12 Yellowstone Frozen Meals, Ranked

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"Yellowstone" is something of a pop-culture phenomenon. The TV show takes the essence of classic Westerns and gives them a gritty, modern-day refresh. Even if you haven't watched an episode, you've likely heard about the way it blends wide-open Montana landscapes with a healthy helping of family drama, while offering a glimpse into the cattle ranch lifestyle by following eccentric characters like Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton.

At some point, you may have even wondered what it would be like to live like the Duttons. And now we have an opportunity to step into their boots, thanks to the Yellowstone brand. No, it can't teach you to rope and ride, but it does give us a small taste of that rugged way of life through its collection of retail foods. You can pick up Yellowstone-inspired coffee, sauces, seasonings, canned goods, and even frozen Western-style meals.

The brand claims to deliver "an authentic and elevated line of cowboy cuisine that brings the rustic roots and flavors of Yellowstone to life at your kitchen table," and I had to see for myself if it was true. I recently picked up every single Yellowstone frozen dinner I could find, winding up with 12 different meals. Spanning from comfort classics like meatloaf and mac to chili and country fried steak, I ranked each once based on its hearty flavors, ingredient quality, and how well it fits the ranch way of life.

Macaroni and cheese holds a special place in the "Yellowstone" food-verse. It's labeled as "an elevated twist on a classic American dish." What that really means is that it's teamed up with various meats to transform it from a side into a full-blown Western-style meal. There are four macaroni and cheese options in total (with more on the way), and one such pick is this Bacon Mac & Cheese.

Now, you might take one look at this and think, "Bacon plus cheesy pasta? What could go wrong?" But it's not all it's cracked up to be. The hardwood-smoked bacon, in particular, leaves much to be desired. It tastes more like dehydrated, shelf-stable bits than true-to-form bacon, and a few of the tiny fragments even tasted more ham-like. Essentially, it's more "facon" than bacon, if you ask me.

As for the cheese-covered cavatappi noodles, they're just okay. Their texture is fine, and this shape is one of my favorites for a bowl of macaroni and cheese. The problem is that it isn't cheesy or flavorful enough. The five-cheese blend of sharp cheddar club cheese, regular cheddar, Romano, mascarpone, and Parmesan with whipping cream should set it up for success. But since it's applied so sparingly, it still falls flat, leaving the bacon mac and cheese in last place.

A change of protein doesn't drastically improve the macaroni and cheese. Still, this one sounded promising as I read through the ingredients and process on the box. Referred to by the brand as "essential cowboy comfort food," it's made in small batches with five different kinds of cheese. Plus, the brisket gets special attention of its own, smoked over whole hardwood logs.

My taste buds were ready for succulent, flavorful cuts of beef, but what I got was a small sprinkle of beefy shreds — hardly more meat than what was found in the bacon mac and cheese. Just looking at it, it was hard to tell if it was brisket or pulled pork. The taste revealed that it was, in fact, beef. But beef in its chewiest, driest form. It didn't bring a whole lot of flavor to the table, and paired with noodles that are still lacking in the cheese sauce department, it wasn't all that satisfying. More disappointing is the fact that the macaroni and cheeses come at a higher cost than Yellowstone's other meals. So, you're paying over $2 more for much less meat and less overall savor.

Named after the place where ranch hands gather and dwell in the show, the Bunkhouse Braised Beef Stew attempts to channel the kind of hearty meals that fuel modern-day cowboys. And, to help you dive even deeper into the wrangler lifestyle, a quote on the back of the box from Lloyd Pierce himself reads, "You're gettin' the crash course in cowboy today."

Purely based on the amount of meat alone, this dish beats out the previous two helpings of macaroni and cheese. Slices of prime rib are surprisingly abundant, swimming alongside potatoes, carrots, and peas in a beer gravy. So, it passes the test when it comes to the balance of ingredients, but not when it comes to textures and taste. The prime rib was a touch overcooked, while the veggies all feel undercooked and unyielding. Meanwhile, the gravy seems to be nothing more than a standard beef broth au jus with little flavor. The meal comes equipped with plenty of sodium, yet tastes unforgivably bland.

Since the sauce is so thin, I think it would be better served over a bed of mashed potatoes or rice — something to soak up the excess. Without it, I'm not sure the beef stew dinner would be enough to fill you up after a full day of haulin' hay and chasin' cattle (or even just working a normal desk job).

The macaroni and cheese is back, but this time it's laced with pulled pork, rather than bacon or brisket, and it's a step in the right direction. Even though it looks a bit wonky, the pork falls apart easily once you stick a fork in it — a sign that the hardwood smoking process did its job. The pieces are tender with a lightly smoky, savory flavor. They're not as rich and juicy as fresh pulled pork straight from a smoker, but it's appealing enough for a frozen product.

