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: The cheese aisle has been a hit or miss fest for me. There have been some cheeses I’ve loved. Some were just fails that I wish to never have near my palate again.
But there is one standout problem with Trader Joe’s cheeses. If it is a sliced cheese, it doesn’t seem to have a long shelf life. There have been some cheeses that I have brought home tightly wrapped, but within a matter of days mold would appear. Now, mold is sometimes welcome on cheese, but not the ones I brought home.
But this, seems to have a pretty long shelf life. The date on my package left more than enough time to open and enjoy even if we did not dig into it right away.
And enjoy we have because I’ve bought this four different times now.
First off there is the price. It’s $5.49 for a full pound of pre-sliced cheese. Most cheeses sell for double that per pound.
All the slices are a decently thick sliced. It’s about standard size for a cracker cut, but these are a bit longer than a typical cracker.
Within the package is a pleasant mild cheddar. Nothing standout, but nothing that I didn’t mind eating either. My husband liked the cheddar the best out of the four.
My favorites were the Colby Jack and the Swiss. The Swiss cheese did not have many holes, but I wasn’t too upset by that. More cheese and less air right? The Colby Jack is very similar to what is on shelves, but unlike the slices here, this actually has a decent shelf life. Two slices were actually satisfying.
But it’s still cheese and hard to put down.
The pepperjack was good, creamy with a nice kick to it. But pepperjack is rarely a hit in our household. We will eat it, but we seem to save it for last. Trust me, nothing wrong with this cheese. Trader Joe’s did well on picking out four good cheeses.
It’s good for a party or just plain old snacking.
Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:
The package of Trader Joe’s Cheese Party Tray:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients:
Would I buy this again? Yes, I would buy Trader Joe’s Cheese Party Tray again. I’ve bought four of these since I found them. It was a good value too.
Want to see more items I’ve reviewed from Trader Joe’s? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
5
Don’t know if you can see the ads that they run on your site, and maybe it isn’t the same for anyone, but my “copy” had an ad for an ultrasonic rodent repellent, complete with a picture of two cute little mice. Do you suppose they match up your content with a related product? ;->
Virtual hugs,
Judie
Hey Judie! Unfortunately, I don’t run the ads. Mediavine is my adnetwork and they pick and choose what ads are seen. I don’t think TJs even advertises, but I can pass your feedback along! Thanks so much for stopping by.
I thought it was cute!
It not new. http://www.traderjoesreviews.com/product/trader-joes-a-real-crowd-cheeser-reviews/. It was sold under a different name “a real crowd cheeser” . I can see this being used in a grilled cheese bar.
Hey Alek! Thanks for jumping in on this one! Once again you called it. Since I started shopping at TJs I didn’t see that product being sold. Great suggestion on the grilled cheese. Hopefully the weather will cool down and I’ll be happy to have it with some soup. Thanks so much for the imput and sharing with everyone!
I have kind of given up on a lot of Trader Joe’s pre sliced cheeses. I’ve had the same experience where they’ve gone moldy within a few days of purchase even though I have tightly closed them and gotten all of the air out of the package. So frustrating.
Hey Dag! That is why I mentioned it. I was pretty sure I wasn’t the only person why experienced that. Thanks so much for stopping by!
There seem to be a lot more options if you buy the cheeses that aren’t presliced… my parents always had this cheese slicing tool that you drag along the surface and it made an even slice.
This does look clever to offer an assortment, especially for picnics or parties
Hey Ttrockwood! Options are pretty good at Trader Joe’s, especially if you are going to make a cheese board. But if you are having a picnic this just makes things easier. Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by!
Alek- great idea with the grilled cheese bar. I might use that idea and just make premake a bunch of breakfast grilled cheeses-uncured turkey bacon, whole grain bread, maybe some heirloom tomato slices, a little butter or light mayo & several assorted cheese slices. Wrap the whole she-bang up in foil & just toss in my air fryer in the morning for 5 minutes. Take on the go!