• I bought five frozen meals at Trader Joe's and made them all in my air fryer.
• The store's shrimp burgers and carne-asada burritos were pretty much made for the air fryer.
• Sadly, I couldn't get a perfectly crisp and bubbly cup of French onion soup in the air fryer.

I'm a chef and love using my air fryer to whip together quick, easy meals.

Some of Trader Joe's frozen items seem designed for the countertop appliance. However, it can be hard to tell which ones are better off in the microwave or on the stove.

As a test, I made five of Trader Joe's popular frozen meals — shrimp burgers, chicken fried rice, chiles rellenos con queso, carne-asada burritos, and French onion soup — in my air fryer.

Here's how they turned out.

• I tried P.F. Chang's "chef's feast" for two, which is a three-course meal deal for $23 a person.
• There were some misses, but most of the dishes were excellent, and I'd order them again.
• The same meal would've cost me over $20 more if I hadn't used the meal deal.

These days, if I can find an excellent meal that costs less than $25 a person, I grab a seat at the table and order.

So, I recently found myself at the American Asian bistro chain P.F. Chang's to try its "chef's feast" for two.

The meal deal includes three prix-fixe courses for $23 a person, and I wanted to see if it was worth it.

• I reviewed five kinds of canned chili from the supermarket to find the best-tasting option.
• The meat-free version of Amy's chili was tasty, but Campbell's Chunky chili mac was my favorite.
• Still, none of these canned versions even held a candle to homemade chili.

Chili is warm, comforting, and filling, but it requires a fair amount of chopping and simmering to build those complex flavors. Fortunately, canned options offer a cheap and convenient way to enjoy the classic meal.

To find the best option out there, I reviewed five kinds of canned chili from Hormel, Wolf Brand, Amy's, Campbell's Chunky, and Campbell's Well Yes.

I compared versions with beans and heated up each chili in the microwave following the instructions on the respective cans for consistency's sake. Here's how they stacked up. 

• I've been following the Mediterranean diet for years, and I've learned a lot of simple recipes. 
• Lamb souvlaki, baked salmon, and creamy chicken pasta are all in my dinner rotation. 
• For breakfast, I love shakshuka, and orange, avocado, and shrimp salad is a great lighter meal.

I learned to cook for the Mediterranean diet at university over five years ago. Since then, I've tried various recipes and even developed some of my own.

I take a minimalist approach to my diet and often only use a few ingredients in my meals. I bulk out the more expensive ingredients, like fresh fish and poultry, with whole grains, mixed beans, and vegetables.

My favorite recipes take about 10 to 30 minutes to prepare and don't require any specialist equipment. 

I've discovered a love for orange, avocado, and shrimp salad

I wasn't initially convinced that orange, mustard, and shrimp went together. It felt unnatural to make a salad without traditional ingredients like cucumber and tomato.

However, the sweetness of the orange sharpens the buttery avocado and perfectly complements the shrimp. 

Start by tearing half of an orange into segments. Squeeze the juice from the other half and put it to the side. Dice an avocado, slice half a red onion, and rip up some romaine lettuce. Add all of the components to a bowl with a few pieces of shrimp on top — I like to buy the precooked kind for convenience.

To make the dressing, combine the orange juice with a splash of olive oil, a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard, and a little salt and pepper.

Zucchini fritters with tzatziki make a wonderful lunch

Vegetable fritters are one of my favorite snack foods to batch-cook and freeze for busy weekday lunches. 

Grate one zucchini and half an onion into a sieve. Add a little salt and squeeze out the excess water with a spoon.

Then, grate a handful of Parmesan into a bowl with a cup of all-purpose flour, a splash of milk, and one egg. Combine the grated vegetables and batter. 

Add a generous amount of olive oil to a pan and fry small dollops of batter until golden. Press the fritters flat to make sure they're cooked all the way through.

For the tzatziki dip, mix Greek yogurt, two crushed garlic cloves, a sprig of fresh mint, and a dash of olive oil. 

Smoked mackerel pâté is an indulgent treat

Instead of sweets and chocolate, I like to indulge in cheeses, smoked meats, and pâtés. 

