The Gluten-Free Frozen Dinner You're Better Off Skipping

Convenience meals are hands-down one of the best modern inventions. An entire dinner that can be popped into the oven or a microwave and ready in under 15 minutes? Yes, please. Except, it's hard to find a good freezer meal, one that actually holds a taste and doesn't turn mushy when you heat it. The task is even harder when you're gluten-free, so Tasting Table's Yvette Johnstone tried 8 frozen gluten-free dinners in a quest to find which ones are worth purchasing. Blake's shepherd's pie was a disappointment on all fronts, so you're better off leaving it in the grocery store freezer.

The classic shepherd's pie is made with different vegetables, a meaty sauce, topped with mashed potatoes, and baked in the oven. It's moist, flavorful, and hearty. Someone tell this to Blake's because it didn't get the memo — its version of this timeless British pie includes just corn, minced beef, and potatoes. The lack of other vegetables, such as carrots, peas, and onions, makes this a pretty sad-looking pie that notably lacks variety. There is no gravy, so the whole dish lacks moisture. The meat is such a dry disappointment that some customers are questioning its quality and reporting that it doesn't really taste like beef. One Amazon reviewer even likened the meat's texture to dog food — a comparison that certainly paints a very vivid picture.

The poor flavor of this dish is also caused by a severe lack of seasoning. Nobody expects flavors worthy of a Michelin star restaurant from a frozen dinner, and most of us frequently reach for simple but effective ways to improve a quick frozen meal. However, it's not unreasonable to expect some basic seasoning — and yet, it's an expectation that Blake's shepherd's pie fails to meet. The meal is so under-seasoned that it's basically tasteless, lacking even something as fundamental as salt.

Although any amount of money would likely not be worth it for this frozen dinner, it's priced at $5 — a fairly high price, seemingly justified by organic ingredients. Some people who have bought this dish have reported feeling ripped off, not just because the meal is unappetizing but also because it's very small. Other customers have pointed out that, by spending just a few bucks more, they could have simply purchased the ingredients for shepherd's pie and made it on their own, seasoning and all.

That said, you don't have to roll up your sleeves just yet. The next time you're in a hurry and need to reach for a flavorful and filling frozen meal, forget about Blake's and go for Beecher's gluten-free mac and cheese instead. It wowed our taste tester and delivered on all the aspects where Blake's was lacking.