US 6,743,452 B2Granted

One-dish frozen dinner product having an integral bread ring and apparatus for shipping and preparing same

AssigneeKraft Foods Holdings, Inc.

InventorsAmy L. Gosselin, Frank Cole, Steven Greiner, Christopher P. Guzowski, Amy Lynne Zettlemeyer, Barbara Sue Schwab, Richard William Livezey

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

A one-dish frozen dinner product having an integral bread ring is provided. A method for making a one-dish frozen dinner product having an integral bread ring is also provided. The one-dish frozen dinner product preferably includes a receptacle containing the one-dish frozen dinner product, a baking shield upstanding above the receptacle, and a shipping carton. Even more preferably, the baking shield is placed at the bottom of the receptacle containing the one-dish frozen dinner product and is configured for a nesting fit. The baking shield may have either a frustoconical sidewall or a concave trough-like sidewall.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method for preparing a one-dish frozen dinner kit, said method comprising:

(A) preparing a frozen bread crust by:
(1) providing a self-rising crust dough;
(2) placing the self-rising crust dough in a baking apparatus, wherein the baking apparatus has a bottom, an open top, slanted sidewalls, and an outer rim at the open top;
(3) pressing the self-rising crust dough in the baking apparatus in a first-stage pressing operation to prepare a partially formed bread crust, wherein the partially formed bread crust is about 8 to about 12 mm thick and extends approximately half way up the slanted sidewalls of the baking apparatus;
(4) proofing the partially formed bread crust in the baking apparatus at about 80 to about 130 F. and a relative humidity of about 40 to about 100 percent for about 20 to about 75 minutes;
(5) pressing the proofed partially formed bread crust in the baking apparatus in a second-stage pressing operation to prepare a bread crust, where in the bread crust is about is about 4 to about 8 mm thick and extends up the slanted sidewalls to the outer rim of the baking apparatus, wherein the bread crust conforms to the baking apparatus forming a cavity and has an interior surface for accepting a filling;
(6) freezing the bread crust;
and
(7) applying oil to the interior of the bread crust either before or after freezing;
(B) preparing a frozen bread ring by:
(1) providing a self-rising bread ring dough;
(2) forming the self-rising bread ring dough into a bread ring having an outer dimension to approximate the outer rim of the baking apparatus;
(3) proofing the bread ring at about 80 to about 130° F. and a relative humidity of about 40 to about 100 percent for about 20 to about 75 minutes;
and
(4) freezing the proofed bread ring;
(C) adding a filling to the interior surface of the frozen bread crust so as to essentially fill the cavity formed by the frozen bread crust, wherein the filling contains one or more components selected from the group consisting of pasta, meat, cheese, and vegetables and wherein a sauce covers the one or more components;
(D) applying the frozen bread ring to the filled frozen bread crust such that the frozen bread ring rests on top of the filling and is in contact with the outer rim of the frozen bread crust to form a combined product;
(E) freezing the combined product to produce a one-dish frozen dinner product;
and
(F) packaging the one-dish frozen dinner product in a shipping carton;
wherein the one-dish frozen dinner product can be stored frozen in the shipping carton until ready to be cooked;
and wherein, after cooking, portions of the bread ring can be removed and consumed as a bread product with the dinner product.

19 more elements

A method for preparing a one-dish frozen dinner kit, said method comprising:

(A) preparing a frozen bread crust by:
(1) providing a self-rising crust dough;
(2) placing the self-rising crust dough in a baking apparatus, wherein the baking apparatus has a bottom, an open top, slanted sidewalls, and an outer rim at the open top;
(3) pressing the self-rising crust dough in the baking apparatus in a first-stage pressing operation to prepare a partially formed bread crust, wherein the partially formed bread crust is about 8 to about 12 mm thick and extends approximately halfway up the slanted sidewalls of the baking apparatus;
(4) proofing the partially formed bread crust in the baking apparatus at about 80 to about 130° F. and a relative humidity of about 40 to about 100 percent for about 20 to about 75 minutes;
(5) pressing the proofed partially formed bread crust in the baking apparatus in a second-stage pressing operation to prepare a bread crust, where in the bread crust is about is about 4 to about 8 mm thick and extends up the slanted sidewalls to the outer rim of the baking apparatus, wherein the bread crust conforms to the baking apparatus forming a cavity and has an interior surface for accepting a filling;
(6) freezing the bread crust in the baking apparatus;
and
(7) applying oil to the interior of the bread crust either before or after freezing;
(B) preparing a frozen bread ring by:
(1) providing a self-rising bread ring dough;
(2) forming the self-rising bread ring dough into a bread ring having an outer dimension to approximate the outer rim of the baking apparatus;
(3) proofing the bread ring at about 80 to about 130° F. and a relative humidity of about 40 to about 100 percent for about 20 to about 75 minutes;
and
(4) freezing the proofed bread ring;
(C) adding a filling to the surface of the frozen bread crust in the baking apparatus so as to essentially fill the cavity formed by the frozen bread crust, wherein the filling contains one or more components selected from the group consisting of pasta, meat, cheese, and vegetables and wherein a sauce covers the one or more components;
(D) applying the frozen bread ring to the filled frozen bread crust such that the frozen bread ring rests on top of the filling and is in contact with the outer rim of the frozen bread crust to form a combined product;
(E) freezing the combined product in the baking apparatus to produce a one-dish frozen dinner product;
and
(F) packaging the one-dish frozen dinner product in a shipping carton;
wherein the one-dish frozen dinner product can be stored frozen in the shipping carton until ready to be cooked;
and wherein, after cooking, portions of the bread ring can be removed and consumed as a bread product with the dinner product;
and wherein the baking apparatus is used during cooking of the one-dish frozen dinner product.

20 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/100,999Filed 19 Mar 2002 · continuation in part
Priority: 4 Dec 2000
Published: US 2002/0068117 A126 Sep 2002
Granted: 1 Jun 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

A21B 3/13
Parts or accessories of ovens: baking-tins; Baking forms
A47J 36/022
Selection of specific materials, e.g. heavy bottoms with copper inlay or with insulating inlay: cooking- or baking-vessels or supports thereof for…
A47J 37/01
Baking; Roasting; Grilling; Frying: vessels uniquely adapted for baking
A47J 36/36
Parts, details or accessories of cooking-vessels: shields or jackets for cooking utensils minimising the radiation of heat, fastened or movably…

Family

Application09/729,993Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 4 Dec 2000
Application09/822,630Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 30 Mar 2001
US 2002/0136806 A1Pre-grant publication · published 26 Sep 2002
US 6,733,808 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2002/0068117 A1Published application
US 2002/0164404 A1Published application
US 6,962,724 B2Related patent
US 6,743,452 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.