To make that fit into my Mediterranean diet, I combine precooked and shredded smoked mackerel, light cream cheese, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Season the pâté with salt and pepper, and serve it spread on sourdough toast. 

Shakshuka is the ultimate weekend brunch dish

If I fancy a Mediterranean breakfast on the weekend, I go for shakshuka.

Sauté diced red pepper, green pepper, and onion with two crushed garlic cloves. Add a sprinkle of cumin, paprika, coriander, and red-chili flakes before pouring in some chopped tomatoes.

Place three eggs in the mixture, cover the pan, and let them simmer on low heat.

Remove from the heat once your eggs are cooked to your liking and finish with fresh chopped parsley and mint. 

On special occasions, I'll whip up a lamb souvlaki

As a young journalist, lamb is a little out of my price range, so I reserve it for special occasions.

I opt for a good-quality lamb shoulder and season it with garlic, oregano, lemon juice, and olive oil for a few hours.

Add chunks of lamb to a wooden skewer and throw them on the grill. I often bulk out my kebabs with bell peppers and onions.

Finish the meal with tzatziki and Greek potatoes. 

Salmon with veggies is an easy weeknight meal

If I've spent my evening at a spin class or late-night meeting, salmon is my go-to dish.

Season some fillets with garlic and herbs and wrap them in aluminum foil. Cook them in the oven for about 15 minutes and pair them with roasted asparagus and broccoli. 

I've concocted a Mediterranean version of a make-your-own pizza 

If you have an at-home dinner date coming up, make some puff-pastry pizza together.

Roll out a premade puff-pastry sheet, add pesto and tomato paste for the base, and cook for five minutes. 

Once it's out, top with crumbled feta, spinach, and onions for a veggie-style pizza. You could also use some shredded salmon for a little extra protein.

Put it back in the oven until the cheese starts to brown and melt.

To balance out my lighter meals, I like to make a 1-pot creamy-chicken pasta 

We all need cheesy carb-filled dinners from time to time — the Mediterranean diet is all about balance and moderation. 

Chop up a few chicken breasts, fry them in a pan until golden, and remove.

Sauté a few cloves of garlic and combine with chicken stock, heavy cream, and fettuccine pasta in the pan. The measurements will depend on how much you like garlic and cream. 

Once the sauce has thickened, sprinkle in some Parmesan, olives, and lemon slices and pop the cooked chicken back in.

Chorizo and butter-bean stew is a cozy meal 

On colder days, I like to cozy up with a stew.

Slice up some chorizo and fry in a pan for a few minutes. Crank your extractor fan onto its highest setting to avoid the smoke alarm going off — I speak from experience. 

Toss in cans of butter beans and chopped tomatoes and let everything sizzle.

Add a big spoonful of pesto for a garlicky twist and serve.

I like to make frittata when it's time to clean out the fridge

When I don't know what to make, eggs are always a great option.

Mix a few eggs, a handful of sun-dried tomatoes, and some crumbled feta cheese together.

Finely dice half an onion and fry with crushed garlic for a few minutes. Sauté some spinach in the onion mixture and pour the egg concoction on top.

Bake in the oven until the egg is fully cooked and garnish with fresh parsley and your seasonings of choice. 

Whenever I need a little extra protein, I turn to tofu 

If I find myself in a bit of a food rut, I mix things up with meat alternatives.

I've only recently discovered tofu, and I've been enjoying adding it to salads and grain bowls for a protein boost.

I marinate the tofu cubes in lemon, garlic, and rosemary overnight and then fry them in olive oil for a crispy texture.

This story was originally published on May 17, 2022, and most recently updated on January 10, 2025. 

They’ve racked up millions of views on Instagram, but these products aren’t coming to a store near you.

• Rachael Ray shared her go-to recipes to transform Thanksgiving leftovers into delicious meals.
• You can make a savory waffle out of leftover stuffing, she told Business Insider.
• Curry, chili, and ragù are a few of Ray's favorite methods for using up leftover turkey.

You don't need to let a fridge full of Thanksgiving leftovers go to waste.

