A Fresh Take on Frozen Favorites

Food Network Kitchens panko chicken nuggets in a lunchbox.

Food Network Kitchens panko chicken nuggets in a lunchbox.

Photo by: Jackie Alpers ©Copyright 2012 Jackie Alpers - All rights reserved

Jackie Alpers, Copyright 2012 Jackie Alpers - All rights reserved

Today is the last day of National Frozen Food Month, and while we love frozen margaritas, store-bought TV dinners are often laden with sodium, sugar and fat. Our fresh recipes for frozen food-inspired classics will turn a drab weeknight meal into a glowing dish.

Tired of greasy fish sticks? Try Parmesan Salmon Fish Sticks from food.com. Not only are they lightly baked instead of fried, they're also made with heart-healthy salmon. Serve these sticks alongside a marinara or pesto sauce instead of the usual tartar for an Italian twist.

Rachael Ray’s Lazy Lasagna With Lamb Ragu, Spinach and Ricotta from cookingchanneltv.com is as simple to make as its name suggests. A quick meat ragu is tossed with pasta and ricotta cheese before being topped with creamy béchamel sauce. And there's no need to spend time layering sheets of noodles -- just add the prepared ingredients to a pan and bake away.

Panko Chicken Nuggets from foodnetwork.com are a healthy alternative to their freezer-section counterparts (you know, the ones that never seem to defrost completely). Japanese-style breadcrumbs can be found in most grocery stores and make these baked bites extra crispy.

With BBQ Chicken Pizza from food2.com, tangy barbecue sauce, creamy mozzarella cheese and shredded chicken top a store-bought pizza crust. Throw this pie in the oven any night of the week for a quick, crowd-pleasing meal.

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