Let's talk about dinner for a second. I used to look forward to dinners as a kid as that is where I spent the most time with my parents on any given night of the week. They were good cooks too. I'm sure I groused and complained.
Now that I'm an adult and responsible for my own dinners, I find myself less and less picky.
That is not that I don't like to sit down to a nice meal here and there. For the most part, my husband and I are on drastically different time schedules. The number of times we sit down to dinner in a month can be measured on one hand.
So our dinner routine looks like this: I make something, I go to sleep, I leave for work, he comes home and consumes whatever I've left him in the refrigerator.
I know how much he likes something by how much of it is left when I get home. It's an odd communication system, but it is our reality. If I make Enchiladas, I know I'm not coming home to any.
Taste and review
My parents used to make enchiladas from scratch and it was an all-day affair. With this little jar, not so much.
I've made these several times. The first time was using the directions, every other time I've played around with the directions.
The directions work just fine. I'm just not a fan of adding extra oil. I've bypassed this by heating the tortillas a few extra seconds in the microwave to make them more pliable.
Roll them with fillings (chicken, beef, and of course cheese), and add sauce to the top. Microwave them, and you have a pretty darn easy dinner that runs laps around what Trader Joe's offers in the frozen section with their cheese or chicken enchiladas.
The flavor here is smokey than spice, but it has a good flavor. If you like hot, then mix it in before adding it to the final dish. Or you can cheat like I do and use Trader Joe's Habanero Lime Tortillas to bring the spice level up a notch.
Overall
For $2.49 it is a good pantry item to have on hand and with the right basic ingredients, you can have a tastier dinner in less time than it would take for you to heat the frozen ones up. Worth a try if you haven't gotten to it already.
If you are unable to get to a Trader Joe's and you need this in your life, then you can find this on Amazon through third-party sellers.
Would I buy this again? Yes, I would buy Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce again. It made for a relatively quick and easy dinner.
Product photos
The bottle of Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce:
The nutritional information and the ingredients:
How to prepare:
After being cooked using Trader Joe's 3 Cheese Blend and Habanero Lime Tortillas you get:
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for an alphabetized list.
The Bottom Line
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Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce
Product Name: Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce
Product Description: Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce is a vegan and long-standing favorite located with the other pantry items at Trader Joe's.
Price: $2.49
Currency: USD
Availability: InStoreOnly
Summary
Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce is a pantry essential item located with the other pantry staples at Trader Joe's.
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Taste
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Value
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Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce is a staple item in my household and makes for a quick and flavorful meal.
- Vegan but doesn't feel like you are missing any flavors either
Cons
- The directions add extra steps that can be skipped with minimal consequence.
judilyn says
Your finished dinner looks really inviting! We had burritos and tostadas for lunch today, but I may find a similar use for the chicken breasts in the refrigerator when dinnertime rolls around.
I have wimped out on several occasions and used canned/bottled enchilada sauce, but found that the Penzey's Fajita Seasoning provides just the right amount of "Mexico" for me in almost any Mexican dish. Added pasta sauce or just plain tomato sauce (or even broth or water) brings it to the appropriate consistency. I use it to flavor up filling for tacos, tostadas, burritos, enchiladas, and chili, and then make a thinner variation if a sauce is needed to complete the dish.
Maltodextrin is not kind to my body, so label reading is everything.
Virtual hugs,
Judie
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becomebetty says
OMG I love Penzey's Fajita Seasoning. I keep a big bag of their bold taco seasoning on my shelf. I have so much of their stuff and miss having a store nearby. I understand the labeling issues people have too. That's why I photograph everything so people can make the best decisions possible for their dietary needs. Thanks so much as always for taking the time and stopping by!
Dag says
I have never tried their enchilada sauce & now I wish I had. To top that I have never even seen the lime and habenaro tortillas! Sounds like an awesome combo!
becomebetty says
Hey Dag! The enchilada sauce is pretty good, but those lime habanero tortillas are pretty darn good too. I almost never buy plain ones. They're medium in heat even though the package says they are hot. Those make for killer quesadillas to mix things up.
Hankerings says
I immediately recognized this enchilada sauce because I used to buy it all the time (when I was near a Trader Joe’s). The flavor is so spot on.
becomebetty says
Hey Hankerings! I agree. Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and share!
judilyn says
It is a great service that you provide such good information about the products! Thank you for that!!!
4Graces says
I have used Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce for years and it suits my taste as it is not so spicy HOT as some others on the market. Buy it at the store, though. On Amazon sellers want five times as much as TJ's charges.
becomebetty says
Hey 4Graces! Thanks for sharing!