Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
So if I’m going to do all these bread reviews, it’s only fair to share something that could use some bread. Or something for all that bread to sop up. I love a good sauce, but with almost a foot of snow being predicted by the weekend, I was thinking about some hearty meal planning and lots of staying indoors by the weekend.
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Well, it wouldn’t be the beginning of the year without looking at the lighter options available at Trader Joe’s. Now, I’ve had my fair share of Mac and Cheese offerings from the Pepperoni Mac and Cheese, Truffle Mac and Cheese, Gluten Free Mac and Cheese, Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, and Hatch Chile Mac and Cheese. And yes, they are mostly pretty good.
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Velveeta and Kraft have nothing to worry about with Trader Joe’s Microwavable Mac and Cheese. The taste of Trader Joe’s Microwavable Mac and Cheese was just ok. Most importantly, you’ll have to bring your own dish.
The pros: Trader Joe’s Microwavable Mac and Cheese is only 230 calories per serving.
The cons: You might need to add additional water beyond what the instructions call for as my pasta came out dry every single time.
The verdict: …
There are currently two varieties of Kale Chips available: Trader Joe’s Seasoned Kale Chips and Trader Joe’s Nacho Kale Chips. Which should you buy? I preferred the Nacho, but these weren’t bad as an alternative. They were salty, crisp and nutritionally a bit better than potato chips.
The pros: Trader Joe’s Seasoned Kale Chips are tasty and come in a resealable bag. You’ll want some portion control with this product.
The cons: These cost almost $32 per pound which makes them expensive. They have about as many calories as a bag of potato chips.
The verdict: …
If we could keep one of the recent coffee flavored new products around, Trader Joe’s Vietnamese Coffee Flavored Caramels is the one that gets my vote (ok, and Trader Joe’s Sumatra Coffee Brownies). It’s coffee flavor without being gritty. You can also have this product without getting a buzz from the caffeine. This is the application of coffee that just works.
If you are unfamiliar with Vietnamese coffee, here is what you need to know: it’s strong and it’s very sweet from the sweetened condensed milk. While this product is not strong in the coffee department, it’s sweet and it just works.
The pros: Trader Joe’s Vietnamese Coffee Flavored Caramels are sweet, and have a nice balance between the coffee and other flavors.
The cons: Might be too sweet for some. Might even be better with a touch of salt (but that’s clearly my own sweet and salty preference).
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Peppered Turkey Bacon is a thicker cut and more peppered variation of Trader Joe’s Uncured Turkey Bacon. It was meaty, smoky, and only 40 calories per slice.
The cons: There are no directions for cooking this in the oven which is unusual as their other varieties of bacon do have these directions.
The verdict:
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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: …
The pros: If you find salad to be boring or just love iceberg lettuce, Trader Joe’s Butter Lettuce is a good product to pick up.
The cons: Not as nutrient dense as some other salads in a bag, but if you need to break up your routine, this is a good one to reach for.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Espresso Baton is coffee and chocolate without the flavors being out of balance. One does not overwhelm the other.
The cons: If you are expecting a smooth chocolate, you’ll have some added texture here from the coffee grounds.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Cultured Salted Butter competes with the rich European butters like Kerrygold. This is very rich with a slight tang from the lactic acid.
The cons: The packaging is an issue if you plan to bake with this. There are no units of measurement other than telling you it’s 8.8 ounces. As table butter it’s hard to serve in the current wrapper. More expensive per pound than regular butter.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chocolate Almond Butter Tarte is a nice combination of chocolate from the crust, to the ganache and ribbons. Almond butter is present but it does not feel like you are eating an (almond) Reese’s candy.
The cons: The crisp crust wasn’t very crisp for very long. The box says you should eat the whole in the in 24 hours.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Thai Sweet Chili Veggie Burger is an Asian spin on their other veggie burgers. Was tasty out of the frying pan. Heat is subtle but present. Trader Joe’s Thai Sweet Chili Burger had enough oil in the burger to cook it without oil in a pan.
The cons: If you are looking for that fake meat flavor, you are out of luck here.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Joe’s Dark Coffee Squares are for you if you enjoy your coffee black and have a sweet tooth. Trader Joe’s Dark Coffee Squares might satisfy both.
The cons: If you don’t care for the taste of black coffee, this isn’t for you.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Mint Creams taste like a cross between a Junior Mints and a Peppermint Patty. These are smaller than the seasonal holiday ones.
The cons: If you are a mint chocolate fan these are addicting and in fact I had to purchase this several times in order to write this review. I hope my sacrifice was worth it.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Coffee Toffee Shortbread Cookies have a coffee taste that isn’t overwhelming, added texture from the toffee and a good amount of chocolate.
The cons: Price. This is a small container of cookies for almost $3 and comes with about a dozen cookies.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Canneles de Bordeaux is respectable in calories. Reminded me of a creme brulee with it’s caramelized outside (but no crunch here) and custard filling. I enjoyed this more heated slightly in the microwave than cooled.
The cons: These dessert are small so plan accordingly. You’ll finish each in about four bites.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s has taken on a new theme in the month of March: coffee. Maybe it’s day light savings time and everyone needs a buzz. Now they placed that caffeinated food item into your dinner with Trader Joe’s Coffee Rubbed Spatchcocked Chicken.
The pros: Moist chicken ready in about an hour. A very different taste from Trader Joe’s Spatchcocked Lemon Rosemary Chicken.
The cons: The coffee flavor may not be for everyone.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Chocolate Chip Granola Bars is an on the go snack bar that’s organic and full of fiber.
The cons: Texture. This bar wasn’t chewy at all. I found it to be quite hard and the bar was very tiny.
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 Tempura Shrimp Crunch Rolls is an on the go sushi where you can grab and go. There is a selection of sushi to choose from. Tasty but non traditional dipping sauces.
The cons: Not a variety that works well in the refrigerated section. Rice was all wrong. Tempura batter on shrimp was mush.
The verdict: …
The pros: Stew Leonard’s Eggplant Parmesan Sub has lots of thinly sliced eggplant that is breaded and fried to perfection. Huge shreds of cheese here.
The cons: None come to mind
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Uncured Turkey Bacon has very little grease to speak of, nice salty taste with a bit of smoke to it.
The cons: True bacon lovers will miss out on the real bacon taste.
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: Overall, Trader Joe’s Black Forest Cupcake Black Tea is tasty tea. It is as chocolaty as can be expected when only adding water. It’s a sweeter tasting tea without any added sugar. Nice packaging and has well made tea bags.
The cons: Doesn’t fully live up to its name “Black Forest.” While it is nice and chocolaty, there is no true cherry aspect and the other strongest note after chocolate was licorice.
The verdict: …
