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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cheese
Trader Joe’s Pub Cheese
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pub Cheese is a long standing item on shelves and with good reason.
The cons: Cheese snobs might turn their noses up at this.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Cheese Party Tray
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: …
Trader Joe’s Moroccan Inspired Cheddar Cheese
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: …
Trader Joe’s Harvest Salad with Grilled Chicken
The pros: Trader Joe’s Harvest Salad with Grilled Chicken is a filling and good salad option where the calorie count isn’t too terrible.
The cons: You’ll need a spare plate to dig out the dressing or at least to mix the dressing in.
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 Pesto Gouda Cheese
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: …
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 Queso Cheese Dip
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: …
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 Authentic Greek Feta in Brine
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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Trader Joe’s Ghost Pepper Cheddar Cheese
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: …
Trader Joe’s Chipotle Toscano Cheese
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: …
Trader Joe’s Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing and Dip
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing and Dip is a very tangy blue cheese dressing. It can be used as both a dressing and a dip.
The cons: If you prefer a thinner consistency or don’t appreciate the tang of blue cheese, then skip this.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Cheesy Trees
The pros: Trader Joe’s Cheesy Trees are new, delicious, and full of cheese flavor.
The cons: This is a seasonal item. If you see them, then grab one (or a bunch) because they are already hard to find. A lot of my trees were broken.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Baked Lemon Ricotta
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: …
Trader Joe’s Raclette Sliced Cheese
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: …
Trader Joe’s Sriracha English Cheddar Cheese
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: …
Trader Joe’s Goat’s Milk Cheese Medallions Marinated in Herbs
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: …
Trader Joe’s Ovoline Mozzarella
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: …
Trader Joe’s Burrata
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: …
Trader Joe’s Ciliegine Fresh Mozzarella
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: …
Trader Joe’s Triple Creme Brie
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: …
Trader Joe’s Chicken Parmesan Lollipops
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chicken Parmesan Lollipops have the texture of the inside of a Totino’s pizza roll. They seem like a good idea.
The cons: Major product design issues. This just didn’t work as a food that belongs on a stick. If it were in an eggroll, it would have been fine.
The verdict: …
