The pros: Trader Joe’s Mango Mini Mochi is a classic dessert of east meets west. Mochi evokes strong feelings of love or dislike.
The cons: This is a texture pairing that not everyone is going to love and adore.
The verdict: …
Frozen
Trader Joe’s Cod Provencale
The pros: Trader Joe’s Cod Provencale is one of the better single meals that you can reach for in the frozen section.
The cons: Not quite as pretty as they package would have you believe. The cod does not taste seasoned at all.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Frozen Strawberries
For the most part, I tend to review one item at a time. However, for something as basic as frozen fruits and veggies I think it’s just best to review them together. Let’s be honest, it’s hard to write THAT much about such a staple freezer item. Now, if you are like me, I tend to let my wallet dictate my buying habits. However, for this item perhaps its best to do a side by side comparison. Trader Joe’s frozen strawberries come in two varieties. There is a third, in the Organic Tropical Fruit Blend, but that is also mixed in with other fruit, so I did not add that one into this review.
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Trader Joe’s Vanilla Ice Cream Bon Bons
The pros: Trader Joe’s Vanilla Ice Cream Bon Bons are a small and portion controlled dessert that might satisfy a sweet tooth.
The cons: Vanilla ice cream could be better.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Jumbo Sea Scallops
The pros: Trader Joe’s Jumbo Sea Scallops are found on the freezer section and are individually quick frozen. This bag can be resealed so you won’t have to cook the entire bag.
The cons: Expensive, but good seafood should not be cheap.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi
The pros: Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi is quite possibly the best cauliflower “substitute” product to date.
The cons: This is not organic or labeled as being gluten-free. Once people try this, I predict it will be a while before I see this on shelves again.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Wild Salmon in Yogurt and Mint Sauce
The pros: Trader Joe’s Wild Salmon in Yogurt and Mint Sauce is easy to prepare.
The cons: Not great overall. You are better off doing a bit of meal prep yourself. Also, I’m not sure what purpose the tomato serves. It was just there for color and did not add much here.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Asian Vegetables with Beijing Style Soy Sauce
The pros: Trader Joe’s Asian Vegetables with Beijing Style Soy Sauce is a solid blend of Asian veggies with a thick and flavorful sauce.
The cons: Nothing stands out.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s 5 Cheese Greek Spiral
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: …
Trader Joe’s Grilled Cauliflower
The pros: Trader Joe’s Grilled Cauliflower is one of a number of cauliflower options available in the freezer aisle. This is also priced the same as Trader Joe’s Rainbow Cauliflower.
The cons: While priced the same as Trader Joe’s Rainbow Cauliflower, this is not organic. This also wasn’t as good either.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Mushroom Medley
The pros: Trader Joe’s Mushroom Medley are quick and easy mushrooms that can used in place in of freshly sautéed mushrooms.
The cons: Not as low-calorie as some other frozen vegetable options, but not terrible either. They are simple in flavor as they only contain mushrooms, olive oil, salt, parsley, and garlic.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Sriracha Shrimp Bowl
The pros: Trader Joe’s Sriracha Shrimp Bowl is new to the frozen aisle and is a pretty good entree option that has a reasonable amount of calories.
The cons: While this is an improvement over so many of the single serve entrees, it wasn’t something that would be difficult to make on your own.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Frozen Blueberries
So, Trader Joe’s is many things, but basic is not one of them. One or perhaps two blueberry varieties are common. Usually an organic and an non-organic variety is pretty standard for most grocery stores. Trader Joe’s frozen blueberries come in four different varieties at four different price points.
So unlike most reviews where I look at a single product , I’ll go through what to expect from this line of frozen blueberries.
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Trader Joe’s 27 Layer Sesame Croissini
The pros: Trader Joe’s 27 Layer Sesame Croissini is new to shelves and if you enjoy snacking on breadstick, you’ll find this enjoyable.
The cons: I’m not sure why the package says eat while warm. It was good warm, but the flaky layers were much improved at room temperature. Not many of my croissinis were twisted out of the box. I’m not sure if this is a defect or something to expect.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Tarte Aux Fruits
The pros: Trader Joe’s Tarte Aux Fruits is a terrific blend of sweet and tart on a nice crust.
The cons: Be sure to keep this level if you are defrosting, otherwise you’ll have a gnarly mess waiting for you. Mine wasn’t quite as picture perfect as the box, but it tasted just fine.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Cream Cheese Brioche Pastries
The pros: Trader Joe’s Cream Cheese Brioche Pastries are new, frozen, and delicious if you appreciate a treat on the sweeter side. These are a solid choice for breakfast or dessert.
The cons: Why do they ever assume you are going to be sharing these? Just be honest with the calories and say how many are in each. For some reason Trader Joe’s decided that each pastry is two servings.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Chickenless Mandarin Orange Morsels
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chickenless Mandarin Orange Morsels has returned to the frozen section.
The cons: Does not live up to the previous bag that looks so strangely familiar to this one. Consider this a review 2.0. Unless you are serving this with rice the package of sauce will drown the morsels.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Fusilli with Vegetables and Basil Pesto
The pros: Trader Joe’s Fusilli with Vegetables and Basil Pesto is a quick meal. The veggies here are the highlight.
The cons: Not much in the way of pesto.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Brie en Croute
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: …
Trader Joe’s Bambino Pepperoni Pizza
The pros: Trader Joe’s Bambino Pepperoni Pizza is tasty pizza which might bring you back in a way.
The cons: If you are looking for that thin crust experience, then this is not it.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Organic Rainbow Cauliflower
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Rainbow Cauliflower is new and adds to a growing list of cauliflower products. This is a solid choice if you are looking for a side.
The cons: While cauliflower may help you feel full, there doesn’t seem to be much fiber in this stuff.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Tilapia
The pros: Trader Joe’s Tilapia is a good choice in the frozen section if you are looking for a firm frozen fish on a budget.
The cons: Some Tilapia packages are sealed far better than others, so please make sure yours is as vacuum sealed as possible to ensure freshness. If you eat with your eyes, then perhaps you’ll want to split the filet in half to get rid of the dark line running down the middle.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Spinach and Kale Bites
The pros: Trader Joe’s Spinach and Kale Bites make for a tasty side, appetizer, or single vegetarian meal.
The cons: Mine were stuck slightly to the paper box.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Ricotta and Spinach Tortelloni with Red Pesto
The pros: Trader Joe’s Ricotta and Spinach Tortelloni with Red Pesto is a filling and tasty meal for one. There were a good amount of veggies in this.
The cons: Those who don’t love whole tomatoes might not appreciate their presence here. A bit high on the calorie side for a frozen meal.
The verdict: …
