Dolly Parton's Frozen Meals And Marie Callender's Are Owned By The Same Brand. Do You Know Which One?

Frozen food isn't what it used to be. If you're old enough, you remember those ubiquitous Salisbury steak TV dinners from Swanson, along with other meals featuring proteins and vegetables of questionable origin. These days, as inflation continues to factor into the economy, many consumers are turning to more affordable frozen meals that last longer — and frozen meal brands are responding with better options. It's not just salisbury steak and liquified mashed potatoes anymore.

Conagra Brands is one such conglomerate that provides more frozen food options to consumers. With over 100 food brands in its portfolio, Conagra owns quite a few frozen food labels — one of which is Dolly Parton's frozen meal brand that launched in May 2025. Conagra is the same company that owns Marie Callender's, too. Its portfolio also includes Banquet, Kid Cuisine, Blake's, and Hungry Man among others. Since partnering with Parton, Conagra has had the opportunity to reach the Queen of Country's massive audience with her southern comfort food favorites. Her frozen meals with Conagra include shrimp and grits, country fried steak and mashed potatoes, chicken and dumplings, and a well-reviewed beef pot roast.

In an interview with People, Parton said, "If you love good, hearty food, especially Southern food, I think you're going to love it." On the portion sizes, she joked that "These are single-serve, but there's plenty of it. If you're not a hog, it would serve two, but I'm a hog, so..."

When it comes to Marie Callender's — which is an actual restaurant chain with its own frozen line and 27 locations in the U.S. — Conagra started a licensing agreement with the brand in 1994 to produce frozen products. In 2011, it paid $57.5 million to purchase the entire brand's trademark. You've likely seen it in nearly every grocery chain, with meals like the cheesy chicken and rice bowl, the creamy mushroom chicken pot pie, and the garlic butter steak bites (which came second in our ranking of eight frozen steak dinners). 

So with established brands like Marie Callender's already in its portfolio, it's no surprise Conagra partnered with Dolly Parton. She has a successful track record in all her endeavors — whether it's her musical career, her philanthropic efforts with the Imagination Library, or Dollywood, her theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. And if you look at the reviews for some of the single-serve meals on her website, the frozen line seems to be doing well too, for the most part. With a 4.3-star and 4.2-star rating out of 5, the shrimp and grits and beef pot roast appear to be the best options. The chicken and dumplings (3.3 stars) and country fried steak (2.6 stars) have less favorable reviews, but the macaroni and cheese side completes the line with a solid 4.3-star rating.

If you're looking for a decent frozen meal, you probably can't go wrong with the Dolly Parton brand or Marie Callender's. The latter has, of course, been around for a while now. And even though Parton is comparatively new to the frozen food game, it's possible that she'll produce even more meals in the future, thanks to her partnership with Conagra.