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16 Best Target Brand Frozen Foods

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at UVA chapter.

Target is well known for their cheap Target brand clothes and school supplies. But, I bet you didn’t know that their Target brand frozen foods, also known as Archer Farms, Market Pantry, and Simply Balanced, make some amazing frozen products, too.

In a world where everyone raves about Trader Joe’s collection of frozen meal options, Target is often left out of the conversation. But, I think that needs to change. 

Here are 16 of the best Target brand frozen foods that will kickstart your obsession, from breakfast to dessert, and everything in between. 

Market Pantry Mixed Fruit (Pineapple, Mango, Strawberry, Peach)

grocery shopping tips strawberry sweet
Caroline Ingalls

Trust me, this combination is perfect for making smoothie bowls. All you need to do is add a handful of the frozen mixed fruit, half a banana, and a dash of orange juice, and you have breakfast ready to go. 

If you’re feeling fancy, use coconut milk as your liquid base and it’s almost like you’re drinking a piña colada. 

Market Pantry Confetti Waffles

Just Desserts cream candy
Kristi Cook

These waffles are the perfect way to celebrate your morning. You basically win by just getting out of bed. Whether it’s Monday or Friday, you deserve to add a little color to your morning routine and these waffles do it without being over-the-top sweet. 

Archer Farms Bacon Wrapped Smokies

bacon-wrapped pork sausage
Christopher Garcia

Talk about the perfect appetizer for your next backyard barbecue. These bacon-wrapped mini hotdogs are the perfect size to heat up and stick with toothpicks. The best thing about it is that all you need to do is stick them in the oven, no prep required. 

Archer Farms Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Yes, I put two varieties of bacon-wrapped proteins on this list. No, I’m not sorry about it. This is the kind of decadence you’d expect from a steakhouse, but you can get it out of the freezer, sans pants if you want, thanks to Target brand Archer Farms. Make sure you pick them up before your next date night or Netflix binge. No judgement here. 

Archer Farms Feta and Caramelized Onions in a Phyllo Cup

Sticking with the party theme, these cups make a delicious grab and go appetizer. Just think how much more fun you’ll have when your guests are enjoying decadent, gooey, flakey phyllo cups with no work on your part. 

Market Pantry Macaroni and Cheese Bites

I’m not even going to pretend that these were ever intended to be appetizers. They’re meant to be heated up around midnight when the munchies hit

It’s the contrast between the crunchy outside and gooey, oozing cheese inside that make these so special. 

Simply Balanced Cooked Large Shrimp

Bloody Mary garnishes shrimp seafood
Bernard Wen

I love to keep a bag of these shrimp in my freezer at all times because it’s so easy to heat them up and add them to pretty much anything else you’re making. You’ll never go through the hassle of cleaning, deveining, and cooking your own shrimp after you try these. 

Market Pantry Grilled Chicken Breast Strips

grilling hacks chicken breast salad
Shea McCollum

These precooked, cut, and seasoned chicken breast strips are an amazing option for streamlining your Sunday night meal prep. All you need to do is heat them up in the oven and you can make any of these chicken recipes in minutes. 

Archer Farms Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale, and Cranberry

The sweetness of the potato and cranberry are perfectly contrasted by the kale in this frozen side option. The flavor is slightly reminiscent of Thanksgiving, so I love to heat it up for family dinners. Each aspect of the frozen blend tastes so fresh that you’ll have people asking for your recipe. 

Archer Farms Tuscan Inspired Kale Blend

I love to keep a bag of this blend in my pantry for those mornings when there’s just no time for packing lunch. With some added quinoa, it’s a perfectly balanced lunch of kale, garbanzo beans, red bell peppers, and tomatoes. Say goodbye to greasy fast food. 

Market Pantry Macaroni and Cheese Pizza

Because sometimes grown ups just need to eat like kids. You’re kidding yourself if you say this doesn’t sound like the most delicious food mash-up ever. As an added bonus, I’ve found that the crust on this frozen pizza gets deliciously crunchy, unlike some of the competitors. 

Archer Farms Spinach and Goat Cheese Wood-Fired Pizza

If you’re looking for a more sophisticated way to eat frozen pizza, this is your answer. You won’t believe the difference in the complexity of the pizza that goat cheese makes until you try it. Plus, there’s an added smokey flavor that can help you trick your friends into thinking it’s fresh out of an actual wood-fired oven

Archer Farms Cheesecake Bite Collection

This 12 piece cheesecake collection comes with three flavors: New York style, turtle, and raspberry swirl. It’s my favorite of the frozen offerings at Target because the bites are the perfect size for sampling one of each flavor, and possibly sampling each multiple times.

Archer Farms Tiramisu Gelato

mascarpone vs cream cheese cake sweet
Isabel Wang

This decadent frozen dessert offering at Target is the perfect shortcut to classic tiramisu flavors when you don’t feel like making the actual thing. My favorite part is that there’s no shortage of poundcake pieces or coffee chocolate swirl in the tiramisu base. 

Archer Farms Peanut Butter Ice Cream Bites

Target did ice cream bites ages before Ben and Jerry’s ever did. And they did it with the most perfect flavor combination: peanut butter and chocolate. I really appreciate the built-in portion control because I’ve been known to polish off a whole pint of ice cream in one sitting. 

Market Pantry Sea Salt Caramel Pretzel Ice Cream

fall-themed treats cream ice
Torey Walsh

I’m closing off this list with another dessert that capitalizes on a classic flavor combination. Sea salt caramel is really refreshing in this ice cream. With the added crunch of pretzels and a little chocolate, it makes a well-rounded dessert in one scoop. 

Hopefully, next time you need to restock your freezer, Target comes to mind for delicious and low-cost options. When you’re hungry — from breakfast to dessert, healthy to deep fried — there’s something for everyone to try in the frozen aisle of Target. 

Renee Spillane is a fourth year at the University of Virginia and studying accounting and marketing. Some of her favorite hobbies include running, reading, writing, photography, cooking, and travel. Everyone that knows Renee knows that she has a slight obsession with food, which often means stalking menus on yelp, compulsively baking, and running her foodstagram @foodbyrenee.