The pros: Trader Joe's Meat Lasagna is an item that I hadn't noticed recently. The pasta and the cheese were fine but...
The cons: The meat was terrible. Out of the oven it was chewy and rubbery. It wasn't isolated to a couple bites either. The calorie count is pretty high so if you are dieting, please read over the label (or check this post) before purchasing.
The verdict:
If I had to point out a weak section of Trader Joe's, it's the refrigerated case. Not the cheeses or other fresh produce, but the prepared wraps and meals. For me, those have been the least pleasing item that I've tried. Recently, I noticed a small tray of meat lasagna and decided to give it a try.
For $6.49 you are getting a piece of lasagna that would feed two people nicely. Lasagna is a lot of work, especially if you are a smaller household. So I picked this up as a quick dinner. From the oven it's ready in under half an hour. Sadly, there are some ok things about this lasagna and some lows about eating this lasagna.
Let's start of with the things that are ok about this: the sauce has nice flavor. The ricotta between that pasta is nice a smooth, but the noodles are flat leaving you wanting more texture. The overall flavors are pretty good for something sold premade.
And now for the reason why I won't buy this product ever again. The meat. I have beef with the beef that they used here. They cut some serious corners with the package I brought home. The ground beef was like rubber. It was so chewy. It all tasted like it was the scraps of meat that was too close to the bones that no one wants. It was somewhere between rubber and chewing gum. The meat is all in the sauce and not in the lasagna itself. So while I could have scraped it off, it defeats the purpose of buying meat lasagna.
Had this been a spinach or vegetable lasagna, it would have worked because the overall flavors here work. As a meat lasagna (and a beef one at that), it does not work. I won't be buying this again and I would not recommend you to do so either. It has good potential, but the execution doesn't work.
The package of Trader Joe's Meat Lasagna:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients and how to prepare:
Out of the package you get:
After being cooked you get:
Would I buy this again? No. I don't think I've ever had more rubbery tasting beef than Trader Joe's Meat Lasagna. While the lasagna was alright, the meat was such a let down.
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!
Since the noodles and the layering are the tiresome parts of a lasagna, perhaps if they had something "naked" that one could add one's own sauce, that might be a bigger seller. They could tout it as vegetarian that way.
Virtual hugs,
Judie
Much agreed! Thanks as always for sharing your thoughts Judie!
"I have beef with the beef that they used here." Love this! LOL
Thanks for sacrificing your taste buds so we don't have to! Will steer clear of this one.
Btw, love your new page layout, Brenda!
However the return policy that TJ’s has is champ. No risks there.
Agreed but it is awkward to bring back a cooked half eaten lasagna. I dont think the time and drive would have been worth it for an item under $7
Having been a big fan of the previous version of TJs fresh lasagna which disappeared for a few years, I was so happy to see it again in the store and purchased it for my dinner the other night. After two bites, I couldn’t eat any more. I agree with you that the sauce was okay and the “meat” was terrible. It wasn’t “meat,” but fat and gristle. The cheese was dry and sour; the pasta sheets thin and mushy. The whole thing was one of the worst “fresh” items offered now by TJs. Now, the version from a few years ago was wonderful. The meat was actually ground beef and the sauce was very good. While the meat sauce was still not between the layers, the quantity and quality of the sauce made up for it. The pasta sheets were much thicker and absorbed the flavors of the sauce much better. And the cheese! It was what the ricotta layer should be: cheesy, creamy and delicious. TJs should have brought that version back to the stores.
It's so helpful to know that I didn't get a bad batch. Thanks for you insight and hope you share more of your thoughts! Thank you for stopping by!
I'm a Trader Joe's regular. Very disappointed with this Lasagna. The flavor was ok, but the noodle texture and the sauce were not, the noodles were very tough and the sauce was too heavy to melt or dissolve when cooked. Not worth the $6.49 price tag. Would not recommend it.
Hey Dalys! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. You are always welcome to share your thoughts on the reviews. Thanks for sharing your view on this.