Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
Lunches. There are so many times I am so guilty of not making my lunch. Before I moved close to a Trader Joe’s I existed off of frozen meals. But truthfully, they were pretty terrible. The calorie count was reasonable, but there was a sacrifice in taste. Most of those frozen meals tasted like cardboard. Trader Joe’s Korma Fish Curry tastes like anything but cardboard.
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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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The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Pesto Tortellini has been on the shelves for quite some time. It makes for a quick and easy meal.
The cons: Bland tasting pesto with almost no texture to it.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Creamy Roasted Cauliflower and Onion Dip is a new and delicious dip found in the freezer section of Trader Joe’s.
The cons: This item is labeled HOL on my receipt which usually indicates it is a seasonal item. Unfortunately, I strongly disagree with this being seasonal. This would make an awesome addition to Trader Joe’s Spinach and Artichoke Dip that is available year round. I also disagree with there being 8 servings. I believe this to be closer to 2-3 servings at most.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Zig Zags are refrigerated, fresh, delicious, and a great substitute for real fries.
The cons: Doesn’t include oven directions, but it can be made in the oven. This is priced a bit at a premium as all the prep work has been done for you.
The verdict: …
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: …
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: …
Sometimes you just don’t have the time boil a whole big pot of water to make pasta. Maybe you also don’t want to dirty a pan for a sauce either. Trader Joe’s Penne Arrabbiata is a decent choice in the freezer aisle, but may need some adapating to what you like.
The pros: Trader Joe’s Penne Arrabbiata is al dente pasta with a slightly spicy tomato sauce. Out of the microwave was pretty good for freezer food.
The cons: Don’t expect the Arrabbiata sauce to blow you away. It’s just ok because there is one classic flavor missing.
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 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: …
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: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Garlic Potatoes with Parmesan Sauce is a tasty side dish ready as quick as 5 minutes from your microwave.
The cons: Trader Joe’s Garlic Potatoes with Parmesan Sauce comes in a bag that is not resealable.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pizza Veggie Burgers is a tasty veggie burger that lives up to its name. It tastes like a pizza.
The cons: Judge this against a real burger you might not appreciate the fact that this product is not trying to be meat or impersonate any meat variety….
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chicken Enchiladas Verde are pretty close to what you might expect in a Mexican Restaurant without having to go out or pay restaurant prices.
The cons: Calorie count is higher than expected. Each enchilada is one serving. Don’t get me wrong, they are filling and nicely sized. The taste might convince you that eating all of them is a good idea….
The pros: Tasty, slightly spicy and doesn’t pretend to be meat. Better if prepared on the stove top or oven which gives it a tasty crust. Trader Joe’s Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burgers are filling as a burger or as a side.
The cons: A bit mushy in the microwave, but the taste was still there.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chicken Parmigiana looks like chicken parmigiana that you would expect from your local pizzeria.
The cons: If you are planning on using the oven, you’ll need to use a separate dish. Texture was not very good.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Kettle Cooked Chicken Soup is tasty, well made, fresh tasting, and not too salty.
The cons: If you want noodles you’ll have to add them yourself. Soup isn’t overly salty, so depending on your preference you may want to add some salt. Not as cheap as the canned varieties, but the quality is here. More than a quarter of the sodium you should eat in a day.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chicken Burrito Bowl is a healthy portion of food ready in about 5 minutes from freezer to microwave. It’s very filling and I couldn’t finish it all. Good source of fiber.
The cons: Flavor of Trader Joe’s Chicken Burrito Bowl. While the veggies came out well and had texture out of the microwave I was wishing for a packet of hot sauce or anything to brighten this up. Looks prettier than it tastes.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Beef Shepherd’s Pie is an all in one meal that contains vegetables, meat and starch
The cons: Not a well done shepherd’s pie and some of the soggiest mashed potatoes I’ve had. The mashed potatoes overwhelmed this dish as did the lack of flavor here.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Superfood Pilaf is a bag of colorful and healthy superfood. A whole lot of vitamin A in one serving. Lots of superfoods in one bag. Ready in about 10 minutes on the stove or even less in the microwave.
The cons: Came out as one giant block which made it difficult to prepare. Was very plain tasting.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chicken Shu Mai is pretty good. The quality of the shu mai reminded me of the bags of the shu mai I used to buy from the Asian market. Simple preparation. Came out fine in the microwave. Super tasty sauce.
The cons: I found the microwave directions to be off. Mine needed 3 minutes instead of the 1-2 suggested on the box. Also, I recommend that you put the bag of sauce in a bowl of hot water to at least bring it up to room temperature. Sodium seems high, but that is likely due to the sauce being figured into the nutritional value. Sauce should also be sold in a bottle. Sadly, it isn’t.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Tart Cherry, Chia, and Pumpkin Seed Oatmeal is a healthy, hearty, quick meal. This has more of a nutty taste to it between the pumpkin seeds, chia seeds and the rolled oats.
The cons: Other than the tart cherries, there isn’t much sweetness here to speak of.
The verdict: …
The pros: Quick, easy, fast rice ready in 3 minutes that has good taste and texture. No pots and pans necessary, just a microwave and a packet from Trader Joe’s Brown Rice box.
The cons: None come to mind.
The verdict: …
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: …
