Lean Cuisine Swedish Meatballs

January 15, 2008 | Reviewer: Becky

Lean Cuisine Swedish Meatballs Price: $2.08 + tax
Serving: 9 1/8 oz
Calories: 280
Fat: 11%, 7g
Cholesterol: 17%, 50mg
Sodium: 26%, 630mg
Protein: 23g
Carbohydrates: 10%, 30g
Fiber: 8%, 2g
Weight Watchers Points: 6 Points

Lean Cuisine says: Swedish meatballs with pasta in a savory gravy.

Becky says: When I think of Swedish meatballs, I think of football parties, Crock Pots, and poking at people with the toothpicks that you’ve used to dig out those little morsels of drippy, meaty, goodness…definitely not Lean Cuisine material. So when a good friend, J, told me that this meal was one of her favorites, I decided to give it a try – I’m game for trying (almost) anything once!

Luckily, I know how to work our office microwave – because the package asks you to cook this at 50% power. At home, I’d be outta luck, since the microwave we have is an el-cheapo that I bought when I started college…nearly 12 years ago. It doesn’t have the ability to cook at any level other than high, but I can’t bear to part with it because it just won’t die! Anyway, long story short – know how to work your microwave.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised in this dish – especially after adding some black pepper. The meatballs were big & juicy (I was expecting tough) – I could easily cut them into 4 smaller pieces and mix them in with the noodles and gravy. They’re a beef/pork combination – but something I’ve been curious about for a while now is why we never see ground turkey in any of these frozen meals. Granted, you’ll never see me eat a turkey cheeseburger, but in dishes where meat is not the main character, turkey is a fantastic replacement.

The gravy was almost savory – it reminded me of beef stroganoff – which in turn made me crave mushrooms. Besides that, the main thing the gravy was lacking was more onion – that would have definitely helped to move this gravy decidedly into the ‘savory’ category. The noodles turned out surprisingly well – a perfect al dente – which I’m found is hard to achieve in a frozen meal.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised in this meal. You definitely need a veggie side dish (ex. salad or frozen mixed veggies) to round out the meal, but I’ll have to thank J for recommending this meal to me – I’ll definitely buy it again.

comments

14 Responses to “Lean Cuisine Swedish Meatballs”

sir jorge on January 15th, 2008

yum!
rob on January 15th, 2008

“it reminded me of beef stroganoff”

I think it is the same sauce, or close to it. Swedish meatballs has always been my “go to” dish when trying to conserve funds, it translates really well into the frozen food genre and is consistently edible regardless of which brand you choose.
Kati on January 15th, 2008

My microwave doesn’t go 50% either (it doesn’t even have buttons, just a dial) so, I cook this meal for about half the time the noodles on the edge may get crispy but, it does the job.
Janette on January 15th, 2008

I like this one a lot but I always feel hungry afterward (and most frozen “diet” meals fill me up for a while)
Katy on January 16th, 2008

I tried this meal last week and was also pleasantly suprised. I do NOT know how to work our office microwave outside of the time and start functions, but heating this on high for a few minutes, stirring, and heating on high for a few more seemed to do the trick. I think the people at LC are making things harder than they have to be!
Kia on January 16th, 2008

Your tastes differ than mine, Abi. I wouldn’t serve this to my dog! And I don’t even have a dog…
rob on January 16th, 2008

My microwave kicked the bucket last night, and I’m moving to a new place in a month, so I figured I’ll just wait to buy a new one.

A month without a microwave, how will I survive?
Paul on January 16th, 2008

This is my favorite frozen meal that LC puts out.
Ace on January 16th, 2008

Try the Michelina’s Swedish Meatballs. It’s possibly my favorite cheap frozen dinner ever.
Jeri on January 16th, 2008

I can work the microwave, but I always ignore the fussy Lean Cuisine instructions and go for full power and half the time. Half hour lunches are too short to be messing with 50% power!
Jessica on January 17th, 2008

This is my favorite meal in every line, from any manufacturer. Although I will admit the Budget Gourmet one wasn’t that good. Is there Budget Gourmet anymore?
Blips on January 26th, 2008

Oh I love those Swedish meatballs, have it at work all the time, not every day but once a week.
Andrea on February 6th, 2008

I tried this after reading this review and I am in love! This quickly became one of my favorite Lean Cuisines paired with a Simply Steam !! ohhh yeah
Heather on June 19th, 2008

I lurve me some swedish meatballs, partially due to my grandma and partially due to my undying affection for IKEA. I recommend, for a taste of IKEA, to add a little lingenberry jam or raspberry jam on the side to dip the meatballs in. Sounds gross, but is in fact delish.