As much as I love cooking, some nights I really need a quick dinner that doesn’t require much effort on my part. That’s usually when I peruse my freezer. I’ll grab frozen shortcuts from the grocery store here and there, but my favorite ones come from QVC. (Yes, the QVC you watch on TV.)
The retailer offers a bunch of delicious options that I, and more members of The Kitchn team, adore. So, if you, too, need to stock your fridge with effortless meal-starters, these are five of the best we recommend.
1. Heartland Fresh Chicken Fried Chicken with Gravy
This is easily one of my favorite groceries to pick up at QVC. Heartland Fresh’s Chicken Fried Chicken with Gravy comes with 12 frozen chicken breasts — enough to last my fiancé and me for over a month — along with two packs of creamy white gravy. I usually crisp it up in my air fryer, which only takes 15 minutes — perfect for weekday lunches and dinners. You can also heat it in the oven.
The chicken has a peppery breading that is on par with fried chicken from a quality restaurant. It goes nicely with the gravy, which I make in a saucepan on the stove. To be honest, though, I often find myself just eating the chicken with a side of barbecue sauce for dipping and some roasted veggies. I could eat it every day. Heck, maybe I’ll stop and make some right now …
2. The Perfect Gourmet Classic Potstickers
These potstickers are another great go-to for your freezer. For one, you’ll get 100(!) dumplings, divided into four bags of 25, so you can easily make enough to share (though you definitely don’t have to). Not to mention, there are six flavors you can choose from and a combo option, which includes chicken and broccoli, pork, kung pao pork, and chicken.
They’re also pretty easy to make: Simply pop them into a hot pan, and get them nice and golden all around. Add them to your favorite salad (or salad kit for a delicious two-ingredient dinner).
3. Rastelli’s Provolone & Parsley Pork Sausage Links
“It was love at first bite with Rastelli’s Provolone and Parsley Pork Sausage Links,” wrote contributor Haley Lyndes in her review. These sausage links are a natural for a big summertime bash (toss them on the grill!) or sheet pan dinners. You’ll get four 1-pound packages or 16 sausage links, so maybe both?!
They’re also delicious: “The pork was meaty, rich, and fresh, with way more flavor and none of the blandness I often find with the packaged supermarket options,” Lyndes wrote. “The provolone cheese adds a creamy, slightly tangy kick with the parsley bringing a fresh, herbal pop in every bite.” Say no more; into the cart, it goes.
4. Bertoncello Italian Pizzaiolo Stuffed Gnocchi
Cook them in a skillet for about 10 minutes, which is what I usually do (and toss in a little butter and Parmesan cheese at the end), or in an air fryer for just five minutes. The two bags of stuffed gnocchi are two pounds each, so they last several weeks (if not months). Plus, you can also get these gnocchi with a cheesy, peppery cacio e pepe filling, or a combo pack.
5. Mama Mancini’s Beef or Turkey Meatballs in a Cup
For unbelievably good meatballs, try Mama Mancini’s. You can decide whether you want beef or turkey (or both!); either way, the three cheese-stuffed meatballs are smothered in tomato sauce. Culinary producer Janette Zepeda tried them at this year’s QVC Foodie Fest, and she couldn’t get enough, which is perfect, because you get six cups in an order.
They “embody everything a good meatball should be,” said Zepeda. They’re “tender, juicy, with the right balance of seasoning and the perfect touch of acidity from the rich, flavorful tomato sauce.”
What’s your favorite QVC dinner shortcut? Tell us about it in the comments below.