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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cheesy
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 Nutritional Yeast
The pros: Trader Joe’s Nutritional Yeast is relatively new and has the vegan community excited. This item is well priced for the size that you get.
The cons: If you have never had this or have no idea what to do with it, you might not end up liking it.
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 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 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 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: …
Trader Joe’s Shredded 3 Cheese Blend
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: …
Trader Joe’s Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche
During the winter holiday season I noticed Trader Joe’s Mini Quiche Duo . As quickly as they appeared in the freezer aisle, they seem to have disappeared like so many other well done products. Sadness about that product aside, I decided to be adventurous and try the much larger Trader Joe’s Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche. It’s closer to being full sized. Good enough for 1 person or two if you have a side that you’ll serve with it.
The pros: Trader Joe’s Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche had a nice flaky crust out of the toaster oven, loaded with broccoli and had a nice cheesy taste.
The cons: While the directions for Trader Joe’s Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche say you can put this in the microwave, I think you might end up sacrificing the quality of the pastry crust here. Nutritional information is a bit of a bummer after knowing it tastes so good.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Creamy Toscano Cheese Soaked in Syrah
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: …
Trader Joe’s Shredded Swiss and Gruyere Cheese Blend
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: …
Stew Leonard’s Mac and Cheese
Sometimes you go to the store to just pick up milk. That’s all I went in Stew Leonards for, I swear. After mildly filling my cart and almost checking out I was greeted by a sample just before exiting. What was the sample? Stew Leonard’s Mac and Cheese and in one bite and I knew I couldn’t get to the checkout counter without picking up one. It was that good. It was that cheesy. It was just that easy. This Betty didn’t have to cook dinner last night.
The pros: Dreamy mac and cheese that doesn’t skimp on the strings when it comes out of the pan. It’s not the cheap bottled stuff. It’s real cheese. Pasta is tender without being mushy.
The cons: Package should have recommendation on how to prepare. I improvised, assumed 350F for 20 minutes and then broil the top until bubbly. It was warm enough to eat out of the toaster oven. Time will vary depending on the weight of your product.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Fresh Mozzarella Sticks
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: …
Trader Joe’s Oven Baked Cheese Bites
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: …
Trader Joe’s Cheddar Cheese Sticks
The pros: Trader Joe’s Cheddar Cheese Sticks instantly reminded me of the taste of cheez-its that were twisted around. When you bite into it there were a number of layers giving this far more texture than the familiar cracker. Sourdough flavor takes a backseat to the cheese flavor here.
The cons: Only 12 come in a package of Trader Joe’s Cheddar Cheese Sticks.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Four Cheese Jumbo Ravioli
The pros: Trader Joe’s Four Cheese Jumbo Ravioli look and taste like homemade ravioli. Filling was generously filled with cheese filling. Pasta tasted very fresh. Was ready in just about 5 minutes. A generous amount of pasta came out of the box.
The cons: If you are eating this with just butter on it, the filling seemed just a bit dry.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Hatch Chile Mac and Cheese
The pros: Trader Joe’s Hatch Chile Mac and Cheese is tasty, mildly spice mac and cheese ready from freezer to microwave in about 5 minutes.
The cons: I found 5 minutes was too long for my microwave. I would start at 3 minutes check on it, then add more time if necessary.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Mini Quiche Duo
The pros: Trader Joe’s Mini Quiche Duo has a light, flaky pastry with a very tasty filling that is best at just above room temperature.
The cons: Some people might not appreciate the truffle flavor in the mushroom.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Feta and Onion Bites
The pros: Trader Joe’s Feta and Onion Bites are bite sized appetizers that will remind you of a smooth and creamy French Onion soup bite.
The cons: Onions were caramelized using sugar as they were very sweet. They were much sweeter than anything I’ve ever caramelized. You can only use the actual oven to heat these. You’ll also need a cookie sheet to place these on while they are in the oven.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Bacon Cheddar Cheese
The pros: Trader Joe’s Bacon Cheddar Cheese is a very tasty cheddar on its own that it flavorful, but add bacon to every single bite it is completely awesome. Melts very easily. Good balance of saltiness.
The cons: None come to mind.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s La Fondue
The pros: Trader Joe’s La Fondue is a solid choice in fondue and an even better value than going out to have fondue. Fondue in most restaurants is a very expensive experience. For the amount of product you get here this is an excellent value. Decent shelf life for a cheese product. Container is re
The cons: Put something under this in the microwave as mine overflowed in the first 2 minutes. How are there 18 servings? I think they meant you can dip things in there about 18 times. In other words, this is a calorie bomb, but then again anything melted cheese usually is. Sigh.
The verdict: …
