Food, drinks, style, and humor
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 Island Teriyaki Beef Steak Tips are some of the most tender beef aside from Trader Joe’s Filet Mignon.
The cons: This product does have a strong vinegar tang which might not appeal to everyone.
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 Puff Dogs are a play on pigs in a blanket.
The cons: The puff didn’t rise as much as I would have liked. Also, this does not come in a resealable package
The verdict: While I should have gotten to this product sooner, this is a timely review as just the other day we here in the USA celebrated the original Brexit (1776 style). Trader Joe’s Puff Dogs are new and have started some controversy. Across the pond they actually refer to items like this as sausage rolls and there has been some twitter outrage since this product made its debut. In fact, one blog I follow, Paul Davies Cartoons, is written by a British fellow is both a talented cartoonist and has a bit of a fascination about what we Americans think of food. I can only imagine his thoughts on this matter. Now, I honestly don’t think that Trader Joe’s was trying to take credit for inventing any product here, however, my opinion on that can not be verified. Although they offer something similar in a smaller size known as Trader Joe’s Parmesan Pastry Pups which as essentially a similar product that is smaller in size and adds a sprinkling of cheese. …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Ground Buffalo Burgers are uncooked burgers in the freezer aisle. They are individually wrapped.
The cons: Only 3 burgers come in a pack and these are more expensive than Trader Joe’s frozen beef burgers. Very high in saturated fat.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Meat Lasagna is an item that I hadn’t noticed recently. The pasta and the cheese were fine but…
The cons: The meat was terrible. Out of the oven it was chewy and rubbery. It wasn’t isolated to a couple bites either. The calorie count is pretty high so if you are dieting, please read over the label (or check this post) before purchasing.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Craft Beer Sirloin Bavette Steak is tasty, tender, and can be prepared quickly as it’s already marinaded.
The cons: Some might find the acidity less than ideal.
The verdict: …
If you are searching through the fresh meat aisle there are a few selections which now include March’s new Trader Joe’s theme: coffee. Trader Joe’s Coffee Rubbed Flank Steak made a lot more sense than the Coffee Spatchcocked Chicken. The coffee here was a lot more subtle without being so forward. This makes me wonder why we haven’t seen any red-eye gravy with all this coffee craziness.
The pros: Trader Joe’s Coffee Rubbed Flank Steak is pre-marinaded so you don’t have to do any of the work.
The cons: Directions should remind you that for the most tender pieces you should cut the meat across the grain. Touching the meat or the marinade will leave an orange hued stain so be careful if you don’t wish to look like you’ve had a poorly done spray tan.
The verdict: …
If you’ve come to Trader Joe’s for your Corned Beef, you are in luck for St. Patrick’s Day. Even if you don’t celebrate that holiday, Trader Joe’s Corned Beef corned beef is something worth celebrating. Best of all there are two varieties: uncooked and precooked. This review focuses just on the corned beef you’ll be cooking for yourself. If you find that you are enjoying it, be prepared for this to disappear over the rainbow when corned beef season ends….
The pros: Trader Joe’s Beef Cabernet Pot Roast is well seasoned, well trimmed and tasty overall.
The cons: You might want a gravy with this, or at least make your own gravy out of the juices. No actual red wine in this.
The verdict: …
