Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
The pros: Trader Joe’s Uncured Ham and Swiss Cheese Flaky Croissant are the newest to a growing line of croissant products. These are well priced compared to getting these already made.
The cons: These are squares instead of the rolled shape of a regular croissant. It was a touch doughy in the middle.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Italian Style Wrap is one of the better wraps in the refrigerated aisle.
The cons: This has a lot of calories in it. The creamy Dijon is more mayo than mustard. Oh and it contains 74% of your recommended fat intake. You’ll want to look over the nutritional information before grabbing and going.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Uncured Salame di Parma Mild Salami is a nice and unusual shaped Salami. If you are concerned about the humane raising of animals, then you’ll want to read on.
The cons: Nothing really stood out to distinguish this from any other salami I’ve tried. This is also a bit more expensive as well at nearly $20 per pound.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Uncured Bacon Wrapped Porchetta Pork Roast is a great seasonal find that makes for a presentable roast.
The cons: This is a seasonal item so if you want to try it, grab one as soon as possible because when they are gone they are gone.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Uncured Extra Thick Cut Maple and Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon is new to store shelves and did not appear to be marked as “HOL” on my receipt which might indicate this might be sticking around.
The cons: It’s bacon and sugar. Just don’t look at the nutritional info. Just don’t do it. This is also just a spin on candied bacon.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Party Size Mini Meatballs are perfect as an appetizer or a smaller bite sized version of Trader Joe’s Italian Style Meatballs.
The cons: Won’t ever live up to Nonna’s, but for something that comes out of the freezer these are pretty good. Depending on how many you take out of the bag, you should consider adjusting the cook time.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Sliced Prosciutto is salty and full of ham flavor.
The cons: This product seems fattier than other brands of prosciutto.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pork Buns Cha Siu Bao have pork filling that is very flavorful. These heat quickly and seem on par with what I’ve purchased in many Asian grocery stores in their freezer sections.
The cons: These were a bit on the doughy side.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pork Shu Mai is a tasty freezer item.
The cons: Trader Joe’s Chicken Shu Mai has a packet of sauce, but for these you’ll have to supply your own dipping sauce.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Family Style Meat Lasagna is an adequate meal for about 4 people in the freezer section.
The cons: There was absolutely nothing that made me say, “wow” about this product.
The verdict:…
The pros: Trader Joe’s Carnitas with Salsa Verde Burrito is one of the more recent additions to an otherwise lackluster section of Trader Joe’s.
The cons: Calorie count. I’m not sure why one burrito is considered two servings. I’m pretty sure this meant as a meal for one.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pizza Parlanno is a pretty tasty pizza ready in about 10 minutes. If you your pizza with lots of toppings, this is the best one to reach for in the Trader Joe’s refrigerated case.
The cons: Crust could have used a bit more salt.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Bacon Ends and Pieces is absolutely worth a try as it’s very tasty.
The cons: Some pieces are very fatty and uneven pieces and that means uneven cooking time. Unfortunately, some people might not reach for this because it isn’t as “pretty” as regular bacon.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pepperoni Pizza was crispy and and had lots of pepperoni.
The cons: More sauce than was necessary and my pepperoni wasn’t evenly placed. I know that seems a bit petty, but when cut into 4 slices there was actually one plain slice.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Fully Cooked Baby Back Ribs are tasty, tender and ready in under 20 minutes.
The cons: If you are hoping for championship level BBQ, this isn’t it. Doesn’t mean that it’s bad either. It’s just not the best BBQ I’ve ever had. You’ll also want a very sharp knife in order to separate the ribs. Some were no problem, some were a bit of a challenge with a very sharp knife….
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pork Gyoza Potstickers comes in a large bag that has lots of suggestion on how to prepare this product.
The cons: While the directions say this can be prepared in the microwave, you really shouldn’t. Ever. Even with a wet paper towel the pasta partially dried out and was rubbery. The filling does not have a lot of flavor or salt, so you may want to consider dipping this in something salty like a soy sauce.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Fully Cooked Uncured Bacon is as easy as can be. No mess to deal with. Even though the package is only 3.25 ounces, you still get 15 slices in the package which is about what you would get in a regular package, although these slices seem thinner.
The cons: This should not be confused with shelf stable pre-cooked bacon.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese make for a great appetizer choice in the freezer aisle. Great combination of flavors ready in about 10 minutes.
The cons: For using Medjool dates, these must be the smallest dates I’ve ever seen. If you buy a container of dates at Trader Joe’s you’ll immediately notice the size difference. In this box you have appetizers for 2 people. I added some pictures at the end of this post to drive home that point.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Uncured Dry Rubbed Bacon is tasty. It’s bacon that comes out crispy without an overwhelming taste of salt.
The cons: Package only has 12 ounces in it, so if you are looking for a full pound then consider the not so uniform Bacon Ends and Pieces which also costs less per package.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pork Belly was tender, flavorful fully cooked piece of meat ready in about 15 minutes. Subtle seasoning and nothing overpowering other than a nice pork flavor.
The cons: You should take this out for about half and hour before you want to prepare this to make sure its closer to room temperature before browning it.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Tarte d’Alsace with Ham, Onions, and Gruyere will remind you of a croque monsieur with a pie crust instead of toasted bread. If you are saying “what the hell is croque monsieur?” It’s a ham and cheese sandwich. The caramelized onions were a nice touch. It might also remind you of a Hawaiian pizza minus the pineapple.
The cons: I wished there were no calories in this. Sorry,hard to come up with one. I really enjoyed this.
The verdict: …
The pros: The smell of opening the bag of Trader Joe’s Sweet Sriracha Uncured Bacon Jerky was intoxicating. They should sell it as a fragrance. The taste was all bacon with a noticeable kick and a hint of sweetness.
The cons: Jerky bags are always so small and per pound they are some of the most expensive items in the store. This 2 ounce package was $5.49 (or the equivalent of $43.92 per pound).
The verdict: …
Like pizza but don’t like red sauce? Trader Joe’s Burrata, Prosciutto and Arugula Flatbread might be for you. Yes, it’s advertised as a flatbread with all these toppings, but it really might as well be called pizza. If they did call it pizza it might get lost in the freezer section.
Pros: Very tasty and good value considering you get a small package of prosciutto with this. Looks as good as the picture on the box.
Cons: Sitting down and eating this whole thing is just about 900 calories so plan accordingly.
The verdict: …
The Pros: Trader Joe’s Uncured Black Forrest Bacon is delicious, has a good balance of salt and sweet, thick cut, and meaty.
The Cons: Why do they sell it as a 12 ounce package? That’s a tease. Eating 2 of these makes me a fatty.
The Verdict: …
