# Frozen meatballs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 1, 2016, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469 "2016-08-01T15:15:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/1 "2016-08-01T15:15:35Z")
So when I buy food, it tends to fall into two categories: fresh or near-fresh components for cooking, and some amount of absolute crap for quick meals or snacking. In the first category, yuckiness bottoms out at canned tomatoes and frozen veggies. I simply don’t buy prepared foods, not for regular meals. In the second category, yuckiness bottoms out at frozen burritos and canned chili, pretty much, with some candy and chip-like stuff. No Hot Pockets or other highly constructed foodite things. So I’ve never really encountered frozen meatballs before. Even if they were made from the finest ingredients, I can make meatballs faster than opening a bag. But now I’m training a puppy again, and several sources recommend cheap frozen meatballs as training treats. I thought, “Ew, all gooey and slimy” because I was thinking of my own cooking. OTOH, a lot of packaged dog treats are so owner-oriented that they actually are kind of slimy and oily with Real! Bacon! Flavor! and the like. Ick. Since I am going to be handling these a bunch for the next few months, I wanted something a little cleaner, so I bought an $8 bag of meata-balz and discovered that after you defrost them, they have the consistency of soft rubber or mostly-hardened clay. They cut into about 16 nice little pyramidal bits each, even more dry and rubbery than most packaged dog treats. (Puppy loves them.) So my question is this: do people really eat these horrific, vaguely meat-ish rubber things that make dog treats look tasty? Gaah! ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/2 "2016-08-01T15:18:52Z")
I don’t. Now, about that puppy…got any pictures? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/3 "2016-08-01T15:19:30Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/4 "2016-08-01T15:31:18Z")
It’s happened. I ate a lot of them in the early post-nest-escape years. They were perfectly fine drowned in sauce and buried in spaghetti. I’ve had some a bit more recently and they definitely had a strong taste I could only describe as “cardboard.” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/5 "2016-08-01T15:44:18Z")
Your problem is that you are buying your frozen meatballs from grocery stores, when you _should_ be buying them from [furniture stores.](http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90112654/) ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/6 "2016-08-01T15:44:43Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I don’t. Now, about that puppy…got any pictures? But of course. Blue Dane, 12 weeks. He’s just past 13 now: [Stair vulture](http://www.dgath.com/misc/stairs.jpg) [Nature child](http://www.dgath.com/misc/lawn.jpg) Started as a [puppy worm](http://www.dgath.com/misc/puppy-worm.jpg) who is going to look just like [(CH-\>GCH) Daddums](http://www.dgath.com/misc/Champ-Dad.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/7 "2016-08-01T15:51:32Z")
Most people want meatballs covered in lots of sauce or gravy, which covers a multitude of sins, but I’ve had lots of frozen meatballs at other people’s parties and I don’t think I’ve ever minded them. They’re not as good as my home-made meatballs, of course, which I always make in double or triple batches and then freeze so that I have the best of both worlds. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/8 "2016-08-01T16:06:42Z")
My wife’s dog won’t eat raw chicken hearts. They have to be sauteed. I, on the other hand, don’t mind eating them raw, which I sometimes do when I find one that I dropped on the floor after the others have been cooked. I discover it when I step on it barefoot. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/9 "2016-08-01T16:09:34Z")
My favorite puppy training treat is liver. We live near a turkey farm, so I buy a few turkey livers and boil them. Then dice the liver into small pieces and fill small ziplocks. Freeze some, refrigerate some. ---
**Author:** ![half-elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@half-elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/half-elf)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/10 "2016-08-01T16:14:27Z")
Never had frozen meatballs, but please check the ingredients for onion or garlic. (In my country meatballs usually have both). ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/11 "2016-08-01T16:18:51Z")
I’m not wild about frozen meatballs, but I’ve bought and used them when time was scarce. I think they were Trader Joe’s, and they weren’t bad. But I doused them with lots of tomato basil sauce, so there’s that. I haven’t had any dogs for years, but they would have gone wild for them. And had garlic breath afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/12 "2016-08-01T16:36:51Z")
Moving over to CS. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/13 "2016-08-01T16:40:46Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Your problem is that you are buying your frozen meatballs from grocery stores, when you _should_ be buying them from [furniture stores.](http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90112654/) Sure, but they still come with instructions for assembly. ---
**Author:** ![Brodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Brodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brodi)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/14 "2016-08-01T16:43:58Z")
A local grocery chain makes some really good turkey ones. I’m glad to say both me and the dogs love them. Some organic dog treats (particularly the sweet potato ones) smell REALLY good. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/15 "2016-08-01T17:12:14Z")
Beautiful dog. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/16 "2016-08-01T17:15:32Z")
I’ve only had the IKEA ones, and they’re perfectly fine. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/17 "2016-08-01T17:22:59Z")
For an adorable little puppy like that who deserves all the very best treats: I don’t know, never tried. As long as the seasonings don’t cause unpleasant results why not give it a try? See below for my opinion of them as people food, but dogs have different tastes. He may prefer rubbery texture. For people: Tried those. I first got some frozen real meatballs from a grocery that made their own. Not bad really. So I tried some brand. Not worth the trouble. If you brown them in a frying pan, then let them simmer in sauce for a long time, they’ll improve to the point where they resemble a bad meatball. They just always turned out rubbery and added no flavor of their own worth having. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/18 "2016-08-01T17:30:15Z")
Of course they eat them. Ask any kid about Spaghetti-os with Meatballs, and he’ll give you an enthusiastic thumbs up. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/19 "2016-08-01T17:33:27Z")
Agreed on the Ikea meatballs, they’re downright acceptable as far as balled meats go. We also used to get Market Day turkey meatballs which were also very tasty. A quick meal with those include a few meatballs, frozen corn, BBQ sauce, and maybe cheese. I’ve had the Costco meatballs and I didn’t like those as much. I assume a dog would though. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469/20 "2016-08-01T17:34:51Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > My wife’s dog won’t eat raw chicken hearts. They have to be sauteed. I, on the other hand, don’t mind eating them raw, which I sometimes do when I find one that I dropped on the floor after the others have been cooked. I discover it when I step on it barefoot. Excuse me, but it seems like you are saying “After I step on a raw chicken heart with my bare feet, I pick it up off the floor and eat it” You can’t possibly be saying that, can you? :eek:🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-meatballs/761469.md?page=2)