• Courtesy Of Barbee Hauzinger/owl's Iris Photography
• VT Dinner with beef tartiflette and berry-apple crisp

When TV dinners were invented in the 1950s, the Swanson company coined its name in order to tap into the popularity of the television, newly a status symbol in American homes.

But when it comes to food marketing in 2024, "VT" may have more of a magical ring to it than "TV." That was Emily Eden's thinking behind the name of her recently launched VT Dinners, which can go from freezer to oven to tray table just like Swanson's Salisbury steak. Much like TV has evolved from rabbit ears to streaming on demand, these modern convenience meals have gotten a significant update: Vermont-grown ingredients.

Each VT Dinner features side-by-side savory and sweet dishes, such as cheddar-potato pot pie with maple-apple pie, or gluten-free beef tartiflette with berry-apple crisp — though you can also swap out the dessert for a side of roasted veggies. The two-course meals are made from "fruits and roots from Vermont farms and orchards," Eden explained, along with local protein such as Misty Knoll Farms chicken and Boyden Farm beef.

Since 2013, Eden, 41, has mostly worked as a personal chef, whipping up reheatable meals to stock clients' freezers through her business, Emily's Home Cooking.

• Courtesy
• Emily Eden

Working from clients' homes let Eden circumvent the usual paths to owning a food business. She didn't need to build her own production space or climb the ladder at a busy restaurant such as Leunig's Bistro & Café in Burlington, where she previously worked as a prep cook.

"It's a gamble to start a restaurant, and I didn't have the personality to schmooze investors," she said with a laugh. "I'm kind of an anti-capitalist, and especially back then, I couldn't hold it in very well."

But for more than five years, she's had this new product in mind — initially inspired by a similar offering from Pie Junkie in Oklahoma City, which she saw on Instagram. To make her version at scale, she needed commercial kitchen space and specialized equipment that most clients don't keep in their cupboards.

In December, Eden settled into the recently built-out kitchen below Stowe Street Café in Waterbury, which became available when Paprika Catering moved out. It's a commute from her home in Winooski, but "the good vibes" of the Stowe Street team and the bright, windowed kitchen are worth the drive, she said.

She immediately started offering Monday Meals, less of a commitment than a full order of her seasonal freezer menu. She launched the first batch in February, and VT Dinners are now available for single orders ($15) or via subscription ($120 for eight meals per month, with delivery available), with pickup in Waterbury and Winooski.

I'm a sucker for pot pie, and both the chicken and cheddar-potato dinners satisfy my craving for flaky pastry atop gooey, veggie-packed filling. The other two offerings — based on tartiflette, a potato-filled casserole from the French Alps — are topped with indulgent scalloped potatoes. The hot dessert in the foil container's other compartment makes the treat complete.

As a kid, I ate the occasional TV dinner in my grandmother's living room. While "Jeopardy!" played, I'd wait impatiently for steam to dissipate from the microwaved meatloaf, or I'd burn my fingers on a piping hot brownie. These days, I'm perhaps a tad less impatient and a tad better at "Jeopardy!," but I feel the same surge of anticipation as my VT Dinners cook in the oven — and they're a heck of a lot better than a Hungry-Man.

Small Pleasures is an occasional column that features delicious and distinctive Vermont-made food or drinks that pack a punch. Send us your favorite little bites or sips with big payoff at [email protected].