I Tried 10 Stouffer's Frozen Pasta Dinners & the Best Was Meaty and Zesty

When you think about frozen lasagna, you probably think of Stouffer's. The venerable grocery brand is well-known for its easy and convenient comfort food. But did you know that wasn't always the case?

When Mahala and Abraham Stouffer first started out in 1922, they weren't baking pasta but serving fresh buttermilk and free crackers. Not too long after, the first Stouffer's restaurant was born in Cleveland, Ohio. But it wasn't until 1954 that the company finally entered the frozen entrée business.

Lasagna, macaroni and cheese, and other pasta dishes have always been at the forefront of the company's frozen meals, but Stouffer's also hasn't been afraid to throw other ideas at the wall to see what sticks. Currently, its arsenal includes frozen sides like potatoes and vegetables, "Melt-Fulls" air-fryer sandwiches, and even appetizers and enchiladas.

To get a true taste of the brand, though, I ventured back to its roots by taste-testing 10 of its most traditional pasta meals, including three lasagnas, three mac and cheeses, and more. I paid $3.99 for each single-serve dish, with the exception of the larger macaroni and cheese and lasagna with meat and sauce, which cost me $5.79 a pop.

Here's how each dish ranked in descending order from my least favorite to the overall best.

Macaroni and Beef

Like lasagna, macaroni and cheese has its own special section in the Stouffer's lineup. The brand claims to be America's #1 selling brand of mac and cheese. As such, it presents quite the selection of cheesy options. One such variety is Macaroni and Beef which doesn't actually feature a creamy cheddar sauce but rather a hearty tomato sauce ladled onto elbow noodles and ground beef.

The look: Highly reminiscent of SpaghettiOs with tube-like noodles swimming in a thin deep red sauce. Tomato chunks are few and far between and the meat is very finely minced.

The taste: The flavor isn't too far off from the world's first spoonable spaghetti, either. Watery with a lack of richness or tang, the tomato-based sauce leaves much to be desired. Meanwhile, the meat seems to be unseasoned–even salt and pepper appear to have been skipped–subsequently adding next to nothing taste-wise to the dish. Lastly, the elbow pasta leans more toward the squashy side than I would have preferred—personally, my final straw and the attribute that sent this noodle dish sliding to last place.

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Fettucine Alfredo

I imagine any kind of pasta maker would have a hard time not adding a fettuccine meal to its repertoire. the ingredients are fairly simple and it's a certified crowd-pleaser. Stouffer's certainly didn't resist the urge and serves up a traditional Fettuccine Alfredo in multiple sizes. It's made with a creamy sauce filled with parmesan, romano, and Asiago cheeses. Pepper adds some flavor and the pasta is said to be "freshly made," which is an odd thing to say about a frozen meal.

The look: The way this meal is packaged is not well planned out. In the tray, white sauce sits on one side and flat noodles on the other, so when it's in the oven the sauce nearly burns while some of the bare noodles become crunchy from the direct exposure.

The taste: Once you mix together the dual elements post-cooking, it starts to take the shape of a standard fettuccine. However, there are still a few glaring flaws, mostly related to the sauce. To start, it's more gummy and thick rather than smooth. This is a problem that could be overlooked when paired with a winning flavor, but unfortunately, that is an area where Stouffer's is also lacking. The viscous substance isn't overly cheesy or buttery and instead had me searching for a nearby salt shaker. The "freshly made" noodles did happen to be up to scratch, but their effect was too little, too late.

Macaroni & Cheese

The second out of three Stouffer's mac and cheeses I tried is the classic recipe–the brand's big cheese, if you will. Its composition is quite simple, consisting of thicker elbow noodles smeared in a 100% real cheese sauce made from cheddar and cheddar club cheeses (essentially, just processed cheese containing various types of cheddar).6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The look: If this was a beauty contest alone, the mac and cheese would win the crown. Absolutely blasted with goopy orange cheese, it looks quite mouthwatering–a macaroni dish I would be excited to uncover at a potluck.

