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Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato Fries

3 · Apr 7, 2017 · Updated April 7, 2018 · 2 Comments

The pros: Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato Fries (Frites) are crispy and delicious from bag to oven. They have a crisp outside and a tender inside. The flavor on these was really good. Most fries are (mostly) evenly cut to ensure even cooking. Considering these are coming from a freezer bag, they are pretty good.

The cons: Bag of Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato Fries is not resealable. No microwave allowed on this product. You might want to add your own seasoning here as these are just plain sweet potato fries.

The verdict: …

Trader Joe’s Pizza Margherita

2 · Apr 1, 2017 · Updated April 7, 2018 · 5 Comments

The pros: Trader Joe’s Pizza Margherita is pizza on demand and ready in about 10 minutes from the freezer. It had a nice crisp crust.

The cons: None really come to mind.

The verdict: …

Trader Joe’s Coffee Rubbed Spatchcocked Chicken

1 · Mar 20, 2017 · Updated April 8, 2018 · 2 Comments

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: …

Trader Joe’s Pepperoni Pizza

2 · Mar 18, 2017 · Updated July 22, 2018 · 2 Comments

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: …

Trader Joe’s Garlic Potatoes with Parmesan Sauce

1 · Mar 9, 2017 · Updated July 27, 2018 · 4 Comments

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: …

Trader Joe’s Steak and Stout Pie

1 · Mar 1, 2017 · Updated April 11, 2018 · 9 Comments

The pros: Trader Joe’s Steak and Stout Pie has a delicious pie crust, directions were on point, surprisingly filling for a small pie.

The cons: Trader Joe’s Steak and Stout Pie is also a calorie and nutritional bomb. Microwave is not recommended if you want the crisp pastry crust which means if you are hungry right now you are at least 45 minutes from eating this.

The verdict: …

Trader Joe’s Pizza Veggie Burgers

2 · Feb 28, 2017 · Updated July 13, 2017 · 2 Comments

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….

Trader Joe’s Fully Cooked Baby Back Ribs

1 · Feb 27, 2017 · Updated July 13, 2017 · Leave a Comment

The pros: Trader Joe’s Fully Cooked Baby Back Ribs are tasty, tender and ready in under 20 minutes.

The cons: If you are hoping for championship level BBQ, this isn’t it. Doesn’t mean that it’s bad either. It’s just not the best BBQ I’ve ever had. You’ll also want a very sharp knife in order to separate the ribs. Some were no problem, some were a bit of a challenge with a very sharp knife….

Trader Joe’s Garlic Fries

1 · Feb 25, 2017 · Updated July 14, 2017 · 3 Comments

The pros: Trader Joe’s Garlic Fries are tasty with a delicious sauce that may require some caution when using.

The cons: Should be portioned out better. I was hoping to only make half of this product, but there is only one garlic pack which is not resealable.

The verdict: …

Trader Joe’s Chicken Enchiladas Verde

4 · Feb 25, 2017 · Updated July 12, 2017 · Leave a Comment

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….

Trader Joe’s Cheese Enchiladas Rojo

6 · Feb 24, 2017 · Updated July 1, 2018 · 5 Comments

The pros: Trader Joe’s Cheese Enchiladas Rojo are pretty close to what you might expect in a Mexican Restaurant, if not possibly better.

The cons: While the directions don’t mention it, my enchiladas stuck to the bottom of the pan that I used (and no, the pan they come in can’t go in the oven). Some cooking spray or parchment could have dealt with that issue. Calorie count is higher than expected and it’s easy for one person to sit and eat all of these in one sitting.

The verdict: …

Trader Joe’s Spatchcocked Lemon Rosemary Chicken

7 · Feb 23, 2017 · Updated August 19, 2017 · 10 Comments

The pros: Trader Joe’s Spatchcocked Lemon Rosemary Chicken has a tasty finished product if you can put in the time. It’s a timesaver if you forget to take care of things the night before.

The cons: You are actually expected to cook this. If you need dinner quickly, skip over this. This product needs an hour in the oven.

The verdict: …

Trader Joe’s Spanakopita

2 · Feb 20, 2017 · Updated July 13, 2017 · 2 Comments

The pros: Trader Joe’s Spanakopita has a dozen tasty appetizer sized spinach pies that are read in about 20 minutes.