Business Insider spoke to celebrity chef Rachael Ray at last year's Burger Bash, an event during the New York City Wine & Food Festival, about her go-to recipes for transforming Thanksgiving leftovers like turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce into delicious meals.

Ray built an empire after her "30 Minute Meals" classes were noticed by a local news station at a food market. She secured her own Food Network contract with multiple shows, bestselling cookbooks, and a successful magazine, and she also has a home-goods brand under her belt. Her recipes include quick weeknight dinners, comfort foods, budget-friendly meals, and ways to get creative with leftovers.

Here are five easy ways to transform your Thanksgiving leftovers, according to Rachael Ray.

• Jay Jandrain is the CEO of Butterball.
• His family celebrates Thanksgiving with lots of food and two different types of turkey.
• Jandrain prepares his holiday feast himself — with some help from his wife, he told BI.

The CEO of Butterball — perhaps the biggest name in turkeys — spends all year preparing for the biggest day for turkeys.

But on Thanksgiving itself, the day is reserved for family — complete with two Butterball turkeys he cooks himself, he told Business Insider.

CEO Jay Jandrain has been in the turkey business for 35 years. He says he has a passion for poultry that runs in his blood. Jandrain told BI that his father was in the turkey business, too, so it's a family affair.

And like most Americans, he says he'll be celebrating Thanksgiving with a house full of family.

Jandrain says he's become somewhat of an expert host over the years, and he's expecting his parents, in-laws, and all three of his children to celebrate with him and his wife at their home in North Carolina on Thursday.

Like most families, he says, he grew up with "obviously having a turkey on the table" during the holidays. It was an extra big deal because his dad was in the turkey business.

"So that's always been a big part of how we celebrate the holidays," he says.

So how does the CEO of Butterball prepare the main course on Turkey Day?

Jandrain says the turkey is the star of his family's Thanksgiving table. He's in charge of cooking — a tradition he learned from his parents, he says.

Jandrain's mother even told his wife, when they got married, to "never learn to cook." Now, he — like his father did — handles all the cooking while his wife takes care of the "prep stuff," as he calls it.

He says he appreciates all the different ways to cook a Thanksgiving turkey — and changes it up sometimes. But the most time-tested version of turkey — oven-roasted — is king at the family dinner table, he says. There's "always one in the oven," he says.

And this year, Jandrain says he also has plans to grill one bird.

His favorite holiday dish, other than turkey, is a classic Thanksgiving stuffing, and he says his family often makes "way more food than we're going to eat."

"My wife always tells me to pare it down. But you know, everybody's always got their favorite side," Jandrain said.

And to top off the bounty, his must-have dessert is a twist on a Thanksgiving classic. Jandrain says the feast isn't complete without pumpkin cheesecake.

As for Butterball, it begins prepping for the holiday season a year in advance, and its "fresh" turkey season begins in October. During the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, plant employees work seven days a week to be ready for the big day, Jandrain says.

The name "Butterball" first appeared in a 1940 trademark registered to Ada Walker of Ohio. It's unclear exactly what inspired Walker's trademark, attorney Boston David Kluft wrote in a LinkedIn post on the mystery of the name.

On Walker's application for a trademark, she asked for the Butterball name to be affixed to "Live and Dressed" poultry, as well as "Sandwiches, Eggs and Fresh Vegetables."

When poultry worker Leo Peters purchased the trademark in 1951, his Butterball turkeys took off in popularity. The first-ever Butterball-branded turkey was introduced in 1954, according to the company.

Now — under new ownership — the company operates in five states across the US, and it's headquartered in Garner, North Carolina. It's a privately-held company, co-owned by Seaboard Corporation and Maxwell Farms since 2010.

As the CEO, Jandrain — who was appointed to the role on an interim basis in 2018 and permanently in 2019 — becomes somewhat of celebrity to those who want to learn more about the company and its famous turkeys. (He's been with the company since 2002.)

And when in doubt, Jandrain says, call the Butterball Turkey Talk Line to speak to one of the turkey experts for guidance.

Correction: November 27, 2023 — Jay Jandrain has been CEO of Butterball on a permanent basis since 2019; he was appointed on an interim basis in 2018.

An earlier version of this story was published November 23, 2023.