The taste: A big letdown after its promising start. I will begin by saying that it delivers a familiar, old-school kind of taste and the noodles here aren't nearly as soggy as they were in the earlier mac and beef. But, I'm afraid that, ultimately, it boils down to just a mediocre mac, similar to one you would find in a cafeteria or at a fast-food restaurant. Sure, the entire bowl is bathed in a cheese sauce, yet that sharp cheddar zing is missing, leaving it mostly bland.

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Spaghetti with Meatballs

Time to twirl and slurp with Stouffer's Spaghetti with Meatballs. The brand's version of the Italian-American meal uses (once again) "freshly made" spaghetti pasta with beef and pork meatballs tossed in a seasoned tomato sauce. If you're wondering what it's seasoned with, the ingredient list reveals that garlic, dried onions, spices, three kinds of cheese, and interesting additions like soy and Worcestershire sauces are all thrown into the pot.

The look: Tomato sauce is applied so scantily that it's barely enough to weakly coat the snaking noodles. A handful of tomato chunks do, however, accompany the six small meatballs.

The taste: I worried about the integrity of these noodles as they appear to be mushy to the max. However, they're not as squishy as they let on–you still couldn't have a "Lady and the Tramp" moment without them falling apart, but they could have been worse. The characterless tomato sauce, or lack thereof, is a separate issue, but the meatballs surprised me with a comforting, homemade taste. They don't possess any kind of extravagant flavor but they hold their own for a meat product that was once frozen. I also appreciate the fact that this is a filling and decent-sized portion for only 450 calories.

Ultimate Spicy Nacho Mac

If average, everyday mac and cheese is getting a little boring, you can also kick things up a notch with Stouffer's special-edition Ultimate Spicy Nacho Mac. With a chili pepper-infused nacho cheese sauce, it ranks as three flames out of five on the heat scale, but you can always crank it up even further with additions such as jalapeños, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce, as the box suggests. Alternatively, those who are spice-averse can cool things down with a dollop of sour cream, some shredded cheese, or a squeeze of lime.

The look: Similar to the standard macaroni, just in a bronzed shade rather than bright orange and with frequent red spice specks.

The taste: Once again, this mac and cheese looks and smells better than it tastes. The aroma is like a well-seasoned, slow-cooked queso, but somehow all of that goodness is lost as soon as you bring it to your lips. Instead, the flavor is in the same ballpark as the previous mac and cheese just with a chili pepper kick at the end. It's creamy, the noodles are cooked well, and it is spiced to a medium degree, it's just also only a medium level of tasty.

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Lasagna with Meat & Sauce

Lasagna is the dish most associated with Stouffer's–it's the #1 selling brand of frozen lasagna, after all. The layered pasta dish is the company's most prominent cash cow. So, it's no surprise that there are multiple flavors to choose from. I tested out three for a diverse sampling, including this option with meat and sauce. The meat happens to be 100% pure beef and it's paired with herb-seasoned tomato sauce and plenty of real mozzarella cheese–no ricotta, much to my dismay.

The look: It's hard to see anything under the screen of white cheese. But, I can confirm multiple tiers of wavy noodles dressed with a burnt red sauce and meat crumbles could be found beneath the surface.

The taste: A better-than-average frozen lasagna. I believe lasagna is one of those dishes that cooks up well from frozen, and this replication continues to prove my point. The noodles deliver a near-perfect texture and the thick helping of mozzarella cheese on top adds a mild taste and even a welcome chewiness to the tray. A bite of everything together is satisfying. I do have a few complaints I have to file, though. The sauce is thick and creamy but comes off more like a tomato soup than a sauce and there's not nearly enough beef to go around and fill every forkful. Fix these issues and the lasagna would be golden.

