One Of These Dolly Parton Frozen Meals Is Perfect

We’ve been huge fans of Dolly Parton’s line of food products, spanning frozen entrees to dessert mixes and more, since they first launched. (I’ve had her Fudge Brownie mix listed in my author bio since my first day here at Sporked.) Last year, I reviewed her first four frozen meals to mixed results; this time around, I’m covering two new additions to the lineup. Let’s find out if Dolly’s culinary team has been working 9-5 to deliver meals worthy of the country queen’s stamp.

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Dolly Parton’s Homestyle Meatloaf Frozen Meal Review

New Dolly’s Frozen Meal!

Pros: I’ve had more than my fair share of frozen meat entrees in my unsupervised life, so this comes from a place of knowledge: Dolly makes a hefty meatloaf. This solid hunk of protein is the size of a potato and ends up surprisingly consistent in texture by the time it comes out of the microwave. I’ve had many a microwaved piece of meat that’s still frozen in the middle by the time I’m happy with the outside; there’s some impressive fine-tuning going into this homestyle bachelor meal.

Speaking of texture, the cornbread casserole is definitely still liquid when you stir it halfway through cooking, but the end result is a deliciously flaky casserole that wouldn’t look out of place at a family reunion. This is witchcraft, frankly.

Cons: The chopped roasted potatoes bathing in the tomato-based meatloaf sauce are perfunctory enough to win third place in a three-man race. I understand why they’re there, but they add nothing of note.

Credit: Griffin Parker / Conagra Brands

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Dolly Parton’s Fried Chicken Macaroni & Cheese Frozen Meal Review

New Dolly’s Frozen Meal!

Pros: This is as good as you could possibly imagine based on the title. The macaroni and cheese (made with cheddar, Monterey Jack, and buttermilk!) is up there with the best microwavable pasta in the game; Dolly honestly could have stopped here, and I would have been satisfied. Instead, she added a handful of thick breaded chicken bites to kick it up a notch. And call me simple, but I’m glad this entire bowl is dedicated to the entree–no middling side of potatoes here.

There’s a surprisingly high number of chicken bites mixed amongst the pasta, which manage to have an impressively pleasing texture after microwaving. The Dolly Parton Meal Scientists are at the top of their game in the texture department, and I can’t wait to see what they tackle next.

Cons: Some of the breading on the chicken bites tends to fall off… at which point there’s delicious chicken breading mixed into your macaroni and cheese. Even when they lose, they win.

Credit: Griffin Parker / Conagra Brands

Rating:

10/10

Sporks