Today’s spotlight is on the classic TV Dinner.

A TV dinner is a pre-cooked, frozen meal that is portioned for one person. The name “TV dinner” comes from the fact that the trays are easy to carry to the living room to eat in front of the television.

TV dinners became an American culinary staple in the mid-20th century. The first official “TV Dinner”-branded TV dinner was created by C.A. Swanson & Sons and hit the market in 1954. The meal consisted of turkey, gravy, cornbread stuffing, sweet potatoes, and buttered peas, and sold for 98 cents.

The TV Dinner branding was eventually discontinued, but the meals live on today under the “Hungry Man” label. Instead of the original aluminum trays, the dinners are made with microwavable plates.

History

The first TV dinner was created in 1954 by C.A. Swanson & Sons, an Omaha-based company. The meal, named “Swanson’s TV Dinners”, included turkey, gravy, cornbread stuffing, sweet potatoes, and buttered peas. It came in an aluminum tray, covered by aluminum foil and was heated in an oven. The meal sold for 98 cents, which is about $10 in today’s dollars.

The term “TV dinner” was first used as part of the brand “TV Brand Frozen Dinner” in 1953. Swanson launched a large advertising campaign for the product, which helped to make it a cultural icon.

The TV dinner’s promise of a hot meal in under 25 minutes helped to make convenience-focused meal options the norm today.

Here are some fun facts about TV dinners:

• The cardboard box that the TV dinner came in was designed to look like a TV, complete with a facsimile of dials and a volume control knob.
• The term “TV Dinner” was originally a brand name for Swanson’s frozen dinners, but it’s become synonymous with any supermarket-bought packaged frozen dinner.
• A salesman named Gerry Thomas conceived the idea of meal trays designed to sit on a person’s lap so that they could eat dinner on a chair while watching television.
• The final product was designed by a bacteriologist named Betty Cronin who worked for Swanson.
• The first frozen meal was manufactured in 1945 by Maxson Food Systems, Inc. Known as “Strato-Plates,” the meals were reheated on airplanes for military and civilian passengers.
• The Swanson TV dinner was an immediate success, with sales exceeding 10 million units in the first year and 25 million the next.

According to Statista, 127.92 million Americans consumed frozen TV dinners in 2020. This number is projected to increase to 130.55 million in 2024. The average American eats 72 frozen meals a year. TV dinners are a popular option for people who can’t or don’t want to cook. Brands include Lean Cuisine, Hungry-Man, Marie Callendar’s, and Banquet.

You would not typically make a TV Dinner for yourself but if you did, it may look like this:

Here is a recipe for a homemade TV dinner:

• Mashed potatoes: 2 pounds russet potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks, plus kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Brownie cake: 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Green beans: 12 ounces haricots vert, trimmed.
• Meatloaf: 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs.
• Peas and carrots: Cook peas and carrots in boiling water for about 15 minutes, then drain and toss with 2 tablespoons of butter and season with salt and pepper.

National TV Dinner Day is celebrated annually on September 10th. It’s a day to enjoy a complete meal without having to cook. Let us know in the comments what TV Dinner you choose to celebrate.