# Mexican TV dinners **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 29, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278 "2011-06-29T16:47:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/1 "2011-06-29T16:47:59Z")
I hate to admit it, but I love them. Patio made the best, but I don’t find any Mexican dinners in the store. What happened? Are they not PC or something? ---
**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:** [June 29, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/2 "2011-06-29T16:50:58Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/3 "2011-06-29T17:05:23Z")
Do you mean TV dinner brands from Mexico, or Mexican food in TV dinners? Amy’s brand (organic/hippie) has [several](http://www.amys.com/products/product-categories/whole-meals); we eat lots of their cheese burrito meals. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/4 "2011-06-29T17:15:05Z")
Whoops. Amy’s makes several _of the latter_, and we eat their cheese _enchiladas_. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/5 "2011-06-29T17:20:32Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#): > > Do you mean TV dinner brands from Mexico, or Mexican food in TV dinners? Amy’s brand (organic/hippie) has [several](http://www.amys.com/products/product-categories/whole-meals); we eat lots of their cheese burrito meals. Mexican food in TV dinners, like [Patio.](http://www.flickr.com/photos/37498018@N05/3735446587/) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/6 "2011-06-29T17:21:51Z")
Don Miguel (Costco) is a pretty good brand for frozen Mexican dinners. They’re handy to have around when all you need is fuel. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/7 "2011-06-29T17:30:47Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#): > > Whoops. Amy’s makes several _of the latter_, and we eat their cheese _enchiladas_. Amy’s cheese enchiladas are quite good, even if they are priced at nearly 2x the cost of similar frozen brands… ---
**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:** [June 29, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/8 "2011-06-29T17:34:25Z")
I loved those things when I was a kid. I remember Patio brand. Like almost everything, it was better than Mom’s cooking. ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/9 "2011-06-29T17:37:01Z")
Banquet offers several ‘Mexican’ style [frozen dinners](http://www.conagrafoods.com/consumer/brands/getBrand.do?page=banquet#prevNextLinks) (OK, you have to View All and scroll down a bit on that page, but they offer several Enchilada Combo type meals, among other things). ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/10 "2011-06-29T17:40:04Z")
I grew up here in TexMex Central but I gotta admit, sometimes a Patio Mexican TV dinner hit the spot. That along with [NightHawk Steak & Taters](http://www.nighthawkfoods.com/products.htm) TV dinners. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/11 "2011-06-29T17:40:07Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I loved those things when I was a kid. I remember Patio brand. Like almost everything, it was better than Mom’s cooking. Hi Sis! I didn’t know you were a Doper! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/12 "2011-06-29T17:43:13Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > along with [NightHawk Steak & Taters](http://www.nighthawkfoods.com/products.htm) TV dinners. Yeas, and their “special sauce” which was butter and garlic…I don’t see those anymore, either. Is this some plot because G-d hates me, she doesn’t let them be sold in Central Arkansas? ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/13 "2011-06-29T17:45:24Z")
My only knowledge of Mexican food as a kid was from Patio (I think) TV dinners. It wasn’t until my teens that I learned that tacos weren’t supposed to be greasy and floppy. ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/14 "2011-06-29T17:47:31Z")
Ergh. Patio mexican dinners are bad; Banquet are worse. [El Charrito](http://www.donmiguel.com/) is the way to go, baby! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/15 "2011-06-29T17:49:39Z")
Hmmm, the original owner of the Patio brand just [died recently](http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Patio-Foods-co-founder-dies-at-87-1365151.php) here in San Antonio. ConAgra bought the rights use the brand, but from the looks of the Patio page on the [ConAgra website](http://www.conagrafoods.com/consumer/brands/getBrand.do?page=patio), it looks as if they are abandoning the brand, or perhaps in the middle of a revamp. Healthy Choice had a good enchilada dinner that disappeared. I have Amy’s every so often. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/16 "2011-06-29T21:40:41Z")
Banquet - inexpensive; the picture on the box is a hundred times better than the actual food. But Amy’s , expensive, is good. You get what you pay for, after all. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/17 "2011-06-29T21:51:29Z")
I remember Patio brand TV dinners…we had them all the time growing up. They tasted okay, I guess…I was just a kid, what did I know? They certainly weren’t as good as the “real” mexican food we had in San Diego’s Old Town. My “mexican TV dinner” of choice lately has been a combo of TJ’s chile relleno and black bean/corn enchiladas. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/18 "2011-06-29T23:35:54Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > TJ’s chile relleno and black bean/corn enchiladas. Oh, man, those enchiladas are so good–I have 'em about once a week. The Amy’s stuff mentioned above is great, too. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/19 "2011-06-30T00:12:06Z")
In honor of this thread, I just had the [#5 Combination plate](http://www.lasfuentesmexicangrill.com/menu_combinaciones.html) and a Grande margarita. Now I’m going to watch TV. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278/20 "2011-06-30T01:06:12Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > I remember Patio brand TV dinners…we had them all the time growing up. They tasted okay, I guess…I was just a kid, what did I know? They certainly weren’t as good as the “real” mexican food we had in San Diego’s Old Town. My “mexican TV dinner” of choice lately has been a combo of TJ’s chile relleno and black bean/corn enchiladas. Yes, but I’m looking for cheap TV dinners to eat at work while I pay off my ex, and while $2.00 TV dinners at Kroger pretty much fellate with great allacrity, I actually _liked_ the Patio stuff. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-tv-dinners/587278.md?page=2)