Thanks Marie Callender!

[OAITW r.2.0]

Last edited Sun May 23, 2021, 10:16 PM - Edit history (1)

Your Beef Shepard's Pie is a favorite, "goto" meal. Probably 4-5 times a month, I reach into the freezer and pull out this fantastic meal. Bake at 375 degrees for 55 minutes and I am good to go. My only complaint is, I wish you made it in larger proportions. It's always finished before I want to stop eating it, but 2 would be too much. As a 68 YO single guy, it is a fantastically delicious meal....every time.

[Aristus]

1. They closed the only Marie Callender's in the region a number of years ago.

I love their salad bar. It was a great place for family get-togethers.

[brewens]

6. I ate at the Spokane Marie Callender's I think two days before all those guys showed up for

work and found out they didn't have jobs. Must have been 8 years or so ago. Is that the one?

[Aristus]

10. No. Federal Way.

But it's about that long ago that the FedWay one closed...

[FuzzyRabbit]

22. I knew a guy who was working at the Seattle Marie Callendar's when they came in to close it.

No notice, no phone call, corporate people just walked in and ordered everyone out right now. There were several people eating dinner and a birthday party was going on. Everybody was told to get out, including the staff. One of the staff "liberated" the pies on his way out and handed them to everyone who wanted one.

People showed up for work the next day and saw a sign on the door telling them the restaurant was closed and they no longer had a job.

I recall that someone told me that the restaurants and the frozen foods were two separate companies.

[Aristus]

23. Any idea why the closings were so abrupt?

n/t

[FuzzyRabbit]

25. The corporate bigwigs probably thought if they gave the employees any warning

then the employees would steal everything they could.

A sporting goods store I worked in (decades ago) was sold to another company. On the last day every store had security guards closely watching every employee. The only reason I can think of is that management was projecting, that they thought the employees were as dishonest as management was.

[True Dough]

2. I haven't tried it

but I looked it up and right on the https://www.mariecallendersmeals.com/ website, the beef shepherd's pie only gets 2.3 out of 5 stars! More people rated it a 1 out of 5 (65 reviewers) than any other singular score!

Here's a sample:

Terrible
Hardly any vegetables and like a bowl of mush. Will not be buying it again.


Gross
Tastes like dog food, mushy and tasteless. Meat is horrible. Threw it away.


Absolutely disgusting!
Bought this tonight, and the consistency is like dog food, I was instantly grossed out. MC usually has good quality entrees, but this wasn't one of them.


I didn’t see this on the ingredients.
Very watery, good flavor but there was a bone or tendon about 2.5 x .75 x .25 inches in it. Actually I’m not sure what it is. Would have given 3-4.

[OAITW r.2.0]

5. LOL, there's no accounting for individual tastes!

[FoxNewsSucks]

7. Those are probably written by Swansons employees

Marie Callendar frozen things have always been very good, by the standard of frozen dinners

[True Dough]

9. That's true

I just hope you never chomp down on a bone or tendon in one of those future frozen dinners!

[OAITW r.2.0]

11. Wouldn't be the first time that's happened!

But, in fairness, to MC....it never occurred in the Shepard's Pie dinner.

[dweller]

3. I've got the chicken version

in the freezer ... might break it out tonite

✌🏻

[Scrivener7]

12. That's my guilty pleasure!

[dweller]

13. Cool

Something to look forward to ... I opted for chicken Marsala w/ fettuccine as it was quicker
The chicken Shepard’s pie will be on the menu this week

✌🏻

[Shermann]

4. Now this is my kind of cooking thread!

Pop one of those bad boys from the freezer into the oven. Or microwave.

I've had their chicken pot pie, but not the shepherd's pie. Those are pretty good but kind of smallish as well.

[brewens]

8. Those are the best as far as frozen dinners go. I went full on whole food home cooking

and haven't had any for a couple years. Now I'm going to have to find a Shepard's pie recipe and blow Marie away!

[flying rabbit]

14. Their chicken pot pies are my fave.

[asiliveandbreathe]

15. Oh for heavens sake..cook up some hamburg..at least 85%....

Mash some potatoes, and yes, you have to peel them first..and heat up a can of corn.put the cooked hamburg in a casserole dish, then put the corn on top of the hamburg, plop your mashies on top (make peaks if you wish)..couple pats of butter on top of mashies, put in oven 25 minutes at 350..68 ain't old..

[OAITW r.2.0]

16. Well, when you spend 7 hours outside moving 2 cubic yards of topsoil to your raised beds....

then mow a 1/2 acre of hill.....I really wasn't excited to spend a lot of time prepping a meal, tonight. Plus I had to watch the Bruins beat the Caps.