Veggie Lovers Lasagna

Perhaps the most intriguing lasagna in the lineup is the Veggie Lovers. It's still assembled using real pasta noodles–not ones made with sweet potato or anything like that. But, it trades tomato sauce and meat for cheese sauce and a medley of vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and spinach. It's also topped with a fine layer of breadcrumbs.

The look: Like a single-serve pasta casserole. Veggies are abundant and stick out like orange and green thumbs against the white noodle bake.

The taste: Pot pie meets lasagna. It's a strange commingling of comfort foods but it works. The vegetable that carries the most influence is the tender broccoli, and incorporated with the cheesy, almost velvety sauce, it's close in taste to a broccoli cheddar soup. The stratified noodles are as good as ever and the breadcrumbs on top are a game-changer, adding a bit of crunch after being crisped in the oven. I was just as shocked as you that this one landed higher in the pecking order than the brand's meat and sauce lasagna, which I pegged to be a shoo-in.

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Swedish Meatballs

When I hear "Swedish meatballs," my mind immediately zaps to Ikea's food court. I can't be the only one. This frozen offering from Stouffer's appears to follow along with that same idea, presenting beef and pork meatballs in a beef- and sour cream-based sauce. The only difference is that these are served on top of a bed of freshly made fettuccine noodles, making for a hearty meal. Well, that and Stouffers' meatballs don't serve as a treat after making your way through a maze of home decor.

The look: Eight smaller meatballs join what looks like egg noodles in the tray. The sauce appears more brown than it does on the box, but there's a generous amount poured on.

The taste: I would place it in the beef stroganoff family with its sturdy, al dente noodles and savory, gravy-like sauce. It's clearly beef-broth based and even reminded me a bit of a mushroom sauce–though, it could have just been the coloring. The sour cream flavoring, on the other hand, isn't obvious but I believe that's what gives the dish its creamy texture. The meatballs themselves seem to be from the same batch as the spheres found on the spaghetti and meatballs. However, they perform better in this environment where their natural flavors are accentuated by a umami-filled sauce and where they are offset by a heftier pasta choice.

Rigatoni with Chicken & Pesto

When you need a break from lasagna, macaroni, and meatballs (oh my!), there are also pasta dishes like this rigatoni. The large tube-shaped pasta (not to be confused with smaller, diagonal-cut penne) is accompanied by roasted all-white meat chicken and tossed in a basil pesto sauce. Parmesan and Asiago cheeses also work their way into the recipe as well as garlic and other spices.

The look: Lighter than most in terms of volume, but about what you would expect from a basil-flecked pesto pasta. I also counted six total chunks of white chicken breast.

The taste: I couldn't help but be reminded of Stouffer's spin-off Lean Cuisine as I munched my way through this meal. It's the kind of dish that won't weigh you down for the rest of the day, one I would even eat as a lunch pasta. The flavor isn't overly pesto or basil-like, but it's buttery with perfectly cooked noodles that soak in the sauce and chicken that's juicy and tender. It's an appetizing meal all around and one I would definitely purchase again.

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Meat Lovers Lasagna

The last lasagna I tried, but certainly not the last lasagna on the list, is the Meat Lovers special. Like earlier iterations, it's made with 100% real mozzarella cheese, layers of noodles, and tomato sauce. But, this one goes heavy on the meat with not only Italian sausage but also premium pepperoni. With this extra meat, the box specifically boasts its 20 grams of protein, but many other Stouffer's meals actually have more than that. The lasagna with meat and sauce, for example, has twice that amount at 40 grams.

The look: A little rough with meat and sauce breaking through the white cheese crust on the top. Noodles along the edges also appear quite crispy and brittle.

The taste: The extra meat makes all the difference. Swapping standard ground beef for this Italian sausage was the best possible thing Stouffer's could do for this lasagna. The fine crumbles elevate the pasta with a gentle spice and add some life to the otherwise subpar tomato sauce. At that point, the extra zesty pepperonis were just a bonus. I still would have liked to see some ricotta cheese lumped into the mix, but the mozzarella does a good job of bringing everything together.

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