The cons: Probably not the most authentic. What you could get at your local Greek restaurant will be closer to the real thing. Some of them were very much frozen together and difficult to pull apart before putting them in the toaster oven

The verdict: …

Trader Joe’s Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burgers

2 · Feb 19, 2017 · Updated July 18, 2018 · 5 Comments

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: …

Trader Joe’s Cauliflower and Broccoli Vegetable Patties

2 · Feb 18, 2017 · Updated August 19, 2017 · 9 Comments

The pros: A new addition to the freezer section. Trader Joe’s Cauliflower and Broccoli Vegetable Patties are quick and easy that taste fresh and require minimal work. While they won’t work out as a burger, they will make a nutritious side dish.

The cons: You’ll need to add something here to make it more flavorful. This is a blank canvas. I found the addition of a bit of salt to be essential. No microwave allowed on this one.

The verdict: …

Trader Joe’s Chicken Parmigiana with Marinara

1 · Feb 17, 2017 · Updated August 20, 2017 · 9 Comments

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: …

Trader Joe’s Carrot and Pea Vegetable Patties

2 · Feb 16, 2017 · Updated August 20, 2017 · 2 Comments

The pros: Recent addition to the freezer aisle. Trader Joe’s Carrot and Pea Vegetable Patties looks like the picture on the package. Good source of vitamins, good ingredients. Healthy. If you need a break from frozen veggies this might give you a break.

The cons: Trader Joe’s Carrot and Pea Vegetable Patties has good potential but taste was bland but is improved with salt when it’s done cooking or by hot sauce.

The verdict: …

Trader Joe’s Zucchini Fries

0 · Feb 11, 2017 · Updated July 13, 2017 · 1 Comment

The pros: Trader Joe’s Zucchini Fries are tasty, lightly battered pieces of zucchini that when cooked were nice and crispy. Vegan if that is important to you.

The cons: Salt level will need some adjustment to taste, slices of zucchini were very uneven which leads to uneven cooking where some fries were super crisp (almost burnt) in 25 minutes. Others were mushy. Bag is not resealable.

The verdict: …

Trader Joe’s Beef Shepherd’s Pie

0 · Feb 1, 2017 · Updated July 2, 2017 · 4 Comments

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: …

Stew Leonard’s Seafood Pot Pie

1 · Jan 24, 2017 · Updated May 13, 2017 · 2 Comments

The pros: Stew Leonard’s Seafood Pot Pie has a super flaky pie crust, delicious and rich filling that doesn’t skimp on the seafood.

The cons: No nutritional values (I probably don’t want to really know. Anything that tastes this good, I’m strangely ok with not looking how not good it might be for me) or how to prepare/reheat. I really wanted to make sure I didn’t microwave this, nor did I want to burn this. I had it in the oven for 20 minutes and still hit cold middle. Cold delicious middle.

The verdict: …

Trader Joe’s Pizza Crust

1 · Jan 23, 2017 · Updated September 4, 2017 · Leave a Comment

The pros: Trader Joe’s Pizza Crust are huge pizza crusts that yield 4-6 generous slices each. When brushed with oil and placed in the oven, the crust was crisp. If you are looking for thin crust, this isn’t it, it’s just shy of being Sicilian style thick. Nice flavor of the bread, but the topping is meant to be the highlight.

The cons: None that I can think of.

The verdict: …

Trader Joe’s Mini Quiche Duo

4 · Jan 10, 2017 · Updated May 19, 2017 · Leave a Comment

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 Rustic Ciabatta Flatbread

2 · Jan 6, 2017 · Updated May 19, 2017 · Leave a Comment

The pros: Super quick, tasty, well done ciabatta flat bread. Trader Joe’s Rustic Ciabatta Flatbread is a blank canvas for you to experiment with. With how large the lettering was on the package they could have given some good recipe suggestions.

The cons: It won’t result in the most amazing pizza you’ve ever had and you’ll have to buy this several times to be able to experiment.

The verdict: …

Trader Joe’s Alsatian Onion Tart

1 · Dec 17, 2016 · Updated September 8, 2017 · Leave a Comment

The pros: Imagine straining your favorite french onion soup and placing the cheese and sautéed onions on a tart crust. That’s what you are getting when you buy Trader Joe’s Alsatian Onion Tart.

The cons: Trader Joe’s Alsatian Style Onion Tart was difficult to cut tart out of aluminum tray.

The verdict: …