[asiliveandbreathe]

17. That's funny...well we moved 10 ton of pebble gravel between the two of us,

He is 68 too.. and I'm not tellin ya' how old I am...1/2 acre..MOW??? ride on I suppose..I didn't have a ride on when I had a 1/2 acre...now we have a postage stamp size lot..and I had to get a hair cut today..and color my hair when I got home..and then cook and clean..don't even get me started on that!!

No sympathy from me...

[OAITW r.2.0]

18. I've been using a 22" 5 HP pushmover....and that's only 1/2 of the grass. Plus, I have a

separate area at the front of the property that I need to mow....so about 2 acres of grass entirely.


I bought a Ryobi sit-down mower tonight, battery powered. Should handle the entire mowing on a single charge....I hope.

[asiliveandbreathe]

19. Yep..22" 5hp push mower sounds about right..many years ago when we had

grass..now stone in AZ..I am so proud of you for buying a ride on..now you have NO excuse for not cooking your own shepherds pie.. I will admit, Marie Callenders Lemon Meringue Pie is a hit ..why bake when you can just defrost and serve..enjoy ..

[OAITW r.2.0]

20. My thoughts exactly!

But, I have 50 acres that I want to landscape. Means lot of tree trimming and woodchipping. So, it might be awhile before I get around to cooking...at least until late fall.

[OAITW r.2.0]

26. You have shamed / inspired me into making my own, from scratch, Sheppard's Pie, later today..

Keying off your post! Will be subbing canned pealed potatoes....because, time to recycle. Gory details to follow!

[OAITW r.2.0]

27. My Shepard's Pie just went in....

Fried up onions, shallots, a large clove of fresh garlic, a little 'whats this here' sauce, A-1. When cooked lightly, added 1 lb of hamburg.

Boiled up fresh carrots, frozen corn and peas. Boiled and drained 2 cans of sliced potatoes.

Return the potatoes to the pot....add sour cream, couple of splashes of 1/2 and 1/2, butter, chive, and seasonings. Smashed...not whipped. Layer the burger in the bottom of my casserole dish. Added 2 jars of Heinz Bistro au Jus. Add the veggies, and top with the potatoes.

My dinner menu is locked for the next 4 days....

Your post inspired me!

[asiliveandbreathe]

28. Not only do you know HOW to cook..you know all the ins and outs of

seasoning and veggies..to make one of the best Beef Shepherds Pie EVAH!..I didn't want to scare you away from cooking...WOW!!!! You fooled me with MC's cook and serve..

Enjoy, you earned it!!!

- for your next inspiration, tonight I baked 2 large potatoes, washed, and salt and peppered with butter in foil..375 for about 2 hours.. - once done, split the potato down middle and coarsely smash, butter lightly, top with Ham cubed (cooked in fry pan on low with brown sugar and maple syrup), couple pieces of bacon, broken up into bits, sprinkled shredded cheese on top and drizzled the brown sugar, maple syrup from the ham cooking - baked at 350 another 15 minutes or so, until cheese is melted...Oh my -

[OAITW r.2.0]

29. OMG.....book-marking this convo to my recipe links. That sounds wonderful.

Actually, I am tasting that in my mind. Gonna try that soon!

BTW, the SP came out great. I amazed myself....the potatoes held up in the bake nicely and had a fantastic flavor that complimented everything else. 5 more servings to go!

[asiliveandbreathe]

30. So glad to hear your SP was so flavorful - my compliments to the chef..

The baked potatoes are like a Thanksgiving dinner..just like your SP, be prepared for a nap...

BTW..bought a MC Lemon Meringue Pie today...still frozen in freezer..maybe tomorrow..

[OriginalGeek]

31. my wife and her family always want corn in their "shepherd's" pie

I never understood that. I like it but my mom always put green beans in it. She knew we wouldn't eat it with peas in it but green beans were ok.

We compromise now though - My wife makes it with no veggies and then nukes a can of corn and a can of green beans and we can plop the finished pie on top of veggie of choice. (or both!)

I don't think the Iron Chefs are worried about losing their jobs to any of my family.

[lillypaddle]

21. Thanks for the hint

Sounds good.

[zanana1]

24. I'm also a Marie Callender devotee.

I love her Chicken Alfredo, Mac n' Cheese and lasagna. However, they always leave me wanting more. Her Chicken Pot Pie is good, too, and has more to it.

[OriginalGeek]

32. we always have a Costco pack of MC Chicken Pot Pies

in the freezer. Sometimes ya just don't wanna cook and those are good.

I often make 2 for me. The way I see it, I'm getting twice the vegetables so hooray for healthy me!