Trader Joe's Green Bean Casserole Bites

I'm sure in developing these there was probably a discussion about Green Bean Casserole. But why be basic when you can be extra?

Yup, add some phyllo cups to a classic and you get these appetizers from Trader Joe's just in time for the holiday season.

The taste

Casserole. It can be a love-hate thing. I love them, but my mother hates them because that is literally all she ate growing up. Since I never had it growing up there is a bit of novelty to a casserole and I usually only see them around the holidays.

Well here is a creamy and cheesy casserole. The main difference here is that the beans are chopped smaller than they would be otherwise in a normal casserole in order to fit into the tiny little phyllo cups.

I found while making this in the oven that 7 minutes seemed a bit short. I always test things with the shortest time in mind. You can always cook things more, never less.

If you are making these at home I'd recommend that you aim for something closer to 10 minutes. At the 7-minute mark, mine were warmed through but the phyllo would have been so much crisper had it been in the oven for those few extra minutes.

But despite the cooking time issues, the beans were crisp without tasting undercooked and there was no hiding the creaminess of the center of the phyllo cups.

And what green bean casserole wouldn't be complete without some crispy onion topping. This they could have been more generous with. There was a taste of those deliciously seasonal toppings but it wasn't heavy-handed the way I've had most green bean casseroles. It seems more like a fine set of onion sprinkles that landed on my appetizers.

But overall, I think this is a pretty good appetizer. My only complaint is that there are only 10 in a box. And yes, if you eat the whole box it's only 290 calories but these are easy to eat half a box yourself (or the whole box if we are being really honest).

The packaging

Inside the box is a plastic container with holes for each one of the phyllo cups. That tray is in plastic wrap. The plastic tray is not used during the cooking process. The tray does keep the phyllo cups from breaking apart if they were loose. I have a feeling they didn't make an effort to eliminate the plastic here because of the delicate nature of the phyllo cups, it makes the manufacturing process easier, and keeps these intact better than if they were just rattling around inside the box.

Overall

For $3.99 this package is a bit small for my liking. So if you are going to serve this to a crowd you might want to pick up a few of these as there are just 10 bites in each box. The phyllo cups add a nice bit of crunch and you get all the familiar deliciousness

Would I buy this again? Yes, I would buy Trader Joe's Green Bean Casserole Bites again. These were tasty and delicious.

Did you try it?  Let me know what you think in the comments section!