Swanson
70
MENTIONS
15
EPISODES
13
PODCASTS
Search complete. 70 mentions across 15 episodes found for "Swanson".
Sep 15, 2026
Pam KlockNARRATOR
Lean Cuisine Entrees, $2.99, and those are both several varieties.
Pam KlockNARRATOR
Swanson Pot Pies, $4 for $5.
Pam KlockNARRATOR
DiGiorno Stuffed Crust Pizza, $9.99. TGI Fridays appetizers, $4.49. Stouffer's entrees, two for $7.
Pam KlockNARRATOR
Let's see what else we've got down here.
40 MINS LATER
Pam KlockNARRATOR
It says it includes eight-piece baked or ten-piece dark meat, fried, $9.99, and there's a limit of two.
Pam KlockNARRATOR
Campbell's Chunky Soups.
Pam KlockNARRATOR
Chunky, microwavable bowls or Swanson broth or stock.
Pam KlockNARRATOR
Three for $6.
Dave WeekleyHOST
National TV Dinner Day.
Dave WeekleyHOST
Why are we celebrating this today? Well, it's because Swanson launched the iconic TV dinner on this date in 1953.
Dave WeekleyHOST
Now, Swanson was not the first company, far from it, to release frozen food dinners.
Dave WeekleyHOST
There were a variety of companies that did that.
Dave WeekleyHOST
But Swanson was the first company to call them quote-unquote TV dinners.
Dave WeekleyHOST
So here's the question of the day, and it's sponsored by Solango Law.
Dave WeekleyHOST
If you could create your own custom four-compartment TV dinner tray today...
29 MINS LATER
Dave WeekleyHOST
Question of the day.
Dave WeekleyHOST
Did you realize that today is National TV Dinner Day? It's National TV Dinner Day.
Dave WeekleyHOST
According to most accounts, a Swanson salesman named Jerry Thomas conceived the company's frozen dinners in late 1953 when he saw that Swanson had 260 tons of frozen turkey left over after Thanksgiving sitting in 10 refrigerated railroad cars.
Dave WeekleyHOST
This was a situation back in those days where the refrigeration unit only worked when the trains were moving.
Dave WeekleyHOST
So Swanson had these refrigerated train truck cars that were flowing between the Midwest and the East coast.
Dave WeekleyHOST
And they were just going back and forth to keep these refrigeration trucks going because they didn't want all this food to spoil.
Dave WeekleyHOST
So in 1954, uh, Swanson became the first company to use the phrase TV dinners.
Dave WeekleyHOST
Now, there were frozen dinners before Swanson rolled this out, but Swanson was the first company to use the phrase TV dinners.
Dave WeekleyHOST
I got tons of stuff about TV dinners today.
BrookeHOST
Ooh
Jeffrey DubowHOST
... because Swanson, the company, had 520,000 pounds of leftover Thanksgiving turkey they did not know how to sell.
BrookeHOST
Oh.
AlexisPANELIST
That's so smart.
Jeffrey DubowHOST
Eventually it became the first Swanson's TV turkey dinner.
Jeffrey DubowHOST
But what was in all the compartments? I'll give you one.
Jeffrey DubowHOST
It was cornbread stuffing.
JosePANELIST
Hey.
Matt Money SmithHOST
Stouffer.
Matt Money SmithHOST
Swanson debuted, but Stouffer still does it.
Matt Money SmithHOST
Stouffer.
Matt Money SmithHOST
Swanson debuted the first TV dinner, turkey, cornbread stuffing with gravy, and a sweet potato pea vegetable combo in three separate compartments of an aluminum tray.
Matt Money SmithHOST
The box looked like a TV set, dials and all.
Matt Money SmithHOST
Timing is everything.
Matt Money SmithHOST
So easy meals were in high demand.
Matt Money SmithHOST
So much, and here's the fun fact part of it.
FrankAUDIENCE
Just slip them from the carton, heat them in the oven, and dinner is served.
speaker_14ADVERTISER
It's Swanson, so it's understood.
speaker_14ADVERTISER
You never had it so easy and so good.
Aaron RandHOST
It's Swanson, so it's understood.
Aaron RandHOST
Yeah.
Aaron RandHOST
That eventually gave way to Hungry-Man dinners, the fancy ones, right? Also, do remember, professional tip, if you want the, uh, stuff to remain crispy, pull back the foil with about five minutes left to go.
Aaron RandHOST
I think that was the trick back in the day, right? Uh, and then I've asked because you know what, uh, for those who grew up on TV dinners, as did I, it's funny to think about that time when you would pull it out of the, you know, the oven after you cooked it and sit down, pull out a TV tray.
Aaron RandHOST
Remember those? [laughs] And watch TV while eating your Swanson TV dinner.
speaker_0NARRATOR
You know, they're oven ready and individual heat and serve trays.
speaker_0NARRATOR
With Swanson TV turkey dinners, you just heat and serve, and you serve big and hearty slices of moist, tender Swanson turkey with grand giblet gravy and special cornbread dressing and fluffy whipped sweet potatoes with golden Swanson butter and garden
speaker_4ADVERTISER
fresh peas with more butter.
speaker_4ADVERTISER
Mmm, Mother Murphy, lucky me.
speaker_4ADVERTISER
My wife uses Swanson TV turkey dinners.
speaker_4ADVERTISER
And make your husband lucky, too.
speaker_4ADVERTISER
Get Swanson TV turkey dinners today.
speaker_4ADVERTISER
Swanson TV fried chicken dinners.
Jeff HarmatzHOST
Mm-hmm.
Cody JosephHOST
Swanson Corporation.
Cody JosephHOST
Mm-hmm.
Cody JosephHOST
over-ordered their turkeys for
Cody JosephHOST
Sitting at my parents' house, and somehow this ended up getting put on the television, and I got sucked into watching a bunch of these episodes because it was pretty interesting.
Cody JosephHOST
And one of the ones they did was all about the TV dinners and some of the other places that done TV dinners that brought innovation to the TV dinner space.
Cody JosephHOST
Swanson, as you mentioned, kind of credited with creating the concept.
Cody JosephHOST
Yes.
MarsHOST
You guys let me know if they ring a bell.
MarsHOST
Swanson.
GingePANELIST
Sure.
MarsHOST
Lean Cuisine.
6 MINS LATER
MarsHOST
One of the first TV dinners, actually, I think this was the first.
MarsHOST
Yeah.
MarsHOST
Was Swanson and Sons came up with the idea using the freezing technology and a TV dinner after they were left over with tons of turkey because no one could afford it around Thanksgiving.
CrashHOST
Oh.
Kathy EmmonsHOST
But of course, we didn't know that at that point.
Kathy EmmonsHOST
And I really loved the meatloaf Swanson TV dinner, which I know sounds bad, but trust me, it wasn't.
Kathy EmmonsHOST
And it had, you know, the little compartments.
Kathy EmmonsHOST
It had like meatloaf in the middle with the sauce.
Kathy EmmonsHOST
Okay.
Kathy EmmonsHOST
But back to the TV dinner, since you never experienced this, Carla, and check this out.
Kathy EmmonsHOST
Swanson, C.A. Swanson and Sons, they had a dilemma in 1953 because after Thanksgiving, they had 260 tons of frozen turkey left over.
Kathy EmmonsHOST
They were like, what do we do with it? So some sales rep whose name is Jerry Thomas suggested that they package the turkey with sides in aluminum compartment trays like those used by airlines.
5 more episodes mention Swanson.
Create an account to see the whole feed, search across every transcript, and follow the entities you care about.