soooo creative! It looks way better then the TV dinners I used to eat as a kid.

    Reply
  4. Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts says

    January 20, 2013 at 1:12 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely love it!! What a great job for the theme! And your pictures are gorgeous.

    Reply
  5. Tammi @ Momma's Meals says

    January 20, 2013 at 11:00 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  6. Courtney @ Neighborfood says

    January 20, 2013 at 10:33 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  7. Sarah Reid, RHNC (@jo_jo_ba) says

    January 20, 2013 at 10:33 am

    5 stars
    That is so adorable! Good on you!

    Reply
  8. kita says

    January 20, 2013 at 9:37 am

    5 stars
    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

    Reply
  9. Katie says

    January 20, 2013 at 9:16 am

    5 stars
    This is seriously TOO CUTE! I love your homemade version of a TV dinner...probably much tastier than the freezer section, I'd say!

    Reply
  10. Shanna@ pineapple and coconut says

    January 20, 2013 at 9:14 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  11. Tara Noland says

    January 20, 2013 at 8:56 am

    5 stars
    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!!!

    Reply
  12. Heather @girlichef says

    January 20, 2013 at 8:25 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  13. Sherron@SimplyGourmet says

    January 20, 2013 at 8:11 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  14. Jen @JuanitasCocina says

    January 20, 2013 at 7:44 am

    5 stars
    I'd buy your version over those grocery story ones any day! YUM!

    Reply
  15. Amy Kim says

    January 20, 2013 at 7:15 am

    5 stars
    Lovely presentation! Needless to say, your t.v. dinner looks and sounds much better than the boxed version! 🙂

    Reply
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