Okay, so let me tell you about trying out those Fridays frozen appetizers the other night.
Getting Started
I was at the grocery store, just wandering the aisles, you know how it is. Wasn’t really planning on getting anything specific for dinner. Then I saw them – the TGI Fridays frozen stuff. Potato skins, mozzarella sticks, the whole lineup. I thought, “Huh, haven’t had those in ages,” and definitely didn’t feel like making anything complicated. So, I grabbed a box of the Loaded Potato Skins and another of the Mozzarella Sticks. Seemed easy enough for a lazy evening.
The Process
Got home, unpacked the groceries. First thing, I pulled out the boxes to see what I needed to do. Oven seemed like the way to go for both.
- I cranked up the oven first, set it to whatever the box said, I think it was like 450 degrees Fahrenheit? Gotta let it preheat, right?
- While that was heating up, I opened the potato skins box. Took out the plastic wrap. They looked… well, frozen. Placed them on a baking sheet. The instructions said space ’em out, so I did that.
- Next, the mozzarella sticks. Same deal. Opened the box, got the bag out, and spread them on another baking sheet. I used two separate sheets just to give everything space.
- Once the oven beeped, indicating it was ready, I carefully slid both baking sheets in there. Set a timer based on the package directions. I think the sticks needed less time than the skins.
The smell started filling the kitchen after a bit. Mostly cheesy, fried kinda smell. Not bad. I checked on them halfway through, just peeked through the oven door. Things seemed to be crisping up.
The Results
When the timer went off for the mozzarella sticks, I pulled those out first. Let them sit for a minute or two like the box said – super important, otherwise, you get that molten cheese lava situation. Then I took out the potato skins a bit later.
So, how were they?
The Mozzarella Sticks: They were okay. Crispy enough on the outside. The cheese pulled, which is always the fun part. The marinara sauce packet that came with them was… fine. Just standard dipping sauce. Not amazing, but definitely edible and easy.
The Loaded Potato Skins: These were decent too. The potato part was cooked through. The cheese was melted, and the bacon bits were there. They definitely tasted best right out of the oven. Again, not quite like sitting in the actual restaurant, but for something out of a box in my freezer, it hit the spot.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it was exactly what I expected. A super simple, no-fuss way to get some appetizers going without much effort. Was it groundbreaking cuisine? Nope. Was it better than making them from scratch? Definitely easier. Good for a quick snack or if you’re just feeling lazy. I probably wouldn’t make it a regular thing, but for that night, it worked out just fine. Clean-up was easy too, just tossed the boxes and washed the baking sheets. Done.
