This Discontinued Betty Crocker Frozen Meal Flopped In The '70s (But We Think It'd Be A Huge Hit Today)

Betty Crocker has created countless beloved products across its over 100-year history, from Bisquick to America's best-selling boxed cake mix. However, not all of the legendary baking brand's products have been so successful. Case in point: In the 1970s, Betty Crocker released Toastwiches, a frozen snack that was, in many ways, well ahead of its time. The toaster sandwiches consisted of a bready pocket stuffed with various fillings, which could be popped straight from the freezer into the toaster for a convenient anytime meal or snack.

Unfortunately, it seems '70s-era Americans weren't sold on this level of culinary innovation, and preferred sticking to old-school Jell-O salads and retro cookout dishes. Toastwiches were quickly discontinued, most likely due to less-than-stellar sales. However, considering that similar toasty frozen meals such as Hot Pockets and Toaster Strudel skyrocketed to success in the 1980s and remain wildly popular, we think Toastwiches would be a smash hit today.

Betty Crocker Toastwiches came in three varieties: grilled cheese, Pizzaburger, and French toast. The grilled cheese flavor was the simplest, consisting of gooey cheese in a square, crustless bread pocket. This doesn't sound bad, but it's not anything special, especially considering how easy it is to whip up a perfect grilled cheese on your own. The Pizzaburger flavor, in contrast, was anything but simple. An ambitious amalgamation of several of America's favorite foods, it combined cheese, tomato sauce, and burger meat in a circular crust-like pocket (if you think this sounds like way too much, you're not alone; the fusion snack was discontinued after only six months).

The French Toastwich was arguably the flavor that would be most likely to succeed today. It consisted of French toast slices stuffed with a sausage and maple filling for a sweet-and-savory breakfast treat. In response to a post on X about French Toastwiches, one user commented, "I bet this would sell really well today. Giving me McGriddle vibes." 

Unfortunately, Betty Crocker seems to have abandoned the frozen aisle to focus on its real bread and butter — baking products — so it's unlikely that Toastwiches will make a comeback anytime soon. Luckily, if you're craving convenient frozen meals from an American icon, you can enjoy Dolly Parton's food line for people working 9 to 5.