Fall arrives and, with it, the cold and the desire to do nothing when you get home after dealing with a day of work, rain, wind, and snow. I recently had one of those afternoons when just thinking about cooking was already exhausting me. I was hungry, but had no desire to cook. No desire. None. I’m in Seattle for a while, so you comprehend that we may not see the sun for weeks. I remembered that I had stopped by Target the other day and stocked up on several pre-prepared or easy-to-prepare products, and that solved everything.
So I took it out of the freezer and followed the instructions, which luckily couldn’t be simpler: “put it in the oven for 10 minutes.” What more can an intellectual like me without the desire to cook ask for? In just a few minutes, my house started to smell like spices, delicious sauce, and it’s like it had spent an hour cooking. Do you want to know what they are? Well, follow me as I tell you what are the five prepared meals that I always have in my refrigerator.
Target’s Private Brand of Frozen Products That Save Your Dinner for a Few Bucks
The Good & Gather brand appeared relatively recently, and came to unify all the various own brands that Target had, such as Archer Farms and Simply Balanced, simplifying the shopping experience for consumers. Target invested a lot of time and resources in the development of Good & Gather, ensuring that the products meet high quality standards and are convenient for the consumer in need of things that are delicious, easy to prepare, nutritious, and at a good price: that is, me.
What I was telling you about the other day, that I had culinary apathy, well, I solved that little hunger emergency with a frozen product from the Good & Gather brand: frozen cream cheese wontons. They are a true delight because they are crispy, golden wrappers that hide inside a creamy filling of buttery and intense cream cheese.
They are easy to prepare: you just throw them in the oven for 10 minutes, or in your own air fryer. I personally usually accompany them with an easy tomato and grated carrot salad, with a little apple cider vinegar and black pepper, to balance and provide a little more flavor profiles. You can dip them in soy sauce or some sweet and sour sauce with pineapple, to continue adding more intense flavors. The price of this quick frozen dinner from Good & Gather is $5.99.
Good & Gather Frozen Parmesan Pastry Wrapped Mini Uncured Beef Hot Dogs
As another emergency measure, for a day when you don’t want to cook, or simply don’t have time for it, are Good & Gather’s Mini Hot Dogs, which are small pieces of sausage wrapped in a crispy layer of puff pastry with Parmesan cheese that create a little party in the mouth.
These bombs of flavor are perfect for snacking between meals, for a party or for any occasion in which you want something delicious and easy to prepare, or to make a quick dinner accompanying it with a small salad. The price for the box of 10 units is $5.99.
Frozen Pork Dumplings, What a Legend!
Frozen soup dumplings are the perfect salvation for those days when you want something delicious without the fuss. They come on a tray with 6 dumplings and are ready to heat and enjoy, and are my new friend for winter ‘Chill n’ Netflix’ nights.
These dumplings come filled with pork, scallions and onion, and are seasoned with ginger and garlic for that authentic touch that is so popular. The six dumplings in the box are enough for one person (who will be quite full), but you can also share 3 with your girlfriend, and they will be quite satisfied. The price is also $5.99.
In my freezer you will also find Good & Gather’s Mac & Cheese Bites with Red Lentil Pasta, which is priced at $3.99. They’re a loose version of an Italian snack called supplì, and are made from pasta made with just red lentils, then mixed with cheddar and mozzarella cheese, lightly breaded in panko breadcrumbs, and deep-fried for a crispy finish. The 7-ounce box is priced at $399. The last of my quick dinners from Target is, once again, from the same brand, and they are the Thai Chicken and Basil Spring Rolls. They come in 5 units and are filled with a mixture of chicken, cabbage, carrots, chives, and Thai basil, seasoned with garlic and ginger.
