By Donna Berry, Contributing Editor
There’s a new category of prepared meals invading retailers’ already overcrowded freezers. They’re called skillet meals, and they are putting traditional frozen dinners to shame. Some are marketed as popular chain-restaurant brands such as P.F. Chang’s and T.G.I. Friday’s. Others carry descriptive taglines such as “restaurant quality in minutes” and “chef-inspired dishes” to entice consumers.
“Demand for high-quality prepared meals is on the upswing as consumers learn they can make a restaurant-quality meal at home using something as simple as a skillet,” says Bob Hoopingarner, vice president, sales and marketing, International Dehydrated Foods Inc. (IDF), Springfield, MO. “Consumers can now savor great meals developed by culinologists who truly know their way around the pantry and spice cabinet. These frozen meals are sold in the neighborhood grocery store and prepared in the home skillet in 10 to 15 minutes.”
Frozen freshness
Frozen is considered the next best thing to fresh, and in some instances, as with vegetables, many argue that individually quick-frozen (IQF) veggies are superior in quality. IQF vegetables are harvested at their peak of ripeness and frozen shortly thereafter, making IQF technology one of the most effective techniques for preserving the natural characteristics of vegetables, including nutritional value. With other foods, including many of the components of skillet-meal kits, IQF technology preserves quality and ensures consistency.
“Upscale chain restaurants such as Chipotle and Applebee’s developed technologies that allowed menu items to be consistent anywhere in the country,” says Scott Martling, group leader, International Food Network, Ithaca, NY. “These technologies have made their way to retail food production and are contributing to the proliferation of innovative frozen skillet meals.”
Bagging it
Because frozen skillet meals have assumed a bag as their preferred package, formulators can use larger, less-uniform pieces during meal-kit assemblage. From the random-shaped pieces of tempura-battered white chicken meat in Wanchai Ferry Spicy Garlic Chicken to the lengthy asparagus spears in Bertolli Garlic Shrimp, Penne and Cherry Tomatoes, the bag allows for meal components that one might expect when cooking from scratch. This “non-cookie-cutter” approach suggests that the components are less processed, and this homemade image is driving consumer acceptance of frozen skillet meals.
