Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
The pros: Trader Joe’s Cheese Party Tray is new* (see Alek’s comment at the bottom for some good insight), tasty, priced well, and lasts a decent amount of time in the refrigerator considering it is pre-sliced cheese.
The cons: Nothing really stands out.
The verdict: …
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 Moroccan Inspired Cheddar Cheese seems to be a new spicy addition to cheese aisle packed with options.
The cons: The last spicy cheese wasn’t around for very long so I’m not sure if this will be a seasonal offering or not.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s 5 Cheese Greek Spiral is crispy and cheesy.
The cons: If there were 5 cheeses in this, then they became indistinguishable once they were baked together.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pesto Gouda Cheese looks different and tastes different. It is also an eye catching color.
The cons: This pairing does not work well. It will go moldy quite quickly as well.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Queso Cheese Dip is a low-calorie dip that will partially satisfy your spicy cheese dip cravings.
The cons: While low in calories, this makes sacrifices in other areas like thickness. This is a thin dip that is in no danger of breaking any chip that is placed into it.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Brie En Croute makes for a pretty tasty and melty appetizer. This came out of the oven in a more attractive way that the mini brie en croute did.
The cons: Mine was not as melty as the package makes it appear. This is not a quick appetizer either.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Authentic Greek Feta in Brine comes to you directly from Greece. This is a tasty feta cheese.
The cons: Nothing stands out.
The verdict:
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Ghost Pepper Cheddar Cheese is hot cheese, but nothing you’ll need to sign a waiver to consume.
The cons: I did not love the flavor pairing here. Spice junkies might be bummed out that this is only medium to hot. This is meant to give a rich pepper flavor without completely overwhelming the palate.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chipotle Toscano Cheese is a cheese that I only noticed on my latest trip into Trader Joe’s. There was a lot to like about this cheese especially if you like your cheese on the spicier side.
The cons: If you do not like your cheese with a bit of smokey flavor and heat, then pass this by.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Baked Lemon Ricotta is a unique seasonal offering that is sweet, savory, and citrusy which sets it apart from most other ricottas I’ve tried.
The cons: This is a seasonal item.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Mini Cheese Crepes are new, seasonal, and are a bite sized snack or appetizer.
The cons: Seasonal and reminded me more of eating an omlet.
The verdict:
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Raclette Sliced Cheese is not new, but is a divine find in the cheese aisle.
The cons: For me, this item was addicting.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Sriracha English Cheddar Cheese has the taste of traditional cheddar with a kick.
The cons: The texture may be less than appealing to some.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Goat’s Milk Cheese Medallions Marinated in Herbs is new and makes for a decent spread.
The cons: They did a lot of things wrong with the marinade. Super uneven distribution of the herbs is the beginning of the mistakes here.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Ovoline Mozzarella is super fresh mozzarella that cuts easily and sits in enough salt water to add flavor.
The cons: Short shelf life, if you are going to only eat one cheese ball at a time then you’ll want to cut the other in half to ensure that it stays submerged in salt water.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Burrata is mozzarella with a thick ricotta like center that is creamy and delicious. This product is reasonably priced for burrata.
The cons: If you eat one ball it’s just over 350 calories. Otherwise, if you are more portion controlled you’ll have to find another way to store your leftovers other than in the package.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Ciliegine Fresh Mozzarella is tasty and reasonably priced.
The cons: These have a salty outside, so some watching their salt levels might complain
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Triple Creme Brie is the most buttery brie I’ve ever tried.
The cons: You might find yourself addicted to this. I don’t usually care for Brie. Then my local Trader Joe’s was handing out samples. It almost has the same caloric content as butter.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Shredded 3 Cheese Blend makes for a wonderful addition to salad, quesadillas, tacos, or any other place where shredded cheese would be appropriate. The product melts very well and is a tasty combinations of three cheeses: Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and Cheddar. Comes in a resealable bag.
The cons: Nothing stands out.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Creamy Toscano Cheese Soaked in Syrah is a tasty cheese. Would make for a great appetizer with crackers or as a snack if you enjoy the flavors of cheddar or parmesan.
The cons: Not quite as much wine taste as I would have liked. There wasn’t as much “soaked in syrah” flavor as I was looking for.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Shredded Swiss and Gruyere Cheese is tasty cheese blend already shredded, freezes well, can be used for so many items. Would likely make a good cheese crisp for a salad or snacking. I had some shredding slip off of my grilled cheese sandwich, they bubbled up and were quite tasty (the grilled cheese was good too).
The cons: Nothing noticeable.
The verdict: …
The pros: If you love the taste of fresh mozzarella but hate the idea of packing it for yourself because it is messy, then look no further than Trader Joe’s Fresh Mozzarella Sticks. This is all the taste, some of the moisture and it’s prepackaged for your convenience.
The cons: If you are hoping for Polly-O String Cheese or anything similar to that, you might not like this because it won’t meet your expectations.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Oven Baked Cheese Bites are crisp, tasty, cheese crisps that go well with soup, salad or just to snack on. Gluten free if you are concerned about that. Half a days worth of calcium.
The cons: Should come in a resealable bag to prevent you from eating the whole thing.
The verdict: …
