Home Sweet Freezer Aisle
There are days when cooking a pot roast feels as easy as grilled cheese, and days when you can’t look an onion in the eye, let alone dice it. On those days, the freezer aisle, reputation be damned, is what saves you from takeout. And while most taste exactly like what they are — frozen meals, a few actually feel homemade.
Taste tests and a whole lot of Reddit scrolling say these eight frozen meals are the real deal.
Rao’s Meat Lasagna
Rao’s pasta sauces already have royalty status in our book, and the internet says their frozen lasagna follows through. A 9-ounce tray runs about $4.96–$6.79; it’s a splurge, but also a justifiable one when you’d rather skip cooking without sacrificing flavor. The noodles stay tender when cooked, and the filling layers beef, pork, ricotta, and Romano, with mozzarella melted across the top. Food Republic calls it “better than homemade” and Reddit says it is “Definitely the best frozen lasagna you can get.”
Trader Joe’s 3-Cheese Spinach & Artichoke Pasta
This is a recent addition to Trader Joe’s freezer aisle, and early reviews suggest it’s a promising one. It’s basically their spinach-artichoke dip reworked into pasta, and it feels more grown-up than Joe’s classic mac and cheese.
The orecchiette holds up well, and the sauce blends Swiss, mozzarella, and Parmesan with spinach and artichokes. It’ll set you back five to $3.79, making it one of the cheaper options on this list.
Stouffer’s Classic Meatloaf
Stouffer’s has been making frozen meatloaf long enough to know what works. A single tray costs around $4–5 and includes two slices of meatloaf in gravy, along with a scoop of mashed potatoes It’s heavier than Lean Cuisine’s version, but also more satisfying. “Closest to ‘homemade’ as it gets,” a loyal fan suggests. “Meatloaf is very meaty and flavorful with minimal processing. The mashed potatoes are the best in the freezer aisle.”
Zatarain’s Blackened Chicken Alfredo
Most frozen Alfredos taste like noodles in white water, true, but according to shoppers, this one has some backbone. A single tray costs around $5, and the family bag is priced at about $12 at Walmart or Sam’s Club.
The penne actually keeps its bite, and the Cajun-spiced sauce packs more heat than the usual bland Alfredo. Microwaving might turn the sauce thin, so opt for the stovetop — for about 15 min or so — it thickens and clings to the pasta.
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Amy’s Broccoli & Cheddar Bake
Amy’s Broccoli & Cheddar Bake is one of the few gluten-free frozen meals that doesn’t taste like you are being punished. It goes for around $5–6, and includes rice pasta instead of wheat, mixed with sharp cheddar sauce, broccoli, and a breadcrumb-style topping made from gluten-free ingredients.
Reddit users call it “One of the better frozen mac & cheeses we’ve had,” and “Wouldn’t even know it’s gluten-free if it didn’t say so on the box.”
Marie Callender’s Chicken Pot Pie
Marie Callender’s built its name on pies, and the chicken pot pie is still the brand’s signature freezer meal. For about $3, you get white-meat chicken, peas, carrots, and gravy baked into a flaky crust.
In taste tests, it’s the crust that wins people over. It bakes up golden and buttery, and the vegetables keep some bite instead of turning soggy. The filling can run a little thin, but nobody complains once they hit the crust.
Trader Joe’s Channa Masala
Trader Joe’s Channa Masala is a staple for vegetarians or anyone craving curry without shelling out for takeout. A box costs about $3.50 and comes with chickpeas in a tomato-based sauce spiced with garlic, onions, and chili. It’s spicier than most frozen curries, and the chickpeas don’t turn to mush.
Reddit calls it one of TJ’s best frozen meals, with one shopper saying, “As an Indian person, I’m shocked how good Trader Joe’s frozen Indian food has been. Costco, eat your heart out…”
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Great Value Sausage & Gravy Breakfast Bowl
Walmart’s Great Value line isn’t known for gourmet, but the Sausage & Gravy Breakfast Bowl gets a lot of love from customers. At around $2, it’s one of the cheapest options in the freezer case. The bowl comes with scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage crumbles, and a peppered country gravy poured over the top.
It’s quite heavy and concerningly salty, but fans say it hits the same comfort note as homemade.
More Frozen Food Recommendations
- We Tasted 13 Frozen Pizzas and This Is the Best — We set out to find the best frozen pizza with our taste test. Find out which one is stocking in your freezer.
- The Best Costco Frozen Food Deals — There’s a lot to love about Costco’s frozen food section, but it can be overwhelming. We help take take out the guess work on what to buy.
- Frozen Mac and Cheese Meals, Ranked — The ultimate comfort food in a box. See which frozen mac and cheese meal made the cut in our taste test.
