The pros: Trader Joe’s Super Sweet Dried Carabao Mango is a healthy option with a good sweet flavor. Resealable bag.
The cons: When I opened my bag all the mango strips were sticking together making it hard to grab a piece.
The verdict: …
yummy
Trader Joe’s Kettle Cooked Chicken Soup
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: …
Stew Leonard’s Glazed Donuts
There is something magical about well made donuts. In fact, Homer Simpsons famous line comes to mind, “Mmmmm…Donuts.” There is a simple truth in that statement. One bite into a really well made donut and any other thoughts vanish, leaving you with only Homer Simpsons words (possibly his voice playing in your head as well). My all time favorite donuts were Krispy Kreme, but they are near impossible to find fresh with the “hot” light on. With all their locations being distant I had been on the search for a good substitute. I found it in Stew Leonard’s Glazed Donuts.
The pros: Light, airy, and delicately glazed donuts.
The cons: So easy to sit down and eat the entire contents of the box.
The verdict: …
Stew Leonard’s Lobster Roll
On my first trip to Stew Leonard’s about ten years ago, Stew Leonard’s Lobster Roll was one of the items that caught my eyes. One bite and I was hooked. If you love the taste of fresh lobster, this will be right up your alley. They don’t skimp out on the lobster meat. If you are looking to just buy fresh lobster meat or lobster salad, they sell that as well. If you are looking for a taste of summer regardless of the season this is a great item to pick up.
The pros: Fresh and generous lobster quantity for the price. Not overwhelming with mayo, nice crunch from red onions and celery.
The cons: Short shelf life, but don’t worry, it won’t be sitting around for too long. Lobster isn’t cheap. Wish it had the calorie count.
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 Beef Filet Mignon
The pros: Super tasty steak, tender as could be. I prefer Trader Joe’s Beef Filet Mignon over Trader Joe’s Steakhouse Seasoned Beef Filet Mignon as that was very peppery (but tasty and tender too). Here you have total control over the seasoning and spice level. If you are only a beginning cook then yes, the Steakhouse Seasoned Beef Filet Mignon is a good choice because the directions are crystal clear and most of the work is done for you.
The cons: Should have more of a guide on how to prepare this and what temperature gives you the different levels of doneness. Expensive per pound, but what filet mignon isn’t?
The verdict: …
Stew Leonard’s Seafood Pot Pie
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 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: …
Stew Leonard’s Food Reviews and Blog Posts
I have a confession to make. My husband knows about the other men in my life. That’s right, I said men. There is more than one other man in my life beyond my husband. They make my life easier. They even cook for me on nights when I’m not up for it. One is named Joe, Trader Joe. The other is Stew, as in Stew Leonard’s. I have yet to meet either man in person. All I want to do is shake their hand and say, “thank you.” I know I won’t get to the chance to say thank you in person so Stew Leonard’s Food Reviews and Blog Posts will have to be the next best thing….
Trader Joe’s Chocolate Marbles
The pros: Beautiful round “marbles” of chocolate that are little works of speckled art. You are getting 16 truffles for about $4 and they are quality chocolate. There are 4 different varieties in Trader Joe’s Chocolate Marbles. The varieties are mostly similar but with subtle variation.
The cons: It’s so easy to keep eating these.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Tahitian Vanilla Caramels
The pros: Tasty chocolate and filling. Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Tahitian Vanilla Caramels are super shiny and pretty chocolates.
The cons: I would have preferred a more tempered chocolate to get a contrast to the smooth caramel in the center. Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Tahitian Vanilla Caramels should come in a resealable bag so you aren’t forced to eat the whole thing. Ok, you aren’t forced but you also don’t want a wide open bag in your purse of workbag.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Wild Caught Crab Meat
The pros: The taste of Trader Joe’s Wild Caught Crab Meat will remind you of the ocean. There is a distinct saltiness that hits you first followed by the soft and sweet flavor of crab. It will take a little breaking up the meat by hand to make it not look so unattractive coming out of the vacuum sealed bag.
The cons: Crab meat not from the US, keep an eye on possible shells. A little grey coming out of the package which visually made me a bit uneasy, but its pre-cooked so you can eat it once the package is defrosted.
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 Beef Bool Kogi
The pros: Tasty beef in a sesame soy marinade that is ready super quick on the grill or pan. Trader Joe’s Beef Bool Kogi meat was lean.
The cons: A mild heat would have added to this, but can also be done at the end. High in sodium.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Mixed Berry Scones Mix
The pros: Quick, easy and fast to put together. Trader Joe’s Mixed Berry Scones Mix only requires water to come together. Were ready in under 20 minutes from start to finish.
The cons: Light on the mixed berry. You might want to keep some freeze fried berries on hand to add into this mix.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Strawberry Raspberry Oatmeal
The pros: With milk, Trader Joe’s Strawberry Raspberry Oatmeal is a tasty and hearty breakfast. Best at room temperature. Good flavor and balance. Subtle spice of cinnamon. Good amount of fiber to make you feel full.
The cons: Could have been more generous with the strawberries and raspberries. I wish it had a lid, so if I need to come back to it. Something you can make from home with a few pantry items. If you have allergies, this has a long list of items it has traces of.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Sriracha Seafood Potstickers
The pros: Trader Joe’s Sriracha Seafood Potstickers are very tasty if you prepare these the way pot stickers should be prepared: in a pan.
The cons: I microwaved half of the batch. Big mistake. They came out dry and rubbery.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Rustic Ciabatta Flatbread
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 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 Semi Sweet Chocolate Chunks
The pros: Trader Joe’s Semi Sweet Chocolate Chunks is almost 60% cocoa, rich cocoa taste, great for baking.
The cons: If you need uniformity in your chocolate then reach for the chips and not the chunks. These were meant to be uneven on purpose.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Shredded Hash Browns
The pros: Trader Joe’s Shredded Hash Browns are essentially frozen shredded potatoes on demand.
The cons: If time is an issue you are better off going with Trader Joe’s Hash browns that are pre-made and only slightly more expensive. Plus odds are you’ll get more for your money with having to do less dishes.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Carne Asada
The pros: Tasty, good flavor, very tender meat off of high heat. Be sure to cut Trader Joe’s Carne Asada across the grain for the most tender texture.
The cons: Cooking directions could be elaborated a bit and should be easier to see. There is a distinct acidic taste to the meat which not everyone will find pleasing. Also if you have someone in your household who does not like cilantro, this is not a good product to try.
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: …
