• by Sara Guaglione , April 5, 2017

Time Inc.’s Southern Living brand is introducing a line of ready-to-eat meals called "Southern Living Kitchen" in select stores across the South on April 24. The meals are inspired by traditional Southern comfort food and readers’ favorite Southern Living recipes.

This is the first time Southern Living has tapped into the retail consumable food category.

The meals will be manufactured by Houston, Texas-based Perfect Fit Meals, which also makes ready-made meals sponsored by Cooking Light magazine, another Time Inc.’s magazine.

Southern Living Kitchen meals heat up in less than two minutes. Entrees include smoked pulled pork with gouda mac n’ cheese, Home-style beef stew with mushroom sauce and vegetables, and Cajun style rice & sausage with uncured mam, Jalapeño sausage and vegetables.

The meals will be available for $5.99-$7.99 at select HEB, Kroger in Houston and Dallas, Schnucks, Amazon Fresh and Market Streets stores. Southern Living Kitchen will continue to roll out in additional stores. There are plans to expand the product line this fall with new entrée items.

On the site, the meals are touted as “Made with authentic, quality ingredients. Nothing fancy. Nothing complicated.”

Ready-made meals seem to be a growing trend for magazines - it is a way for companies to expand brand recognition through different businesses. Last September, Meredith Corp. and frozen food company Bellisio Foods released EatingWell frozen entrées.

The New York Times introduced a Meal Kit service last May, which offers pre-packaged meal kits delivered to customers' doors, starting at $27 per meal.

Southern Living reaches about 20 million people each month and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.