Bites that include heavily-smothered jumbo cavatappi spirals and a bit of pork are surprisingly tasty, bringing this dish above the beef stew. But there aren't many opportunities to lasso this kind of quintessential forkful. The cheese is still skimpy in some places, and as you can probably see, Yellowstone seems to be rationing the pulled pork. I counted just four oddly-shaped cubes in my own serving. With this little meat, I'm not sure how the bowl is still packing 21 grams of protein. It should be rebranded as "Mac & Cheese with Pulled Pork" to better manage expectations.

If you're 100% set on a bowlful of mac and cheese, go with the burnt ends variation. It was undoubtedly my favorite of all four macs, though it still doesn't compare to the majority of Yellowstone's meals. There's a whole other frontier of flavors beyond the orange, cheese-washed horizon.

The burnt ends are prepared the same way as all the other mac and cheese meats: smoked with whole hardwood logs. But they come out tasting much better. Some of it likely has to do with the simple nature of burnt ends. The chunks are indulgently fatty, filled with umami, and I was surprised to even see a touch of pink on each one, signaling that they weren't zapped to chewy oblivion. The burnt ends were also more plentiful than the bacon, brisket, or pulled pork. That's not saying a lot, but it does make a small difference. And combined with what seemed like a cheesier, creamier pasta base, this was the clear frontrunner of all Yellowstone's mac and cheeses. I do wish there had been more of that flavorful bark surrounding each burnt end, but I understand that may be reaching for the stars when we're talking about a freezer aisle find.

The words governing this box read, "Cowboy is an art with no audience." They come from the show's lovable, but bumbling, character, Jimmy Hurdstrom. And, to me, they seem fitting, seeing as I consider a plateful of chicken and dumplings to be something of an art form itself — although there typically is an audience for the dish's cozy flavors.

When it comes to this particular chicken and dumpling recipe, I'd say it's good, but not great. There's something slightly off that robs it of that nostalgic, stick-to-your-ribs appeal. The dumplings are small and gummy, rather than pillowy and chewy. The pulled white meat chicken is juicy with a roasted flavor, yet it's scarce. And while the trio of carrots, peas, and corn is a welcome addition, the veggies need a livelier cream sauce to really pop. Perhaps just a bit of garlic or black pepper would have done wonders. I do think this blend would taste great stuffed inside a buttery pot pie crust. It would add some much-needed flavor and texture, too. All by itself, though, it feels incomplete.

Which came first, the chicken or the ranch? According to John Dutton, the ranch always comes first — at least, that's what he notes on this box. But if you tend to a ranch as you should and give it some tender love and care, it can reward you with a homestyle chicken dinner.

This philosophy comes to fruition in the Out of the Saddle meal, which includes a crispy white meat chicken patty and a side of poblano mac. It may look like nothing more than an oversized Kid Cuisine, but there are some positives happening in this tray, starting with the macaroni and cheese. It uses the same big curly-q noodles as before, but the cheese is a little different. You'll find American atop the cheddar, giving it a creamier consistency, and the earthy, lightly spicy flavor of poblano peppers is tasted in each bite. I found myself wishing all the macaroni and cheeses on the Yellowstone lineup had followed this recipe. The chicken, on the other hand, doesn't quite live up to its cheesy counterpart. It's juicy and dressed in an herb-coated breading. But it's closer to an overgrown chicken nugget than a full-sized chicken breast, and to call it crispy is a stretch. So, all in all, this is no gourmet meal. However, it gets the job done with an uptick in flavor compared to the chicken and dumplings.

Any meal with the Dutton family automatically comes with a side of drama. But here you also get a scoop of mashed potatoes alongside your barbecue-slathered meatloaf. Two for the price of one.

This is actually the first Yellowstone meal I could see myself buying again. No single component is fall-off-your-horse good, but all together it creates a cohesive meal. Even though it had a firmer, springier texture than I'm used to, the beef meatloaf offered an inviting, umami-filled flavor with bits of green pepper speckled on the inside. Plus, it was hard to notice any of its faults under a generous pool of BBQ sauce. This sauce is really what made the meal for me. It's described as sweet and tangy, and leans further into the sweet side of things, influenced heavily by brown sugar. But there was also something nostalgic about it that reminded me of meals growing up. 

On the other side of the tray, I was expecting the equivalent of instant mashed potatoes, but they surprised me. Combined with cream and sour cream, and topped with shredded cheddar cheese, they manage to avoid that dehydrated spud flavor. With all pieces of the puzzle taken into account, this certainly feels more comfort food than TV dinner. It also rides circles around dishes like the non-crispy chicken.

