From Ugly Ducklings into Schwans...….(Schwan’s Frozen Foods™)

My father-in-law’s house, which you see pictured in the snow, is on a mountainside in a small secluded valley, population 7, in the western part of Wyoming, nestled in the Gros Ventre mountain range, south of the Tetons and the world-famous Jackson Hole. The other picture – palm trees and swimming pool - is Scottsdale, Arizona, an urban destination resort city, population 250,000+/-, a little under 10% of Maricopa County, Arizona’s, 3,100,000 people.

What do these two places have in common?

Unbelievably, Schwan’s™ delivers to both.

In business for just over 50 years, Schwan’s™ Frozen Foods pioneered the concept of home-delivery of frozen and convenience foods, long before online internet grocers and supermarket chains jumped on the bandwagon. Headquartered in the heartland (Marshall, Minnesota), the Schwan Food Company™ is comprised not only of Schwan’s frozen food delivery, but owns Tony’s™, Red Baron™, Freschetta™, Edwards™ and Mrs. Smiths™, as well. Another top performer owned by Schwan is their Asian Sensations™ brand, which offers frozen “Asian-style” foods such as their Egg Rolls, Spring Rolls, Potstickers, etc., all of which are increasingly popular snacks.

Most of us are familiar with Schwan’s name-brand products, the ones we buy at the grocery, but fewer folks are familiar with the myriad products that Schwan’s offers in their home-delivery service. From fully-prepared meals like their Lemon Pepper Chicken, Stuffed Potatoes & Broccoli (eight adult servings for just under $4/head) to meal components like their “E-Z Fix”™ Smoked & Shredded White Chicken meat, Schwan’s offers convenience foods to suit all tastes; either ready-made dishes or already-cooked meats and veggies that you can use in your own dishes or casseroles.

I keep a package of the Schwan’s Roasted Chicken Breast Halves, along with a bag of Roasted Drumsticks, in my freezer pretty much all the time; not only are they great for a quick meal (just heat and eat), but I use both when I’m in the mood to make a killer chicken soup – the roasted breasts and drumsticks impart an incredible flavor to the stock – or to whip up a casserole. Trust me; no one will ever know you didn’t roast them yourself. Also incredibly handy is the Diced Chicken Breast Meat, which I use in my famous “Chicken-Broccoli Casserole,” (click here for the recipe) a serious comfort food around here, which I serve with biscuits for an added carbohydrate-comfort-food-fix. I’ve used their Beef Sirloin Steak Tips along with Stir-Fry veggies to whip up a quick stir-fry (see here); and you can put together a super-fast stroganoff with the ready-to-go Beef Tips in Gravy. My father-in-law practically lives on their packaged full meals, from the Blackened Chicken Alfredo to the Italian Meatballs. He orders on-line, (as do many of his Wyoming neighbors), and despite the fact that his driver lives in Pocatello, Idaho…Schwan’s delivers.

No matter where you live, or whether you want to cook or simply heat and eat, Schwan’s has a product you can use.

For reviews of Schwan’s foods (along with complete nutritional information) at the Icebox Diner, click here.