Target Foods That Should Be In Your Freezer Right Now

Target may already be your first stop for cute home accessories or to score some chic clothes on the cheap but it should also be your go-to for high-quality groceries at affordable prices. Target has four private label grocery brands that offer a variety of foods at prices that can be ten to 30 percent less expensive than national brands. According to their website, 75 percent of Americans live within ten miles of a Target, so it seems grocery shopping there is pretty darn convenient, too.

Target's frozen food section is especially worth a visit because it's home to craveable snacks, decadent sweets, and some super-helpful shortcut ingredients that can make your meal prep a total breeze. Archer Farms, Good & Gather, Market Pantry, and Simply Balanced all belong to Target's "owned brands" and shopping these labels is sure to deliver decent value for your money. Here is a collection of our favorite Target freezer-aisle specialties; add them to your grocery list and get ready to upgrade the contents of your freezer, Target-style.

Let's begin this list of Target freezer essentials with the most important meal of the day: dessert. The Archer Farms Cheesecake Bite Collection from Target has so much going for it, we might need more than a few 12-count boxes. First, according to Freezer Meal Frenzy, there's zero prep involved – you just have to remove the cheesecake bites from the freezer to thaw 30 minutes before you're ready to dig in. Second, this collection presents options! In one box, you get four bites of three different yummy flavors, including the traditional New York style, raspberry swirl, and a chocolate/caramel/pecan turtle flavor. Finally, each bite-sized portion clocks in at only 75-ish calories, making these a total win for dessert.

Part of the allure of frozen food is the convenience it offers and this next product from Target has "quick and easy" written all over it. The Grilled Chicken Breast Strips from Target's Good & Gather brand cook in less than ten minutes in the oven, on the stovetop, or in the microwave and come in a decently-sized 20-ounce bag – that's about 6 servings according to the label (via Target). The versatility of a grilled chicken strip is pretty much unmatched, as well. Salads, sandwiches, and wraps can all benefit from a few tasty pieces of chicken, or you can just pair these strips with a side of vegetables and call it a day. Basically, with a bag of Good & Gather Grilled Chicken Strips in your freezer, you're always just a few steps away from a satisfying meal.

By far, the most fun to be had in the freezer section of Target comes in the form of fried mac and cheese bites. You know the kind we mean – battered and fried classic Macaroni and Cheese Bites from the Market Pantry brand. How else do you celebrate game day or satisfy your comfort food cravings if not with fried mac and cheese? These come in a box of seven (per Target) and although the instructions say to heat them up in an oven, they also seem like they're made to go in an air fryer. A YouTube review of these cheesy fried bites reveals lots of cheddar cheese sauce and tender macaroni on the inside and a perfectly crisp breading on the outside – essentially everything we want in an indulgent snack or appetizer.

Target, as we know, does many things right and one of them happens to be their frozen seafood. The Cooked Tail-On Shrimp from the Simply Balanced brand features sustainably raised shrimp that are Best Aquaculture Practices Certified (via Target). This means that each step of the farming process for these shrimp is environmentally responsible, safe, and sustainable (per Best Aquatic Practices). These shrimp come peeled, deveined, and pre-cooked so they just need to be thawed prior to serving, and that's it! A shrimp scampi or shrimp salad with almost no prep work is a dinnertime dream come true. At less than twelve bucks for a 16-ounce pack, this is a deal that needs to be in your freezer right now.

Not only does Target hit the bullseye on frozen proteins, snacks, and desserts, but they also have a good selection of organic frozen fruit, including Good & Gather's Organic Cherries and Berries Frozen Fruit Blend. This is a combination of red tart cherries, dark sweet cherries, blueberries, and strawberries and it comes in a big family-friendly 32-ounce bag (via Target). Of course, the Cherries and Berries Fruit Blend belongs in your morning smoothies, but Food Network also suggests blending some up with frozen bananas to make a sweet and fruity "nice" cream. This healthy frozen fruit blend is a score and definitely worthy of a spot in your freezer.