Like any good rustler, this meal isn't afraid to steal from somewhere else. It's essentially the same dinner as the previous pick, but with a swap of meatloaf for chicken. It's a simple switch, yet it brings the plate up a notch in my book.

The mashed potatoes are just as good here. They still have that creaminess about them that separates them from the astronaut food that is potato flakes. Those don't fly in the Wild West. They also get the shredded cheddar treatment and have herbs mixed in for extra flavor. The BBQ sauce is overall familiar, but a little different from the last. It's sweeter and richer thanks to the honey and a pour of salted bourbon. The consistency feels a bit watery, but the taste isn't diluted.

The chicken itself is separated into two flat white meat cutlets. It adds a peppery flavor to the tray that pairs well with the sugary sauce. Plus, it feels like a cleaner, lighter choice compared to the meatloaf. The only thing that gave me pause was its texture. It's juicy, sure, but it's also the faintest bit rubbery, especially around the edges. That's really the only detail that kept it from a top spot.

Jimmy knows how to whip up a good chili. And I think one of the reasons I like it so much is that it reminds me of the no-frills chili we swear by here in the Midwest. It starts with a healthy amount of seasoned ground beef that's mixed in with kidney beans, pinto beans, and tomatoes. Green peppers and onions also make their way into the recipe, though they're less noticeable, and everything is simmered in a tomato-based blend featuring green chiles, chili pepper, garlic, and other spices. It's savory, smoky, and the slightest bit spicy. But my favorite part is that it's not trying to be anything over-the-top or fancy. It's a classic stew with just enough flavor, ingredient diversity, and a bit of protein to give you more sustenance. Oh, and did I mention it also comes with a sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese on top? What more could you want from a frozen dinner?

Since it does remind me so much of the chili we make in my family, the dish finished near the front of the herd, behind just two other picks that surprised me in a good way. I gobbled it down, no problem, and had to resist pairing it with a peanut butter sandwich – the true Midwestern way to eat chili.

I was not expecting to like the country fried steak as much as I did. The dish is debatably more Southern than Western, but since it's hearty, filling, and beef-centric, it fits right in amongst this lineup. What impressed me the most was the crispness on the steak. The thicker breading blew the earlier crispy chicken out of the water. Fresh out of the oven, each bite delivered a satisfying crunch, and on the inside, the beef steak maintained its juiciness and toothsome flavor. It did look and act more like ground beef than true steak, but that was something I was willing to overlook.

Then, there were the mashed potatoes. It wouldn't be a country fried steak meal without them, and this particular batch came topped with a thick blanket of pepper gravy — similar to the kind of gravy you would get at a comfort food joint like Cracker Barrel or Bob Evans. It makes the spuds borderline soupy, but also indulgently creamy and buttery. They're hands down the best mashed potatoes that the Yellowstone brand produces, and in a forkful with a bite of breaded steak, they almost earned this meal a first-place spot. Almost.

Originally, what I thought we had here was a riff on the cowboy chili. It looks like a helping of the stew ladled over noodles — another very Midwestern combo — and I would have been happy if that were the case. But this meal has some culinary personality of its own that makes it even better.

It's essentially a down-home, Tex-Mex take on pasta with meat sauce. At the bottom, the thick and curly cavatappi noodles make a comeback and create a base that soaks up any excess juices. Sitting on top is a combination of ground beef, onion, and celery flavored with tomato paste, garlic, and spices. The dish actually boasts one of the shortest ingredient lists and the greatest concentration of flavor. It's wholesome with a touch of spice and an overload of cheesiness. The shredded cheddar creates a satisfying cheese pull in nearly every bite.

It's wildly tasty for a frozen meal, and sitting at 37 grams of protein, it'll keep you full for a while too. On the back of the box, Rip reminds us to "Ride like it's your last time, cuz one day you'll be right." But I'd like to suggest eating like it's your last time as well, because it's not every day that quality frozen meals come riding into town.

Like most frozen dinners, Yellowstone's meals come with two cooking options: microwave or oven. Although a conventional oven was the slower route, it's the method I chose in order to get the most out of each one. I baked all 12 meals (which I purchased at Kroger and Meijer) according to the instructions on their boxes. That typically ranged from 35 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

As I tasted each meal, I judged heavily on both flavor and texture. When it comes to frozen dinners, many either lean too salty or too bland, and the textures can be off as well. Meat can turn rubbery and mashed potatoes can become grainy, for example. I watched out for these flaws and instead looked for meals that felt higher quality and landed somewhere in the middle when it came to flavor. I wanted a meal with a good spread of real ingredients and that fit the bill for a true comfort food — something hearty enough for a cowboy coming in from a long day of moving cattle and mending fences.