The Worst Frozen Meal From Stouffer's Isn't What You'd Expect

Having been around for more than a century, the Stouffer's brand is an iconic part of the American home dining experience. It first began as a restaurant in Cleveland in 1924, but Stouffer's didn't start serving frozen meals until 30 years later in 1954. Since then, Stouffer's has become one of the most popular brands of frozen dinners and can be found in grocery stores all across the country.

These days, frozen meals can be hit or miss — and Stouffer's offerings are no different. The brand certainly makes some good entrees, but it also delivers a few clunkers as well. When we decided to rank 14 different Stouffer's frozen meals, we didn't quite know what to expect. But we were honestly surprised when we found Stouffer's macaroni and beef dinner to be the worst of the bunch.

To start, our reviewer summed up the dish by describing it as "downright funky and tastes off as a whole." Overall, between its unsatisfying texture and flavor, this Stouffer's frozen entree was just a disappointing take on a dish that often offers a sweetness and savoriness that makes you want more.

Stouffer's macaroni and beef meal had a lot of problems. The tomato-based sauce was soupy, the noodles were too soft, and the beef was chewy in an unpleasant way. All around, this dish was just an offputting textural mess. Combined with a flavor that pales in comparison to other takes on macaroni and beef, like Chef Boyardee's, it's simply not worth trying.

If you want to have a better experience with a Stouffer's frozen meal, our ranking should help you find some good options. The brand's Swedish meatballs with soft fettuccine noodles and a sour cream sauce was our overall winner. Coming in second was the Salisbury steak with a side of mac and cheese that provided flavor and nostalgic comfort. Another standout was the chicken Alfredo, which had a flavorful sauce that managed to counter the stringy chicken pieces.

We get it. No one is browsing through the frozen aisle at a grocery store expecting to find Michelin star dinners — though some Michelin star chefs, like Gordon Ramsay, do offer their own branded frozen meals. Ultimately, you get what you pay for, and these dinners aren't high-end entrees. That said, you can find some winners. But you'll definitely find some losers, too — and, sadly, Stouffer's macaroni and beef meal just falls terribly flat in our opinion. Take a pass on this dinner and find something better (like those Swedish meatballs), and you'll have a much more delicious frozen dinner experience.