Are Frozen Meals Starting to Thaw?

The frozen meals category has had a tough couple of years. Seemingly poised at the confluence of convenience and value, and benefiting from cost-conscious consumers who were eating out less, the $5 billion category (actually a subcategory of all frozen foods) nevertheless saw sales declines in the past two years, according to Mintel International.

"Shoppers may be opting for shelf-stable meals and meal kits, as well as prepared supermarket meals they can eat as is, or to which they can add their own ingredients," says a September 2010 Mintel report on the category. "These are also convenient ways to get a meal, which undercuts one of frozen meals' major benefits.

Although frozen meals have evolved significantly from "TV dinner" days, this perception may be holding the category back, the report continues. "Manufacturers have been fighting this negative image by developing premium lines of meals and co-branding with popular restaurant chains."

Indeed, one of the few bright spots in the category has been bagged dinners for two, or skillet dinners. Unilever's P.F. Chang's dinners, launched last year, built on Unilever's 2005 groundbreaking Bertolli launch. Nestle USA made a similar debut with its Buitoni entrees in 2010. Ditto for General Mills' Wanchai Ferry.

Stouffer's, long the leading name in this category, joined the bagged dinner-for-two fray just this spring with Stouffer's Sautes for Two. Although not a bagged dinner, Stouffer's Farmers' Harvest line emphasizes the natural and simple with ingredients such as sea salt, olive oil, cheese whole grains and vegetables.

Most grocers' frozen food cases look like Yellow Pages listings for restaurants, with the likes of TGI Fridays, Marie Callender and California Pizza Katchen, as well as the new P.F. Chang's.

But the Stouffer name, owned by Nestle since 1973, remains far and away the category leader, with frozen entrees, side dishes and new skillet dinners.

The reason for all the interest is simple: "Nearly three-fourths (72 percent) of Americans eat frozen foods," says Tim Webert of Cargill's Convenience Foods Marketing group. Meanwhile, "Consumers and regulators are driving change towards higher value, more convenient, healthier nutrition (lower calories, sodium, fat), and restaurant-quality products."

As Webert's business unit name implies, a good approach to improving frozen foods "is through cross-functional (marketing and technical) category teams, which drive customer-focused innovation by integrating ingredient expertise, category-specific marketplace knowledge and global technology capabilities … to make formulation decisions that impact frozen foods and help customers differentiate their brands," he says. How do you bridge those seemingly contradictory but powerful trends, all-natural and convenient?

Dutch Oven Ice Cream Recipe - News


Grilled desserts can be more than s'mores

Dust it with powdered sugar, slice it and serve plain or with a scoop of ice cream. It is best served slightly warm. Note: This also can be baked in the oven. Bake it uncovered at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes For a simple fruit dessert,



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SCAN IT: Dutch oven. I didn't even know what a Dutch oven was when we got married, but now I covet one. This one specifically. A friend of mine used to work for Le Creuset (pronounced "Loo Croo-say"), so she owns an impressive collection of their wares



Are Frozen Meals Starting to Thaw?

The ice cream and iced tea exhibit will be another attraction for Lancaster County, Pa., which already is known for its Amish population, the Pennsylvania Dutch. The dairy, which is owned by Kroger Cos. and headquartered in Lancaster, Pa.,



Presidential Recipes

Add flour, and mix well together adding remainder of milk as required, also bicarbonate soda and cream of tartar. 5. Cook tablespoon-size lumps for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. 1. Place meat, onion and garlic in large, heavy pan or dutch oven 3.




Ice Cream Cake Recipe | Cooking Tips

Ice Cream Cake Recipe – Cooling Off With Homemade Ice Cream Cake!

When the temperature is well pass 100 degrees, and your children are sitting about complaining about the heat that is the finest time to breakout the ice cream cake recipe. It is the cake recipe that keeps on giving. It will satisfy any sweet tooth whilst cooling down your body temperature. Your youngsters will not care which flavor combination you use, they will just be happy to have their cake and ice cream.

Making an ice cream cake sounds complex, but an ice cream cake recipe can be effortless to follow. The main ingredients are ice cream, cake batter, frosting and the toppings of your choice. You can use any flavor mixture you decide on, producing your mixture alternatives endless. As for utensils, you will want to make sure you have two cake pans, plastic wrap and foil.

Before you get began, you will need to put 1 of the cake pans in the freezer to chill. Once the cake pan has chilled you will want to line the pan with plastic wrap. This will maintain the ice cream from sticking. Spread the ice cream evenly in the chilled cake pan. You will want to make certain you cover any air holes. When that is total, cover the pan with foil and place back in freezer.

Following the instructions on the outside of cake box, mix the cake batter. Place the mixed cake batter in the second cake pan. To keep the cake from sticking, do not forget to oil and flour the second cake pan. Following the cake has finished cooking, leave it out to cool.

Once the cake has thoroughly cooled, you will be able to continue with your ice cream cake recipe. Take the ice cream cake pan from the freezer, and location it on a freeze proof platter, then location the cake on leading of the ice cream. As soon as both cakes are aligned, you can start off decorating the cake anyway you see fit. About this time, your children will be begging for a piece. As soon as everybody has had a slice make sure to place the cake back in the freezer otherwise you will have a mess on your hands.

Dump Cake Recipes – A Dutch Oven Is Wonderful For Baking Dump Cakes!

Every year about 20 of us go on an annual camping trip. Nonetheless, this year I am bringing along a surprise for the group. I have recently bought a new, Dutch oven for cooking an effortless and distinct meal. A individual can get tired of consuming only hamburgers and hot dogs for a week. My oven comes with a complete, Dutch oven cookbook. As I was going through the cookbook, I discovered some truly great recipes that I want to attempt. My favorite is the dump cake recipe. When I initial read the name “dump” cake, I was not sure what I was expecting. I undoubtedly was not expecting what the recipe produced.


Dutch Oven Ice Cream Recipe - Bookshelf

The Outdoor Dutch Oven Cookbook

The Outdoor Dutch Oven Cookbook

Pour mixture into a dry and very cool Dutch oven. Add whipping cream and evaporated ... Note: Any ice cream recipe may be frozen with this method; however, ...

The Outdoor Dutch Oven Cookbook, Second Edition

The Outdoor Dutch Oven Cookbook, Second Edition

IMPOSSIBLY POSSIBLE DUTCH-OVEN ICE CREAM 1 small package (3.4 ounces) instant ... Note: Any ice-cream recipe may be frozen with this method; however, ...

Boys' Life

Boys' Life

Place cans into Dutch oven and cover. Bake over hot coals (with coals on lid too ) ... Fruity Dessert Bread Topped with fruit, whipped cream or ice cream, ...

Scouting

Scouting

It's good served with ice cream or whipped cream. ... Brown some left-over beef pot roast in a Dutch oven with vegetable oil and flour. ...

Girls Camp Made Easy

Girls Camp Made Easy

Serve with Kick-the-Can Ice Cream (recipe below) or whipped topping. Make only 1 batch per Dutch oven. Kick-the-Can Ice Cream 1 cup milk 1 cup whipping ...

Web Information Directory


Impossibly Possible Dutch Oven Ice Cream - Camping Food ...
Pour mixture into a dry and very cool dutch oven. Add whipping cream and evaporated milk, stir. Put lid on dutch... Surround dutch oven with layers of ice and rock salt. ...

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Chocolate Gourmand: Mocha Almond Fudge
A little Kahla give this ice cream added depth while the veins of fudge appeal to kids ... Home Recipes. Candies Cookies Cupcakes & Muffins Dutch Oven Ice Creams & Gelatos Pies, ...